At 01:19 PM 4/24/96 +0000, you wrote:
>Hi all,
>
>  Please bear with me on this one...
>
>  This is my first year in beekeeping and I have the following two
>questions.  (for the record I am taking a local Ag Bee Keeping course
>before the bees get here but would like to get the hive ready ahead
>of time).
>
>  1:  I would like to put the hive in an area with some pine trees.
>This area doesn't get a whole lot of sun and I'm planning on putting a wind
>break on the north side.  Is it a better idea to put the hive in a sunnier
>area?
>
>  2: Color:  I'm leaning on a light shade of green to make the hive less
>obvious.  My SO wants to paint the hive light yellow but if we go with
>white or light green she then wants to paint something on the side (what
>I have _no_ idea).   Does anyone see problems in this area?
>
>
>thanks much for any answers,
>bob maccione
>Green Acres Orchards  (someday)
>Eads, TN
>
 
Hi Bob
 
My Dad kept bees in a pine thicket for years and they did very well there. A
wind break might help but I don't think it is necessary.  I've kept bees in
southeast Tennesee and northwest Georga. About all I do is face them
southeast and try to set them up to get the mornong sun.  You can help the
bees in summer if you place them so as to have shade form about mid morning on.
 
As to color, any color will do. I've got bees in hives of several different
colors and it dosen' seem to make any difference.
 
Frank Humphery