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An apiary (also known as a bee yard) is a location where beehives of are kept. Apiaries come in many sizes and can be rural or urban depending on the honey production operation. Furthermore, an apiary may refer to a hobbyist's hives or those used for commercial or educational usage. It can also be a wall-less, roofed structure, similar to a gazebo which houses hives, or an enclosed structure with an opening that directs the flight path of the bees.
An apiary may have hive management objectives other than honey production, including queen rearing and mating. In the northern hemisphere, east and south facing locations with full morning sun are preferred. In hot climates, shade is needed and may have to be artificially provided if trees are not present. Other factors include air and water drainage and accessibility by truck, distance from phobic people, and protection from vandalism.
In the USA there are beekeepers—from hobbyists to commercial—in every state. The most lucrative areas for American honey production are Florida, Texas, California, and the Upper Midwest. For paid pollination, the main areas are California, the Pacific Northwest, the Great Lakes States, and the Northeast. Rules and regulations by local ordinances and zoning laws also affect apiaries.
In recent years US honey production has dropped and the U.S. imports 16% of the world's honey. Internationally, the largest honey producing exporters are China, Germany, and Mexico. As in the United States the location of apiaries varies internationally depending on available resources and the operational need. For more information on nation-specific beekeeping see their respective articles, such as the Beekeeping in Nepal article.
The size of an apiary is determined by not only the resources available but also by the variety of honey being cultivated, with more complex types generally cultivated in smaller productions. For more specific details on varieties see the classification portion of the honey article. The purpose of the apiary also affects size: apiaries are kept by commercial and local honey producers, as well as by universities, research facilities, and local organizations. Many such organizations provide community programming and educational opportunities. This results in varying sizes of apiaries depending on usage characteristics.
The maximum size of a permanent apiary or bee yard may depend on the type of bee as well. Some honey bee species fly farther than others. A circle around an apiary with a three-mile (5 km) foraging radius covers 28 square miles (73 km2). A good rule of thumb is to have no more than 25–35 hives in a permanent apiary, although migrating beekeepers may temporarily place one hundred hives into a location with a good nectar flow.
Apiaries may suffer from a wide variety of diseases and infestations. Throughout history apiaries and bees have been kept for honey and pollination purposes all across the globe. Due to the definition of apiary as a location where hives are kept its history can be traced as far back as that of beekeeping itself. In recent years Colony Collapse Disorder due to pesticide resistant mites have ravaged bee populations. Beyond mites there are a wide variety of diseases which may affect the hives and lead to the decline or collapse of a colony. For this reason many beekeepers choose to keep apiaries of limited size to avoid mass infection or infestation. For more information on diseases which affect bee populations see the list of diseases of the honey bee.
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