Attacked by dogs so w hen would be the best time to move bees?

[user 3509]

The land owner where we keep some of our bees has started adopting rescue dogs from Romania. At the moment she has 12 and unfortunately they have developed the pack mentality and have started attacking us when we go to see our bees. The other week my husband was bitten by one of the dogs and another kept going for me. The land owner insisted that after that we should make an appointment to visit our bees and she would ensure that the dogs were shut in at that time. Today my husband made such an appointment in order to top up the feeds. He got to the apiary site expecting the dogs to be shut in as the land owner had confirmed the appointment time, but instead he was attacked by the pack of dogs. Luckily he was able to jump over a gate out of way before they came into contact with his flesh but he was badly shaken. I am disabled so there is no way that I would be able to get out of the way of a pack of dogs quickly. The owner apologised and said she had lost track of the time!!! - and in future we must make an appointment to visit the bees and text when we are actually on the way. We have now decided to move our bees to one of our other apiary sites as we no longer feel safe there. My question is when would be the best time to move them? Should we wait until winter and they are in a cluster, or is it better to do it sooner rather than later. Obviously from our point of view sooner rather than later is better but I want to know what would be best for the bees? We have finished feeding so basically the bees will be left for a while, with just an occasional check.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

The land owner where we keep some of our bees has started adopting rescue dogs from Romania. At the moment she has 12 and unfortunately they have developed the pack mentality and have started attacking us when we go to see our bees. The other week my husband was bitten by one of the dogs and another kept going for me. The land owner insisted that after that we should make an appointment to visit our bees and she would ensure that the dogs were shut in at that time. Today my husband made such an appointment in order to top up the feeds. He got to the apiary site expecting the dogs to be shut in as the land owner had confirmed the appointment time, but instead he was attacked by the pack of dogs. Luckily he was able to jump over a gate out of way before they came into contact with his flesh but he was badly shaken. I am disabled so there is no way that I would be able to get out of the way of a pack of dogs quickly. The owner apologised and said she had lost track of the time!!! - and in future we must make an appointment to visit the bees and text when we are actually on the way. We have now decided to move our bees to one of our other apiary sites as we no longer feel safe there. My question is when would be the best time to move them? Should we wait until winter and they are in a cluster, or is it better to do it sooner rather than later. Obviously from our point of view sooner rather than later is better but I want to know what would be best for the bees? We have finished feeding so basically the bees will be left for a while, with just an occasional check.

If it's three miles away - move them now, better for the bees than trying to find a temperate period in winter.

 

[Hachi]

If your land owner is so full of puppy eyes and cannot see what is going on then you need to get out fast and as quickly as possible. I'd agree a date and time, then call an hour before the agreed time and make sure they have the pack secure. If they keep "losing track of time" suggest an RSPCA escort would be best? Pack mentality can be extremely dangerous.

It also beggers belief, we have enough unwanted pets without nuggets importing more !!

 

[user 819]

I agree move them sooner and be done with the dog person.

 

[user 819]

If your land owner is so full of puppy eyes and cannot see what is going on then you need to get out fast and as quickly as possible. I'd agree a date and time, then call an hour before the agreed time and make sure they have the pack secure. If they keep "losing track of time" suggest an RSPCA escort would be best? Pack mentality can be extremely dangerous.

It also beggers belief, we have enough unwanted pets without nuggets importing more !!

Rescue dogs coming in from Romania isn't isolated, I have come across several who have done so during the course of my work.
Maybe the process or criteria is easier then going down RSPCA or The Dogs Trust road.

 

[pargyle]

Rescue dogs coming in from Romania isn't isolated, I have come across several who have done so during the course of my work.
Maybe the process or criteria is easier then going down RSPCA or The Dogs Trust road.

That's the reason ... people I know who would like a dog have been refused by most of the charities because they both work .. although my friend is a self employed plumber and is home a lot of the time - because they both work they were deemed unsuitable candidates. I'm on the fence on this - I can see the need for vetting dog adoption candidates but my friend has had dogs for 30 years ... he used to take his last dog to work with him and they were inseparable ... they would be good people to rehome a rescue dog. They are looking at a rescue dog from abroad as an alternative ...

However - there are downsides as we could be seeing totally unsuitable people getting foreign rescue dogs when they are rejected by UK rehoming organisations ...

Rock and hard place I reckon....

