I keep bees in both sunny and shady places, from full sun to deep within
a wood.  I have had excellent harvests from hives in all places.
However, from a point of view of beekeeper comfort in mid-summer,
nothing beats a shady place.  Most of my locations are at least partly
shaded, and it is interesting to see the bees take off directly upward
through breaks in the tree canopy, like smoke through a chimney.
 
Ted Fischer
Dexter, Michigan USA