Council buck passing

[Nige.Coll]

Today I have been trying to deal with the council.
Over the last week there has been 5 swarms in our village all from one bee owner, I have collected 4 ( one from his own garden) but the 5th has taken up residence in a tree owned by the council.
These bees are vile, if you make the mistake of walking near them they sting you multiple times.
The colony in the tree has stung 3 people since it moved in on Saturday.
The tree they are in is on the footpath on the main route to the local junior school and opposite some disabled living accommodation.

Well after speaking to the council about the bees and listening to the waffle about we don't touch honeybees it turned out the tree was owned by the county highways, book passed on to them quick as a flash.
I rang them and was met again with the same bees aren't a problem BS.
Told the guy that these bees are very nasty and sting on sight, they have already started stinging people and this will only get worse the larger the colony becomes larger.
Not my job mate, get in touch with forestry.
At this point I had a bit of a sense of humour failure.
Told the guy that as a professional beekeeper I was warning them of a potential hazard and the possibility of someone being seriously hurt or dying from being stung. Pointed out that they owned the tree and so the bees in the tree were also now their responsibility and that it was on the main walking route to the school.
Asked for the guys name and he hung up.

I've posted a warning on the local community group and told everyone that I have informed the council.

Strange isn't it how if those were my bees a guy with a clipboard would be round telling me to shift them pronto.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Well you tried your best. Is it a good idea to put the warning in writing? An email?

 

[Earthboy]

How high is their entrance? Since trap-out takes too much time, I would extract them using a bee-repellent and a bee vacuum, especially since they have just moved in. Depending on the size of the swarm (it sounds smallish), it could be done in an hour.

 

[Erichalfbee]

How high is their entrance? Since trap-out takes too much time, I would extract them using a bee-repellent and a bee vacuum, especially since they have just moved in. Depending on the size of the swarm (it sounds smallish), it could be done in an hour.

It's not Nigel's responsibility or even inclination to remove them. They are dangerous to passers by and should be destroyed by Council Highways who own the tree.
Can you imagine the trouble he would be in if while removing them a passer by was fatally stung?

 

[Earthboy]

It's not Nigel's responsibility or even inclination to remove them. They are dangerous to passers by and should be destroyed by Council Highways who own the tree.
Can you imagine the trouble he would be in if while removing them a passer by was fatally stung?

This is why bee vac is so handy as it will suck up even individual bees as they come out or fly in.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Pointless trying to talk sense into a bog standard council employee/call handler (unless you happen to be lucky and get hold of my sister), you have to go further up the food chain, either speak to the department director or get hold of the County Councillor whose patch the bees are on.

 

[Woodland bees]

Unfortunately they can be just as useless right up to the director and the councillor may not be any help unless they get something out of the situation.

Just be careful they don't suddenly do something daft and take action against someone's hives or something else stupid.

Is it worth speaking to the school?

 

[Amari]

Involve the local press? They rely on good stories.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Involve the local press? They rely on good stories.

And there will be no need to give an interview as they'll just make it up to get a good headline

 

[Erichalfbee]

This is why bee vac is so handy as it will suck up even individual bees as they come out or fly in.

That’s not my point. My point is that it is in no way Nigel’s responsibility and neither will he have any insurance for it.

 

[The Poot]

I agree with Dani that a written notice of the risk of prosecution if anything adverse happened is the best way of getting something done.