 

[user 819]

Unsuitable people getting dogs and also unsuitable dogs being allowed in the country as maybe defined by Val when to many are harder to control.
These rescue dogs may well be unsuitable from abroad as their plight previous treatment may not be fully known and therefore may make for a wholly unsuitable pet.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Rescue dogs coming in from Romania isn't isolated, I have come across several who have done so during the course of my work.
Maybe the process or criteria is easier then going down RSPCA or The Dogs Trust road.

It also beggers belief, we have enough unwanted pets without nuggets importing more !!

It seems that rescue dogs in general is big business now, was speaking to a friend about it the other day (he'd been chatting to someone definitely in the know) As well as the issue with some rescue centres only allowing people a dog if they are agoraphobes who only leave their totally enclosed house and gardens to walk the dog or get more doggy snacks, apparently a lot of rescue centres/breed specific charities etc. are short of dogs and, as they make quite a nice profit out of rehoming, they trawl the country looking for overloaded pounds and take the dogs off their hands - quite a lot of 'rescued' dogs from this area get shipped off to London and the home counties where demand outstrips supply, thus importing 'free' dogs from places overrun with strays means good business sense.
There's a pet rescue 'charity' near here, real mercenary bunch, always seem to have loads of desireable dogs like Dachsunds on their books and they always appear in batches, then you realise that all they are doing is helping puppy farmers get shot of their worn out breeder bitches - probably at a cost.

 

[user 6228]

12 dogs out of control should be reported to the RSPCA and the Police. If a group of dogs take a mentality that owner is not the pack leader then they are very dangerous indeed. I take a very dim view of out of control dogs after being savaged by one at age 4, yet brought up with a very gentle( to me ) well controlled dog from age 5. I wouldnt go near those premises unless prepared to defend myself with extreme prejudice.

 

[pargyle]

It seems that rescue dogs in general is big business now, was speaking to a friend about it the other day (he'd been chatting to someone definitely in the know) As well as the issue with some rescue centres only allowing people a dog if they are agoraphobes who only leave their totally enclosed house and gardens to walk the dog or get more doggy snacks, apparently a lot of rescue centres/breed specific charities etc. are short of dogs and, as they make quite a nice profit out of rehoming, they trawl the country looking for overloaded pounds and take the dogs off their hands - quite a lot of 'rescued' dogs from this area get shipped off to London and the home counties where demand outstrips supply, thus importing 'free' dogs from places overrun with strays means good business sense.
There's a pet rescue 'charity' near here, real mercenary bunch, always seem to have loads of desireable dogs like Dachsunds on their books and they always appear in batches, then you realise that all they are doing is helping puppy farmers get shot of their worn out breeder bitches - probably at a cost.

Whilst we are on the topic of dogs ... during the pandemic - where responsible breeders of dogs have not been allowing their aninmals to have litters there is a dreadful shortage of puppies ... because more people have been at home working and are changing lifestyle there has been an increased demand for the popular breeds. Labradors puppies, for instance, average pedigrees, have leapt in price from an average of £700- £800, decent pedigrees £800 - £1000 .... to some opportunist breeders asking £2500 !!

https://www.ft.com/content/1d14541e-0c11-48bb-90a1-3f7dc05258a6

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Whilst we are on the topic of dogs ... during the pandemic - where responsible breeders of dogs have not been allowing their aninmals to have litters there is a dreadful shortage of puppies ... because more people have been at home working and are changing lifestyle there has been an increased demand for the popular breeds. Labradors puppies, for instance, average pedigrees, have leapt in price from an average of £700- £800, decent pedigrees £800 - £1000 .... to some opportunist breeders asking £2500 !!

https://www.ft.com/content/1d14541e-0c11-48bb-90a1-3f7dc05258a6

Just found out that our next door neighbour (she has four daxies) has had a litter off one of them - she's asking £3,500 - £3,700 each!!!!!!!

 

[pargyle]

Just found out that our next door neighbour (she has four daxies) has had a litter off one of them - she's asking £3,500 - £3,700 each!!!!!!!

Bloody hell ... at those sort of prices it will attract organised crime ... actually - at those prices it IS organised crime !

 

[Curly green finger's]

Bloody hell ... at those sort of prices it will attract organised crime ... actually - at those prices it IS organised crime !

Dog rustling has happened recently in Ludlow. some one in a van got caught with 12 pedigree dogs of various kinds.
They go around marking there houses or should I say gates and then break in... Or have even just taken the dogs from the garden so be aware folks.

