Angry car owner encounter

[Nakedapiarist]

My other half had an encounter today with an irate car owner. He parks his car on the other side of our ( six foot ) fence against which I have both my hives. He's claiming he's had to have his car specially cleaned on account of the pollen ( she didn't tell him it's actually bee crap ), and that my bees are swarming round the bins ( also directly over the fence ) - untrue I'm pretty sure and he's going to tell environmental health as this is a residential area and it shouldn't be allowed.

So, how to deal with this? Firstly afaik environmental health can't do a heck of a lot. I could move the hives a bit but they have to stay in the garden anyhow. Defusing is what I'd aim for, any tips? I'll be sticking a camera in the garden just in case anyone hops over the fence but that's not a solution

 

[Obee1]

Difficult one. My neighbours are a lovely couple with matching brand new shiny mini coopers and I've noticed both their cars have a bee poo decoration on the roof. Don't think neighbours realise it though.

My neighbours love their bees next door but if it became a problem I would offer to wash the cars ( well send my son to do it!). Could you calm the situation by cleaning his car and donating a jar or two of honey?

Good luck.

Obee

 

[Dishmop]

I have found that bee poo usually gets washed off with the rain anyway...after it has dried.....terrible if its still fresh. No need for a special wash. Take him a jar of honey and say sorry.......

Is his car in his garden?

Tell him not to worry as its swarmng season so you only have half of them soon!!!!

 

[madasafish]

Bee pooh is good garden fertiliser.. and it's free...You are doing him a favour...

Bribe with a jar of honey.

 

[Nakedapiarist]

Ive established which hive is the issue so i can at least shift it so his car isn't the first thing they fly over, that way i show ive done something. He's claiming it's cost him 1800 quid to replace his soft top.......... !

 

[BrianO]

Think a jar of honey ( or 2 ) won't placate that sort.

You could deny it and say it is nothing to do with the bees.

Then would move them ASAP incrementally out of his cars flight path. Sums up how detached people are and how they are devoid of any concern ( majority ) for the environment and its critters, sad really.

 

[madasafish]

Ive established which hive is the issue so i can at least shift it so his car isn't the first thing they fly over, that way i show ive done something. He's claiming it's cost him 1800 quid to replace his soft top.......... !

BS...

 

[Anduril]

Environmental Health will not do a lot they will see you have a six foot screen. If they come round ask to see the paperwork for the special cleaning it does not exist all a bluff. They may want to see evidence of bees swarming around bins. If you have wheelie bins the lids are closed no problem that I can see. Offer a jar of honey to diffuse the situation. I remember back in the 80's my dad was approached by an irate neighbour threatening with Environmental Health. He told the neighbour no need to do that call the police instead, neighbour was a pussycat after that. As long as your swarm control is good and the temperament is good there should not be a problem. If you could source an out apiary you will not have to give up beekeeping if events change.

 

[Anduril]

Ive established which hive is the issue so i can at least shift it so his car isn't the first thing they fly over, that way i show ive done something. He's claiming it's cost him 1800 quid to replace his soft top.......... !

Don't know how old the car is but it may be general wear and tear for the soft top. I know that lillies stain but the damage could be bird poo or sun damage.

 

[Dishmop]

Ive established which hive is the issue so i can at least shift it so his car isn't the first thing they fly over, that way i show ive done something. He's claiming it's cost him 1800 quid to replace his soft top.......... !

so he doesnt have any evidence then...

 

[wessexmario]

On no account would I offer honey, cleaning services or anything.
To do so could be used as an admission of guilt/liability, which could then lead to legal action being taken for compensation or nuisance.

If he has a case let him prove it first, best to say little and remain "uninvolved". If he invokes officials, then if your house is in order, you have little to fear, as we're all at our own risk from bird poo, hailstones, bee poo, pollen from the wind, tree sap, ...

On another note, if he choses to repeatedly park on a public highway in a place where nature drops things on his car, that's his problem. He knows the bees are there, why doesn't he avoid their locality. (not wanting to walk 50 yards isn't an excuse). Wherever he lives, he has no absolute right to park in any particular place on the highway or protection from acts of nature when parked there.

 

[Frenchie]

Until I had my bees in my own garden I didn't realise how much poo ends up on your car. Rain doesn't wash it of, but a quick wash gets rid of it.We don't have any neighbours, but I agree with OBEE1,you don't want to fall out with neighbours if at all avoidable. If he does try to take it further it might be a benefit to you if you can say you offered a car wash and jar of honey.

 

[jonnybeegood]

I would keep a diary of events, dates, times etc, i can see this getting testy, you need to keep a record in case police need to be involved. He doesnt dound the type that can be converted.

 

[Thymallus]

t might be a benefit to you if you can say you offered a car wash and jar of honey.

I'm with Mario on this, offering car wash and honey is an admission of guilt. Do nothing. He may just have had a bad hair day and needed someone to take it out on.

 

[enrico]

Suggest next time he buys a yellow coloured soft top for his car!

 

[waverider]

Offering honey to neighbours is what you do to prevent such situations, not when the problem has been brought to your attention! I have always given plenty of honey to neighbours under the premise that they would feel too guilty to make a fuss.

The colonies in the garden are very well behaved. In contrast my Cornish black bees reside at a local hamlet (quarantine). Very aggressive bee's but good yields and incredibly low varroa count.

 

[For want of a better word]

The colonies in the garden are very well behaved. In contrast my Cornish black bees reside at a local hamlet (quarantine). Very aggressive bee's but good yields and incredibly low varroa count.

Probably Carniolians... have they had a DNA certification?

And as for bee poo... buy him a bottle of Autoglym... I have a neighbor who would just love to come and rub it in for him!!!

Yeghes da


In Nottingham... long way to fly!

 

[B+.]

he's going to tell environmental health as this is a residential area and it shouldn't be allowed.

You have a legal right to enjoy your property (as does he). If your bees are a nuisance, he could have a point but it sounds to me that he's just trying to exert his rights over yours.
Is he the sort of person who might become interested in the bees? "You catch more flies with honey than vinegar" as the saying goes.

 

[alldigging]

If he is a home owner then him starting a dispute with you (env health being called in would constitute that) then he (and you) would have to declare that if you ever come to sell your house.

Say sorry, say you've moved your bees so the problem should stop, and do what you can to mitigate the loss.
If you don't want to give honey (it doesn't always have a sweetening effect on people) then tell him you'll save him a jar if you get a crop this year.

 

[Nakedapiarist]

Thanks for all the input. I'll move the hive over the other side of the garden but there's already a good 6m between his car and the hive ( and why he kept going on about the bins I don't know. ). They are designated parking spaces, rather than on street parking he made a point of going on about how he'd struggled to get one away from trees.
I could threaten to start keeping pigeons or just get a bird table well stocked with prunes....