Diverting bees

[Helen]

Next Monday, my neighbours are having a team of gardeners in for 3 weeks to landscape their garden. The first 5 days, the gardeners are playing with big tools, stripping the topsoil and everything off the garden. Then the next 2 weeks, they re-construct and plant.

My beehives are close to our 2m fence that separates us. The entrances to the hives point directly away from the neighbour. He is a bit paranoid that the bees will bother the gardeners and they will down-tools.

I said I would put up a temporary net-mesh on top of the fence, so raising the bees heading his way another 1.5m.

The last option would be to lock the bees in, but I really, really dont want to do that.

Has anyone got any other suggestions for me?

Neighbour is nice, btw. I want to do everything reasonable I can to ensure his landscaping goes off without a hitch from the bees.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

find a temporary out apiary about three miles away?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Good neighbours are like hens' teeth. I'd move the bees. Less stress all round.

 

[pargyle]

Do they fly in his direction now ? If they don't then there should not be a problem as at this time of the year bees tend to be more interested in foraging than defending their stores .. I would suggest that, if you can't move them, then mesh on top of the fence would be a visible sign that you care about your neighbour and ensure that he knows that, at the first sign of any bee problems you will lock them in.

Locking them in will only stress them out more and they could be more troublesome when you have to let them out.

 

[Helen]

Thanks for the suggestion. I don't think I can source another place 3+ miles away to put the bees in the next week.

One of my hives is a bit angsty right now as its queenless. One bee took a lot of interest in him when he tried to pot up a couple of plants right alongside the fence today.

The bees have been there since early last year and havent really affected him apart from a swarm that appeared in his garden early April.

Not really sure what else I can do apart from putting up mesh/netting. Have told them if I block them in during the day, they'll come out with a vengeance over the weekend. He understands that.

 

[Heather]

I would move them. Easily done. Ask a farmer or someone with land. Farm shop... have you really tried to find an alternative. it really isn't worth the worry.
I have bees near my lawns and the lawnmower and strimmer does antagonise them. Net mesh will be useless.

 

[BeeJayBee]

Next Monday, my neighbours are having a team of gardeners in for 3 weeks to landscape their garden. The first 5 days, the gardeners are playing with big tools, stripping the topsoil and everything off the garden. Then the next 2 weeks, they re-construct and plant. .....[/QUOTE
You can't close the bees in for 3 weeks, the longest you might be able to do it would be whilst the gardeners are there, letting them out in the evening but if it's hot you risk losing your bees.

.....One of my hives is a bit angsty right now as its queenless. One bee took a lot of interest in him when he tried to pot up a couple of plants right alongside the fence today.

The bees have been there since early last year and havent really affected him apart from a swarm that appeared in his garden early April.

.....Neighbour is nice, btw. I want to do everything reasonable I can to ensure his landscaping goes off without a hitch from the bees. .....

with bad tempered bees, swarms in gardens, you won't have good tempered neighbours for very long, not unless you're very, very, lucky.

I would move them. Easily done. Ask a farmer or someone with land. Farm shop... have you really tried to find an alternative. it really isn't worth the worry.

You risk the well being of the gardeners who are being paid to do a job next door. It wouldn't be fair for them to threaten to down tools because they are getting stung.

Ask your association or other members of your association, as a matter of urgency, for temporary out-apiary space.

 

[pargyle]

Thanks for the suggestion. I don't think I can source another place 3+ miles away to put the bees in the next week.

One of my hives is a bit angsty right now as its queenless. One bee took a lot of interest in him when he tried to pot up a couple of plants right alongside the fence today.

The bees have been there since early last year and havent really affected him apart from a swarm that appeared in his garden early April.

Not really sure what else I can do apart from putting up mesh/netting. Have told them if I block them in during the day, they'll come out with a vengeance over the weekend. He understands that.

Now ... you didn't actually say this originally ... best try hard to find somewhere else for them for a couple of weeks.

 

[Pete D]

Hi Helen,
I think someone in your local association could house them temporarily for a few weeks, does the association have an apiary. Where in Suffolk are you roughly ? I have an out apiary not far from Suffolk but it depends where you are.
My bees are generally well behaved but last summer we had to run a cable in via a ditch witch trenching machine about 10m in front of the hives and the smell and vibration of the machine coupled with the fresh smelling damp earth made them want to investigate it close up. Nobody got stung but there was quite a bit of arm flapping going on for half hour as they passed in front of the hives. I would of closed them in but was at work when I got the call they had arrived at mine to do the job a couple of days early due to a hitch on another job.

good luck

 

[SixFooter]

I have a similar issue, but compounded by the fact that the bees are on ****, so tetchy and each hive has 2 supers and double brood. Very difficult to move! I know a man with a helicopter. I could try him.

