I saw some hives the other day that were elevated on tables about
3 feet off of the ground.  That reminded me that I have some questions
about positioning of hives.
 
When I first located mine, I heard conflicting opinions about locating
the hive on the ground.  Some insisted that the hives be close to the
ground, without allowing air to circulate beneath them (rationale being
to
avois the hive getting chilled in the winter).  I've also heard that the
hive should
not be close to the ground, lest the ground moisture negatively affect
the
hive in the colder months.
 
My compomise was to build a base of solid brick (won't allow cold air to
pass beneath the hive) but only a couple of inches off of the ground.
 
The hives that I saw on tables were put up there to avoid raiding by
skunks.
 
Should the hive be elevated?  Is it OK for cold air to pass beneath the
hive?
And what about landing boards?  My hive sites on its bottom board.  How
valuable are the landing boards?  Is their expense worth the benefit the
hive
receives from them?
 
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Marc Sevigny                    E-mail: [log in to unmask]
Isis Distributed Systems                Phone: (508) 490-6831
55 Fairbanks Blvd                       Fax:     (508) 481-9274
Marlboro, MA 01752
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