bees and horses

[whoosling]

My brother would like to keep bees but his wife has 5 lovely arab horses and she's been told bees and horses don't mix. Is this a load of tosh? if he kept them how far away from the precious horses should they be?

 

[Luminos]

I keep horses and donkeys, and have not experienced any problems so far; they are not in the same field however, and two fences (one electric) separate the horses from the apiary.

 

[richardbees]

Years ago I saw about ten hives in a wired off enclosure within a horse pasture attached to a racing stables in Berks....... so am inclined to think it's a load of old tosh!

I should think the key thing is to ensure the hive entrances are facing a hedge or something to keep the bees above 'grazing nostrils' height.

 

[smithhive]

I have turned down the chance of bee sites because of the close proximity of horses. In my opinion and experience the two don't mix. More than 30 years ago a horse poked it's head over the hedge behind the hives I was working and within seconds it was galloping flat out around the perimeter of the field it was in. Of course, every time it came past the bees it took more stings and galloped even faster. This seemed to go on for ever, though probably just a few minutes in reality before the horse finally pulled up at the far side of the field.

The horse survived BUT the experience still lives with me. It may have been a one off event but I would rather not risk it. If sheep or cattle get stung they seem to just shake their heads and wander off.

Allegedly, in battle, skeps of bees were catapulted into oncoming cavalry charges.

As regards a safe distance, I'm not sure but perhaps a couple of hundred yards/metres and then a suitably large field for the horses to get away.

 

[BeeJayBee]

Some people have a problem with bees and horses, but on the New Forest there are quite a few ponies - and plenty of colonies of bees are taken there each year for the heather crop without any problems. I've seen ponies using hives as a scratching post.

 

[smithhive]

If the horses are unrestricted and free to run off AND if the bees have not been recently worked, probably ok.

 

[REDWOOD]

I have my apiary on a farm that breeds horses, My hives are 20 feet away from the fence and never had a problem, if you do decide to keep your hive there make sure there is enough space between the two and the fence is high enough so horses can't jump it

 

[victor meldrew]

Years ago I saw about ten hives in a wired off enclosure within a horse pasture attached to a racing stables in Berks....... so am inclined to think it's a load of old tosh!

I should think the key thing is to ensure the hive entrances are facing a hedge or something to keep the bees above 'grazing nostrils' height.

There were a couple of geldings near my apiary years ago ,one of them was a little skittish! He did collect a couple of stings over the years but never came to any harm (he lived to be 34),his calmer mate never attracted the attention of the bees,he also lived to be a great age (36).
The farms pet horse is a black Irish cob , she is greedy and being subject to laminitis is on a restricted diet . On more than one occasion ,she has broken into the apiary to graze on the grass ,surprisingly, she hasn't been stung (fingers crossed)even though one colony can be a little feisty !
Arabs are reputed to be a little highly strung so I would exercise a little caution .
Confined animals are at greatest risk, simply because they cannot flee!
VM

 

[smithhive]

OK , maybe it's just my grumpy bees!!!!

 

[richardbees]

VM - so I suppose it comes down to a horse-proof bee enclosure together with having zero tolerance for any colony that develops bad tempered bees.

 

[Walrus]

I moved hives away from horses because there were young nervous horses that had to be led past my hives to get to a field, and they tended to freak out at the site of me in my bee suit. I don't think it was the bees so much as the beekeeper that caused the terror


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[Tonych224]

Saw this... Tragic!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...rown-die-shock-attacked-angry-swarm-bees.html

 

[Tonych224]

Same story - more reliable news source

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-13942849

 

[CB008]

My brother would like to keep bees but his wife has 5 lovely arab horses and she's been told bees and horses don't mix. Is this a load of tosh? if he kept them how far away from the precious horses should they be?

My bees are right next to a livery stable - never been an issue or even close to one

 

[Luminos]

I moved hives away from horses because there were young nervous horses that had to be led past my hives to get to a field, and they tended to freak out at the site of me in my bee suit. I don't think it was the bees so much as the beekeeper that caused the terror


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Good point, IST - mine also freaked out the first couple of times they saw me in a beesuit.
But they take no notice now, and I can even lead them whilst wearing the beesuit (for the purpose of getting them used to it).

 

[Dishmop]

Same story - more reliable news source

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-13942849

Load of rubbish.

 

[Tonych224]

Load of rubbish.

Interesting you think that, I live close by to this lady and remember it in the news locally... Sure the press beef it up but none the less it happened!

A one off... Maybe ?

Even BBKA suggest to be ultra cautious!!

Ignore at your peril!!!

 

[thorn]

Load of rubbish.

There was quite a long thread about it on this forum at the time. It would be worthwhile for the OP to go to it and find out what was said then.

 

[Dishmop]

Interesting you think that, I live close by to this lady and remember it in the news locally... Sure the press beef it up but none the less it happened!

Google shows Hunters Farm Nutley as belonging to Elizabeth not Anne, and is not a farm.

Hunter Farm near Nutley (Newick) is not a farm and doesnt have a pond.

 

[Bates]

We have 8 horses on one of our mating nuc yards with about 1000 nucs on and they regularly come up to us whilst we catch queens or put cells in. I think they learnt about sugar syrup. Never been a big problem they put their noses right in.
(Apologies about quality was taken on my work phone)