 

[oliver90owner]

Has anyone got any other suggestions for me?

There is no other option other than that like JBM suggested, other than doing nothing. Your choice.

 

[Helen]

So I've heard what you've said, and have managed to find a place where I can take them if necessary. But it's about a 45 minute drive away. Being Dartingtons, they arent quite as easy as Nationals to move, but I can do it if needed.

The bees have been fine with a builder working in my garden recently with a 4.5 ton tipper and 3 ton excavator. They didnt bother him at all as he dug lots of holes and filled them with concrete for an extension I am having built.

I think my neighbour is being a bit paranoid. I will put up a high fence net to divert them upwards, and be ready to move them if necessary.

 

[Pete D]

Seems like a plan, good luck.

 

[jd101k2000]

To be honest:

You know you have (currently) tetchy bees
You know you have a lot of machinery in play in the next few weeks
You (currently) have a nice neighbour

You sound like you are going to be sticking your head in the sand if you are going to risk the safe working of those gardeners. Even the people suggesting the higher fencing withdrew that suggestion when you mentioned that your bees were tetchy.

The ideal solution is to temporarily move the hives (3+ miles)

If there is a problem, you will not able to lock in your bees part way through a day! I cannot imagine your neighbour considering it anything other than negligence if you have not taken appropriate action and there are problems. Bees are often set off by particular noises. The building noises may not affect them, but the gardening machinery noises may well cause problems.

The far-inferior solution is to lock them up for the entire period that the gardeners are going to be there, starting with the evening before they arrive. Not a good prospect.

You have taken on the responsibility of the bees. Part of that is ensuring the safety of those going about their lives near your bees.

Sorry to be so harsh, but it sounds like you are choosing the easy option, rather than an appropriate one.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

 

[Tremyfro]

I can understand you looking for alternatives...as your bees are in Dartingtons. If you were able to put them into Jumbo national hives...you could then move them easily. The Jumbo hive will take 10 frames easily. Or if you could borrow a small trailer...you could remove the legs from your Dartingtons....slide them onto the trailer and tow away....they could then stay on the trailer until you bring them home. If you did this you could just move them a few miles away ...park them a friends driveway or a corner of a field....most farmers would be fine with that.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I think my neighbour is being a bit paranoid.

He's not at all. He's not a beekeeper.

 

[pargyle]

Well - it's your call and your bees Helen. I have a Long Deep Hive and I know what you mean about moving them - it's not easy... the trailer option is a good one if you can manage it .. Or can you borrow or buy a 14 x 12 box and at least move the tetchy hive to another location ?

I don't think shutting them in is going to be a good option as it really will cause more problems for you than it solves.

Perhaps, a secondary screen of netting on three sides of the hives to encourage them fly off away from your neighbours property and reach a safe flying height even before the fence mesh.

The difficulty could come if your bees take exception to the vibrations from the equipment being used .. mine don't seem to bother with anything much - they are used to the strimmer and the lawnmower - but you possibly won't know how yours react to the work next door until it's too late.

Good luck.

 

[Dishmop]

My beehives are close to our 2m fence that separates us. The entrances to the hives point directly away from the neighbour.

I would guess they therefore when they leave the hive they fly away from his garden, or by the time they circle around to leave your garden they are way up in the air and fly straight over his garden.....well above head height.

 

[Helen]

So, a couple of weeks on, and the bees are being Ok with the neighbours garden building work.

I bought another bee suit (always good to have a spare), and invited my neighbour to come across and look into the hives from a closer distance, so he could see them better. We inspected the 3 hives, and I showed him everything in detail. He was really interested.

So far, the bees are ignoring the gardeners/builders. They got a bit interested when the gardeners used a 5-ton-pressure whacker machine 1m away from the hives, so some went over the fence to check things out, but apart from that, have ignored the site. Even when the builders were building a pergola near the fence, no problems.

I still have a fallback option of moving the hives to my brothers house, 45 minutes away but so far, don't need that.