Escaped sheep kicked over one of my hives...

[The Riviera Kid]

Damned animals... they escaped from their field into the one where the bees live and one of them totally upended a hive. Got a call from a lady who lives nearby so they were only overturned for an hour or so. Glad it was a warm day and I found out before dark.

Found the queen and she was ok. Lots of dead/squashed/injured bees. Moved some extra brood from a very powerful colony in to help replace the numbers.

Just what I didn't need today... there went my relaxing afternoon with a glass of red wine!!!

 

[Polyanwood]

Thank goodness the queen was OK. One of my buddies is complaining of foxes bothering his hives. Funny> I would have thought that neither foxes nor sheep would be interested.

 

[Black Comb]

Ants are my current problem.

 

[Hivemaker.]

A good stock fence around your hives, with a strand of barbed wire on top is the easy solution to this kind of problem,sheep love to rub up against things.

 

[Mike101]

The farmer is responsible for fencing his stock in, not for you to fence it out, he/she is liable for any damage/costs his escaped sheep might cause.

 

[Hivemaker.]

The farmer is responsible for fencing his stock in, not for you to fence it out, he/she is liable for any damage/costs his escaped sheep might cause.

And if your bees happen to be on that farmers land, he would be more likely to tell you to shove off and take your bees with you,if you cannot be bothered to keep them secure.

 

[The Cumbrian]

The farmer is responsible for fencing his stock in, not for you to fence it out, he/she is liable for any damage/costs his escaped sheep might cause.

Personally I am not sure the situation is quite as clear as you make it sound.

Reading the first post it isn't clear that the sheep haven't escaped from one field on the farm to another. I think you might have a problem trying to get damages from a farmer for what his own sheep do on his own land when you are probably only allowed your hives there on a "grace and favour basis".

I suspect that unless you are on extremely good terms with the field owner fencing against stock which may be put into the field would be a wise precaution.

Obviously if it is your own field then things might be as you suggest.

 

[The Riviera Kid]

And if your bees happen to be on that farmers land, he would be more likely to tell you to shove off and take your bees with you,if you cannot be bothered to keep them secure.

The bees generally, are secure. They are out of site, down a lonely lane with very limited access. The land belongs to a lady who lives in a house next to the field. The land around, which is a patchwork of small fields, is not owned by any particular farmer but more a variety of individuals so no one person is responsible for all of it. The sheep were not supposed to get in to the field but it's all rather vague as to who is responsible for maintaining what.

It's possible that the owner of one of the fields may not even be alive any more and the deeds have been lost. The sheep man puts his sheep there but never pays any rent. Other locals who have lived on the lane for decades can't ever remember anyone coming to check the land. The gates etc. rotted and fell apart ages ago. Other people mackled up replacements over the years.

I suppose the land registry could tell us who owns it but no one seems inclined to pay the fee to find out while they are able to use the land for nothing.

 

[Mike101]

And if your bees happen to be on that farmers land, he would be more likely to tell you to shove off and take your bees with you,if you cannot be bothered to keep them secure.

In which case the sheep are still on his land, but if they escape and trespass on your land the law is clear and my original comments apply.

 

[psafloyd]

The bees generally, are secure. They are out of site, down a lonely lane with very limited access. The land belongs to a lady who lives in a house next to the field. The land around, which is a patchwork of small fields, is not owned by any particular farmer but more a variety of individuals so no one person is responsible for all of it. The sheep were not supposed to get in to the field but it's all rather vague as to who is responsible for maintaining what.

It's possible that the owner of one of the fields may not even be alive any more and the deeds have been lost. The sheep man puts his sheep there but never pays any rent. Other locals who have lived on the lane for decades can't ever remember anyone coming to check the land. The gates etc. rotted and fell apart ages ago. Other people mackled up replacements over the years.

I suppose the land registry could tell us who owns it but no one seems inclined to pay the fee to find out while they are able to use the land for nothing.

Irrespective of who owns the land, if a farmer's stock have strayed onto your land and damages your property, he is responsible whether he owns the land or even pays any rent.