Back yard bees?

[Robbo8916]

Hi everyone,

I live in Tyldesley near Manchester and I've been thinking of taking up bee keeping. I've read loads and watched videos. I'm aiming to be set up for Spring.

My question is, I live in a terraced house with a small back yard. Do you think it would be feasible to keep a hive in my yard? Or am I better looking for a local apiary? I've emailed a number of local honey sellers but I don't seem to be getting any advice.

Any help will be much appreciated
Cheers
Rob

 

[dexter's shed]

although I have a large garden, plenty of neighbours kids play at their end too, never had a problem in 4yrs

 

[Erichalfbee]

By all means try.
You may be lucky and have nice bees and understanding interested neighbours but it will take only that one sting and it will have to be your bees at fault.
Make sure you have another site they can be moved to immediately if necessary.
I used to keep bees next to my neighbours and although I never had an incident I was always wary of anything but the most benign manipulations.
Have a look here, and associated threads you can search for, at what can go wrong....just ignore the mud slinging
http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=34426&highlight=meangreenqueen

 

[Robbo8916]

Thanks guys.

Is there any local members? I'm really struggling to get any info. My local BKA is miles away from here. I know there is an apiary in Tyldesley but (understandably) the local honey seller wont tell me where it is.

I think ill take a rain check on the yard idea, but any help is much appreciated

Thanks
Rob

 

[Tremyfro]

although I have a large garden, plenty of neighbours kids play at their end too, never had a problem in 4yrs

Wow you have finished the garden project? Very neat!

 

[Falesh]

I keep bees in a small back garden surrounded by houses in York. I would suggest 4 things to help make it successful:

1) Buy a queen from a breeder that is proven to lay friendly bees. I use the imported buckfast queens from bshoneybees and they are as friendly as bees can be.

2) Make sure that the bees fly up above head height before leaving your yard. For me this is easy as my garden has high hedges all around. If you don't have this then I would suggest you buy some 3mm to 6mm netting and surround your hives with it. Once the bees fly up they won't fly down again until reaching their destination so your neighbors won't notice them.

3) Provide water nearby so your bees use that rather then use someone else's birdbath.

4) Learn about swarming and be ready to inspect often and take measures, like using an artificial swarm, if they are about to swarm.

It really is a pleasure having bees at your house, just watching them come and go is a treat.

https://www.youtube.com/user/FaleshSB

 

[enrico]

I would have an out apiary. Just keep me hive at home, if things go wrong you can always move it to the out apiary and bring back a quiet one. My honest advice, I wouldn't keep any in a small garden like that. I have three and a half acres and sometimes that can be too small! There is no way you can keep a swarm quiet. What will you do if it goes in your next door neighbours chimney? Have a plan for every scenario before you take the plunge!
Good luck whatever you decide
E

 

[protheroe]

One of my apiaries is at a small holding but near the house and last week the bees killed one of his ducks,stung his dogs and anything that moved.this is the second time they have been like this over the last 5 years so always have somewhere to move them just in case.you shouldn't have this problem if you buy queens from a reputable breeder.

 

[Pugmitch]

I started beekeeping with hives in my garden. Wonderful with calm bees....then the second generation came along......not so kind. That's when the fun starts.....following, generally aggressive and also attacking outside light when taking dog out last thing at night! Immediate queen replacement solved all that but bees don't read the books and are wild insects after all.
My advice is not to take the risk.....it'll be YOUR bees if a neighbour gets stung......put them in an out apiary close to home......peace of mind all round!

 

[Obee1]

Being the owner of the late meangreenqueen I would say it is possible to keep bees in a small garden but you really have to limit it to one or two hives of very nice bees. That usually means buying in a specially bred queen which will cost you £40 - £50 with postage. You also need friendly neighbours who don't go mad at the odd sting if a bee blows into their hair whilst they are just walking to their car!
And everyone says it but you really do need an out apiary just in case. Had I not had somewhere instant to take my evil hive there would have been no choice but to kill them. And no beekeeper wants to do that.
Having said all that I still have 2 hives in my garden and I spend hours watching the bees come and go.