 

[WoodenBeam]

Sounds like you need to get to the root of the problem Nige. Speak to your beekeeping mate in the village about the BBKA education program & the BIBBA ‘rearing your own queens’ talks. With some improvement in his stock we can all live happily ever after

 

[coffindodger]

How many posts have we had on the forum about neighbours' or councils' objections to bees? Almost every time the answers can be summed up as 'bees are wild animals and beekeepers are not responsible for their behaviour'. If the council kills them there will be a chorus of complaint from people who have no idea of the problems or dangers from the bees. The OP states that he is a professional beekeeper and so has the equipment and knowledge to deal with the problem both at source and in the specific tree yet his only response to the problem was to chase the council. Hmmm

 

[Nige.Coll]

Sounds like you need to get to the root of the problem Nige. Speak to your beekeeping mate in the village about the BBKA education program & the BIBBA ‘rearing your own queens’ talks. With some improvement in his stock we can all live happily ever after

I already have.
I deliver training at the local association which he is not a member of.
His comment on my first visit said it all " I just want them to f*** off "
Each of his 3 hives has swarmed multiple times so far he watched 2 swarms go north a few weeks ago.

Currently I have a bait hive in the backyard that has about 60 bees showing an interest so I suspect another cast will arrive.
Luckily I also have 15 queens being mated atm and 27 more to go next week.

 

[Nige.Coll]

How many posts have we had on the forum about neighbours' or councils' objections to bees? Almost every time the answers can be summed up as 'bees are wild animals and beekeepers are not responsible for their behaviour'. If the council kills them there will be a chorus of complaint from people who have no idea of the problems or dangers from the bees. The OP states that he is a professional beekeeper and so has the equipment and knowledge to deal with the problem both at source and in the specific tree yet his only response to the problem was to chase the council. Hmmm

They are in a tree with a trunk about 2 1/2 feet in diameter.
There is no room to put anything above the entrance to try a trap out without removing branches.
The tree was pollarded so the new growth is random.
I do not have a chain saw or the licenses to use one. I cannot close the road or the footpath, it is a narrow road barely wide enough for 2 cars.
I don't have a chipper or equipment to deal with the removed branches. 15 feet long branches with 6-inch diameter tend to be heavy.
The tree most likely has a preservation order on it.
And above all it is not my problem.

What would you suggest I do ?
The bee owners have no interest in learning anything. I have offered.

 

[oxnatbees]

If the beek is on rhis forum ask him to PM me. I am all for wild colonies... When they don't clash with humans. As I am a no-treatment etc natural beek he may be more prepared to discuss responsibilities and options with me.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

They are in a tree with a trunk about 2 1/2 feet in diameter.
There is no room to put anything above the entrance to try a trap out without removing branches.
The tree was pollarded so the new growth is random.
I do not have a chain saw or the licenses to use one. I cannot close the road or the footpath, it is a narrow road barely wide enough for 2 cars.
I don't have a chipper or equipment to deal with the removed branches. 15 feet long branches with 6-inch diameter tend to be heavy.
The tree most likely has a preservation order on it.
And above all it is not my problem.

What would you suggest I do ?
The bee owners have no interest in learning anything. I have offered.

You can't fix the world on your own.

 

[Pembroke]

They are in a tree with a trunk about 2 1/2 feet in diameter.
There is no room to put anything above the entrance to try a trap out without removing branches.
The tree was pollarded so the new growth is random.
I do not have a chain saw or the licenses to use one. I cannot close the road or the footpath, it is a narrow road barely wide enough for 2 cars.
I don't have a chipper or equipment to deal with the removed branches. 15 feet long branches with 6-inch diameter tend to be heavy.
The tree most likely has a preservation order on it.
And above all it is not my problem.

What would you suggest I do ?
The bee owners have no interest in learning anything. I have offered.

Phone up the council as a normal member of the public, complain that you've just been stung by a bee from the tree and ask them to do something about it as you're worried about all the children that use that path to school. Try not to say anything that sounds like you know what you're talking about just a concerned member of the public.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Try not to say anything that sounds like you know what you're talking about

There's a few on here that could give you a few pointers there!

 

[Brian Bush]

Pointless trying to talk sense into a bog standard council employee/call handler (unless you happen to be lucky and get hold of my sister), you have to go further up the food chain, either speak to the department director or get hold of the County Councillor whose patch the bees are on.

Yes, speak to the Councillor and remind him they could be sued for millions. I bet their insurance does not cover bees in their property!!!!