Garden fires

[Ailsaboat]

Another noob question i'm afraid.

Bees are arriving friday and i had hoped to have everything in place before, but as things always go the weather has put pay to my plans.

I've dramatically lowered a rather large privet hedge which has left me with a bit of a large bonfire, this was meant to have long since gone, but is still stubbenly there and showing no signs of being dry enough lo light before.

Now, knowing that the bees disslike smoke do i need to totally abandon the idea of burning it(not sure what else i can do, there is a LOT!!) will they ignore it as it's 20-30 foot away or is there something i can do - burn at night or block the hive entrance etc

 

[psafloyd]

I've burned large amounts of stuff in an incinerator a matter of 15 feet from some hives. Just burned it dry (so as clean as possible) and when the wind isn't blowing in their direction.

 

[nessieb]

farmer was hedging in field next to my bees and burnt all of the branches etc. smoke was going away from them.
Dont know if its good practice though but bees didn't seem to mind and went about their business as usual

 

[Skyhook]

I've burned large amounts of stuff in an incinerator a matter of 15 feet from some hives. Just burned it dry (so as clean as possible) and when the wind isn't blowing in their direction.

What he said

 

[Black Comb]

I agree but would let them settle in before you burn.

 

[Poggle]

My hives are on my allotment, from September to May we have fires going on plots all the time when the weather is decent. I had a 12 foot diameter fire burning all our old fruit bushes this April. It was around 20 yards from the hives and nothing happened. The plot holders on each side had firrs goiong within 10 yards of the hives with no effect. I think it would take a forest or grass fire to make bees leave the hive. Then again, having worked in forests I have seen wild "hives" furiously fanning when a fire had started it took heat AND smoke before they left the area.

 

[Ailsaboat]

Thanks everyone,
At least that's one less thing to worry about, now where did i put that list of all the other things!!!