Concern for someone elses hives.

[simonrp]

It's about animal welfare.
Do what is required and if the owner subsequently shows up and is arsy about it, upend him in the brood box!

 

[Chris B]

I will leave messages under the roofs to contact me also after with what i have done and why.

Can anyone else think of anything i have missed?

Just remember that bees chew paper up for fun so make sure they can't get to it.

 

[dpearce4]

Just remember that bees chew paper up for fun so make sure they can't get to it.

HAHA good point. maybe laminate the note then, lol, i will seal it in a poly bag just incase the hives get damp.

 

[hedgerow pete]

nowt, its her losses not yours , who cares and why bother??

 

[itma]

HAHA good point. maybe laminate the note then, lol, i will seal it in a poly bag just incase the hives get damp.

Both my associations use flimsy ring-binder style clear plastic slip wallets for the inspection records, under the roof in every hive.
But a poly bag should do!

And a marge tub lid laid over any feeder/clearing-escape holes in the crownboard will keep the bees away. They'll stick the plastic down with prop and draught-proof their own lid!



The only problem I'd foresee is if your association's apiary manager should helpfully produce a handful of matchsticks to 'winterise' the hives ...

 

[Suzi Q]

nowt, its her losses not yours , who cares and why bother??

Oh, you don't mean that!

 

[johnandyrob]

Personally I would like to know if the hives that share my apiary are healthy and disease free id inspect and do what ever needs doing.

 

[dpearce4]

i have discovered today the person that owns the hives has had to give up in july/aug due to a 3 day stay in hospital from a sting. The hives have supposidly been taken on by someone else, the persons neighbour, they havent been looked at so the issue still stands. but as i have no idea who now owns them, whats going to happen to them (stay on site or be moved) i am going to steer clear of them as if i feed etc i dont think i would get my costs back and may get hassle for touching them.

I know its not about money but as the new person is supposed to have been looking after them for at least 2 months and havent been near i feel i want to know more about them before i touch.

 

[itma]

There's more than a chance that the neighbour knows nothing whatsoever about bees.

Worth making contact - since you are sharing the apiary.
Best to get the colonies registered on beebase, lots to be done, winter coming, feed to be bought, etc, etc.
"And by the way, are you sure this is a hobby you want to be taking up? Lots of pitfalls for the unwary, y'know!"
A cash offer might even be welcomed ...

 

[dpearce4]

thats if i had any cash lol ran out bought to much bee kit lol.

problem is i have no idea who they are or where they are. so will see what happens over the next cpl of weeks.

 

[MuswellMetro]

had a similar problem last year when a friend who i shared an apairy with had a baby . She almost gave up looking after hers three hives but I was reluctant to look in as being quite a fiery yorkshire lass (and a solicitor) she had got angry when a association committee member look in them while she was away.

I did however put on MY supers and MY frames to try to stop them swarming....and she won the Best in show at the honey show with my efforts....and i did not even get a jar of the honey

This year i know she has been an absent beekeeper and has lost one hive but fortunately she has moved her hives to another apiary own by the association

 

[Luminos]

had a similar problem last year when a friend who i shared an apairy with had a baby . She almost gave up looking after hers three hives but I was reluctant to look in as being quite a fiery yorkshire lass (and a solicitor) she had got angry when a association committee member look in them while she was away.

I did however put on MY supers and MY frames to try to stop them swarming....and she won the Best in show at the honey show with my efforts....and i did not even get a jar of the honey

This year i know she has been an absent beekeeper and has lost one hive but fortunately she has moved her hives to another apiary own by the association

Maybe it's the same person, lol

 

[Chris Luck]

Is sharing a third parties land between bee keepers common in the UK?

If so, what is the role of the land owner?

Chris

 

[alanf]

Is sharing a third parties land between bee keepers common in the UK? If so, what is the role of the land owner?

Yes, one detail which I have not spotted on this thread is, who owns or leases the land? To answer Chris L, it's quite common for local associations in the UK to run apiaries. Many are large enough for several members to have a hive or two on the site. It makes beekeeping more of a social activity and there is always someone to ask about problems and observations as part of the learning process. A shared site is a big advantage if the association runs training. There are other sites where friends agree to 'cover' the hives of others for absences. Shared sites can also be a bonus on sites around urban areas where more frequent visits can spot problems with trespassing etc. Some of these sites can lead to problems as 'shares' are passed on to others and the details of any original agreement are lost in time.

Any apiary, like any other activity on land, is ultimately the responsibility of the landlord. They should have up to date contact details. If they don't then the hives are effectively abandoned property. If the landlord is an association, they should have basic rules that cover contact details, such as leaving a phone number under the lid and responsibility to neighbours, both beekeepers and public. If that's not in place, the first step is to make every effort to contact the owner. It is entirely reasonable to check under the lid for any ownership details that might have been left, or leave a request for them to contact you. Recording any contact efforts goes a long way to mitigating any problems later if the owner objects.

Intervention is likely to come under two main headings, animal welfare and nuisance to neighbours. Minimal until abandonment is confirmed, I'd say. If hefting and a varroa drop sample is possible that's some reassurance that all is well gong into winter without a lot of interference. In spring, swarms could be a neighbour problem for many sites. Difficulty really arises if initial investigation shows that starving or disease spreading (e.g. robbing out dead colonies) could occur. Best way to cover your own back is involve experienced people, RBIs must have frequent reports of abandoned hives to deal with.

 

[dpearce4]

Hi Alan

The Land is on a local farm, an area that is not possible to use for crops, previously i believe it was farm cottages and looking at the smashed tiles and really old bottles and stuff around i can believe it. It totals about quarter of an acre. Both myself and the other beekeeper took over existing hives on the site. mine being the bigger proportion 75%. As far as i am aware it is a gents agreement with the farmer and he gets 20lb of honey each year even if only 1 hive is on site, payment due very soon to. I would be ok if I ended up being the only beek there if it ended up that way, not sure if honey payment will be a pushing point on this, i wait to see.