 

[fullframe45]

Just thought id add my comment we was out one day with our minature dachshund in a park and as always on a lead,At the time she was only around 8 months old.
I has to keep an eye on grandaughter who was in the distance playing on swings and this guy came up the path behing me and started petting the dog .Anyway as i watched him he got to her collar and i thought HE is trying to unclip the lead.This was in middle of the day and with lots of people about. I got up and told him to f.../ Go away please. He just ran off and at my age i would not have been able to catch him. This was on one of those extended leads . Is nothing safe nowdays.

 

[user 6127]

I would move the bees ASAP. When you contact the land owner, talk to them a bit about the dogs. Just conversational style. Say you're looking for a new one etc. Try to get out the land owner the name of the 'charity' they are working for. Then, when bees are gone, report, report, report. RSPCA, charity, local press, everywhere! Won't be long before these dogs become dangerous, and there is no going back from that. The charity won't want the bad press, and probably haven't been checking up on her.

On a side note, my dog is from Croatia. The wife has a pedigree. When I was ready to get a new dog (my old girl died), none of the rehoming charities would look at me. I had 2 children under 10 at the time, my garden is massive, but wasn't fully 6ft enclosed. A friend did similar adoption (two dogs at a time), and we saw about 20 dogs go through her, before we chose a puppy. Apparently it was 6 months old, but was clearly weeks old. £300 later, it was ours, complete with passport and vacinations.
We told the rehoming charities that we had a 4 acre small holding, I work from home, and the dog would be out more than in. They didn't care. I had children under 10, and that was unacceptable.

 

[benjamind]

Just move now. Shut up the entrances after dark and move them straight away if you can or the early the following morning.

 

[Murox]

Just found out that our next door neighbour (she has four daxies) has had a litter off one of them - she's asking £3,500 - £3,700 each!!!!!!!

Bloody hell ... at those sort of prices it will attract organised crime ... actually - at those prices it IS organised crime !

Dog rustling has happened recently in Ludlow. some one in a van got caught with 12 pedigree dogs of various kinds.
They go around marking there houses or should I say gates and then break in... Or have even just taken the dogs from the garden so be aware folks.

Yes this sort of greed and idiocy has increased during the covid period. It's also become much easier for the thieves, dealers and rustlers to get information about where litters of pups and 'valuable' animals are since all and sundry use facebook or other similar media to (advertise livestock of all kinds) indiscriminately to complete strangers. Folks seem to fall for the "oh how cute", and the "like" brigade routines so easily. So sad for the animals who get pedalled as a result.

 

[Murox]

@ValMc - just move your bees asap - have the dog bite photographed and report it.

 

[Kittih]

As others have said move your bees as soon as possible.

The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 states the following: Under the Act, it's illegal for a dog to be 'out of control' or to bite or attack someone. The legislation also makes it an offence if a person is worried or afraid (the term is 'reasonable apprehension') that a dog may bite them.

Since 2014 it has been amended to include dogs on private property. As the dogs have bitten and put you in fear of being bitten then the landowner is in contravention of the act.

Please report this to you local dog warden if you have one and to the police. If the police don't take it seriously (they generally do) remind them of the act.

If you need any legal advice Trevor Cooper of Dog Law can help. He deals with a large number of dog bite related cases and has helpful information on his website. Dog Legal Specialists & Solicitors | Dog Law

Even if you decide not proceed with anything for your own experience please remember that as the dogs now have have a bite history that they may well try and bite other visitors to the property. Is the owner aware that these dogs have bitten you?

Letting the dog warden know is important too. They may well have other reports of issues relating to this person and your information can provide further support to any case that might be brought against them.

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

That's the reason ... people I know who would like a dog have been refused by most of the charities because they both work .. although my friend is a self employed plumber and is home a lot of the time - because they both work they were deemed unsuitable candidates. I'm on the fence on this - I can see the need for vetting dog adoption candidates but my friend has had dogs for 30 years ... he used to take his last dog to work with him and they were inseparable ... they would be good people to rehome a rescue dog. They are looking at a rescue dog from abroad as an alternative ...

However - there are downsides as we could be seeing totally unsuitable people getting foreign rescue dogs when they are rejected by UK rehoming organisations ...

Rock and hard place I reckon....

Totally agree.
Breeders are charging stupid money as stupid breeders have sold to unscrupulous people who have resold puppies on line to make a fast buck.
Either they want to stop the reselling, or they want the profit for themselves. You decide.