What Is an Apiary? Bee Yards, Hives and the Words of Beekeeping
What is an apiary? An apiary is a place where beehives are kept, often called a bee yard. It can be a single hive behind a house, a row of hives on a city rooftop, or hundreds of hives in a field. The word comes from the Latin apis, meaning bee. This guide explains what an apiary is, what is inside one, how beekeepers choose a site, and the vocabulary you will hear around bees.
What an apiary looks like
Most apiaries are simple. Hives sit on stands or pallets to keep them off damp ground, usually in a row or small groups, facing the morning sun. Nearby there may be a water source, a windbreak such as a hedge or fence, and sometimes an electric fence to keep out bears, which are a real threat to hives in parts of New York. Commercial apiaries are often on farms, where landowners host hives in exchange for honey or pollination.
Inside a hive
Most beekeepers in the US use the Langstroth hive, a stack of wooden boxes holding removable frames. Bees build comb on the frames. The lower boxes, called brood boxes, hold the queen, eggs and young bees, plus honey for the colony. Boxes added on top for surplus honey are called supers. Beekeepers lift out frames to check the colony and harvest honey. See how is honey made.
Beekeeping words
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Apiary / bee yard | Place where hives are kept |
| Apiarist | A beekeeper |
| Apiculture | The practice of beekeeping |
| Colony | The bees living in one hive |
| Super | A box added on top for surplus honey |
| Brood | Eggs, larvae and pupae |
| Nectar flow | A period when plants produce lots of nectar |
| Meadery | A place that makes mead, honey wine |
How beekeepers choose an apiary site
A good apiary has plenty of flowers within a few miles, since bees typically forage within about two to three miles of the hive. It needs sun, shelter from strong winds, good drainage, a nearby water source and easy access for the beekeeper and a truck. Beekeepers also think about neighbors, placing hives so bees fly up and away from paths, and about pesticide use on nearby farms.
Some beekeepers move hives between apiaries to follow crops, such as clover, sunflower or fall buckwheat, which is how single-flower honeys are made; see monofloral honey.
Apiaries in history
Organized apiaries are ancient. Ancient Egyptians kept bees in stacks of clay pipe hives, and archaeologists found rows of clay hives from about 3,000 years ago at Tel Rehov in Israel; see land of milk and honey. In medieval Europe, bees were kept in straw skeps, and some walled gardens had special niches called bee boles to shelter them. The modern movable-frame hive was patented by Lorenzo Langstroth in 1852.
Rules and registration
Many states and cities require beekeepers to register their apiaries, which helps inspectors track bee diseases. In New York City, keeping honey bees became legal in 2010 and hives must be registered with the city health department; see beekeeping in NYC. Rules vary, so check local requirements before setting up hives.
From apiary to jar
Our honey comes from the apiaries of partner beekeepers in New York State, North Dakota and Florida, chosen for the flowers around them. Their bees make our Wildflower, Clover and other single-origin honeys. See where to buy raw honey.
Frequently asked questions
- What is an apiary?
- A place where beehives are kept, also called a bee yard.
- What is a beekeeper called?
- An apiarist. Beekeeping is also called apiculture.
- How many hives are in an apiary?
- Anywhere from one to a hundred or more. Commercial beekeepers often have many apiaries.
- How far do bees fly from an apiary?
- Typically within about two to three miles, though they can go farther when needed.
Al Safa Honey is a food producer, not a medical provider. Nothing here is medical advice. Never give honey of any kind to a baby under 12 months old.
