The Carrying Capacity discussion is of interest and relevance to me.

I tell new beekeepers in bee schools that most areas in Maine will 
support an additional colony or two.

I’ve also had an Assistant State Apiarist tell me that I was way over 
the carrying capacity for hives at my home.

So I’ve cut back and cut back some more in the number of colonies I 
keep.(Now down to about 12 colonies from 30)The results have been an 
increase in the number of Native Pollinators (primarily Bombus, I'm 
working on being better at identifying others) foraging at my home while 
harvested honey has stayed about the same.

The buffer space between apiaries sense, though I think using the term 
carrying capacity is at best misleading.Carrying capacity to me is how 
many colonies of managed and unmanaged bees a given area will support – 
support is defined as adequate natural nutrition for all.Potential 
disease spillover and spillback are other issues.

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