Good luck
Obee

 

[madasafish]

I know a beekeeper who keeps bees in a semi in a very densely populated area of Stoke on Trent. He situates his hives so the bees have to fly up about 2 meters to clear his adjoining wall before they can go anywhere.


So : non-one can see his hives
his bees don't bother his neighbours
and he wears a dark beekeeping suit so he's not identifiable as a beekeeper.

(My across the road neighbours don't know I have bees. I don't advertise teh fact, keep them at the end of teh garden and wear a camo jacket.)

And never use a lighted smoker where I can be seen.

Remember most neighbours' worries about bees are mental rather than real (apart from swarms).

My next door neighbours know of course- I cut their grass and give them free honey...(not that they care - retired farmers)

 

[Fatbee]

I've got an out apiary and would advise best place to start - once you have done a few seasons you can then be better placed to know if you can manage bees in the urban environment. I'm in my 4th season and still not convinced I would want them in garden - being out of the way is far less stressful if one of the colonies turns mean (and they do) or you miss a swarm.
Backyard beekeeping is a lovely idea until things go wrong.....

 

[bontbee]

I've got an out apiary and would advise best place to start - once you have done a few seasons you can then be better placed to know if you can manage bees in the urban environment.

Backyard beekeeping is a lovely idea until things go wrong.....

Best idea yet. It is great to have bees outside the back door but it is good advice to get the hang of beekeeping - particularly swarm control - and to get used to all the different "temperaments" of bees and the factors that can affect them in a "safe" place, before things, potentially, get difficult and you've got nowhere else to go.

If you do go ahead in the garden, (and I'm speaking as someone who has them outside the back door, literally), get an out-apiary lined up at the same time in case things go pear shaped. It happened to me this year; I moved two colonies out of the garden as they were getting tetchy - glad I did, one turned into a towering hive from hell).

 

[Egon]

Back yard bees

Hi Robo,

whereabouts in Tyldesley are you ? Town centre or outskirts?

There are 3 apiary sites I am aware of around tyldesley, however, I don't know whether there are any in Astley Green & surrounding farms.

I had a swarm turn up in back garden last week & occupy 1 of my empty boxes ( don't know where from). I am on Leigh/ Astley border.

Dave

 

[Robbo8916]

Hi Dave,

I'm in the town centre just behind Morrisons. I have spoken briefly with a lovely guy called Phillip who has some hives on a scrap yard in Tyldesley and on Astley Moss.

But the more 'bee friends' I can find the better. I know people don't want a randomer messing with their girls but I think the best way to learn is from experienced people.

Thanks for all your replies everyone ��

 

[Fatbee]

Most beeks will welcome speaking to you warmly. I get on well with my local ones.

 

[Robbo8916]

Cheers.

I think its just difficult making the initial contact and explaining myself without sounding like a bee seeking desperate weirdo lol

Hoping to do an inspection with Phil in the next few days. He's even offered (if I'm free) for me to join him on local swarm collections. ��

 

[Egon]

Robbo,
welcome and I hope you enjoy your first inspection & you get a chance for some swarm collections.

Dave

 

[gregior]

Hi everyone,

I live in Tyldesley near Manchester and I've been thinking of taking up bee keeping. I've read loads and watched videos. I'm aiming to be set up for Spring.

My question is, I live in a terraced house with a small back yard. Do you think it would be feasible to keep a hive in my yard? Or am I better looking for a local apiary? I've emailed a number of local honey sellers but I don't seem to be getting any advice.

Any help will be much appreciated
Cheers
Rob

Hi Robbo

Do you know Eunan Jones? he keeps his bees at the 'cabbage club' allotments in Tyldesley and has recently received some funding to build an apiary there so you may be able to keep them there. I used to keep my bees in the back garden of my terraced house but in the end i decided it wasn't worth the worry and moved them.

Pm me if you need any help

greg

 

[BeeJayBee]

Careful giving precise details of apiary sites, you never know who's reading the thread.