Fresh pine chipping mulch - suitability of

[Hombre]

I have just negotiated for a load of pine chippings from tree surgeons removing several lleylandi just up the road from me.

Are these chipping and needles, pungent as they are, safe and suitable as a mulch in the apiary?

I don't wish to cause the bees, or myself, any distress when they suddenly realise that home suddenly smells like a recently felled pine forrest.

If suitable, is it best to introduce this material when everyone is at home for the evening? if not suitable, I can always use it elsewhere.

 

[GingerNut]

If you google 'pine mulch' you will find that it is poisionous for some plants.

I was going to do it once but was advised against it.

Yours Roy

 

[BKF Admin]

I have been using Pine chippings for around 10 months without any problems in my smoker.

It does smoke a little hot and you only nead little puffs to move the bees around.

I dont think varroa like it much because they dont like Thymol/Menthol etc.

Not sure about chippings around the hive though ?

 

[hedgerow pete]

if you are on about chippins on the floor i would put something else down first either old carpets or thick news papers and put the chippins on top as for the smell of pine you only get that for a week then it wears off, i have had pine needles and wood chippins in and around my shed/ apairy for only the last twenty years with no ill effects apart from a sweat barrowing the flippin things

 

[Hombre]

Thanks for the replies folks. If it's poisonous to some plants, that's just fine. Probably mulch wasn't the correct term. I certainly want to suppress the growth of weeds.

It's more lifting and carrying a trug through the house than a wheel barrow job, so sweating freely. I pass the cooker with a clock as I head towards the back door and it tels me I was making trips about once every five minutes. I could probably do with another hour's graft and then rake the heap around. to give me the depth of cover that I want.

 

[hedgerow pete]

i have never heard the poisonus chippins bit so dont worry to much just make sure there is something between the chippins and the soil