Close to home?

[onriver]

I've a nuc (the one with the beecam on) which is 3m from the back door and a metre from the path to the rest of the garden. No problems at all but I've only put splits or swarms here and I don't think a full hive would be as safe so close

 

[REDWOOD]

You should take many things into consideration when keeping bees in your back yard, children are your top priority, them who live to your left and right, I new one beekeeper who had a council order to remove his bees as they where a nuisance. Have a meeting with left and right, but kids are curious and if they can gain access to them you could be in trouble with their angry mothers. Bees are considered as wild and potently life threatening to some humans and should be treated with this respect.

 

[nelletap]

2 hives about 80 m from the house (with effectively tree /foliage barrier between main garden and apiary area) and one feral colony in our chimney.
No problems so far.

 

[Jeff Buzz]

5 hives all with 40m of house no problems at all

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

3 hives in adjacent field, about 100m from my house and even closer to a neighbours. Had problems last year and dealt with them. Now all sweetness and light.

 

[Excession]

Thanks for all the responses! That's a lot to think about.

The concerns, I am sure, are always the same.

Children's safety, neighbour safety and relationship, etc.

I am thinking of keeping 2 hives at the bottom of my garden in an 'allotment style' setup.
I.e hives inside a shed with the entry points screened with a 6 foot screen.

I expect people won't even be aware of them, having seen how descreet this setup is.
And having a garage between it and the Garden 'play' area should help with the children co concerns.

But I think as a backup plan, I should make sure I have the option to relocate the lot to my local allotment if necesary.

Thanks again.