Hello

[buzzlightyear]

Hi guys, i havn`t started bee keeping yet but was looking to get into it, have been doing some country shows and been reading into it.

I have a stable yard we around 50 acres, so have plenty of room, was hoping for some tips and advice for getting started, and no doubt as i progress.

Understand the environmental side of bees and want to try my best to do the best by them.

Thanks in advance

 

[44Whitehall]

The winter offers a great opportunity to formalise your learning (whilst the bees are inactive) by attending your local beekeeper association theory classes and, come spring, their practical classes. You should do these for the learning as well as the bridges into the beekeeping community local to you as both are invaluable. And you can still expect to have a couple of colonies by this time next year - it's not the brake on getting going that you fear!

 

[oliver90owner]

Stable yard meaning horses? You do know that horses and bees don't mix too well?

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Hi guys, i havn`t started bee keeping yet but was looking to get into it, have been doing some country shows and been reading into it.

I have a stable yard we around 50 acres, so have plenty of room, was hoping for some tips and advice for getting started, and no doubt as i progress.

Understand the environmental side of bees and want to try my best to do the best by them.

Thanks in advance

Welcome. You will need to take care that your bees are positioned so their flight paths do not impinge on your livestock. Also that livestock cannot come into contact with hives. This might require fencing which is both stockproof and high enough to ensure the bees are above say horses head height. If you browse back through the forums this has been discussed in detail.

 

[BeeJayBee]

I have a stable yard we around 50 acres, so have plenty of room, was hoping for some tips and advice for getting started, ....

Spend the winter doing a lot of reading and perhaps join a local beekeeping group. Go to meetings and talk to local beekeepers about your plans, maybe get somebody to cast their eye over your land and suggest the best place for an apiary - somewhere which won't encourage the bees to fly near your horses.

Then spend the early part of spring doing a beginners beekeeping course.

 

[Thymallus]

Stable yard meaning horses? You do know that horses and bees don't mix too well?

Is this the perpetuation of another Beekeeping myth or are there some hard facts about it?
I ask because I keep bees next to fields with horses in and have never had any problems. The horses get more freaked out when they see me in my bee suit (yeah I know HM!!!, still not quite that confident ...yet).
I asked our local vet a while back if he had ever come across any cases with bees being responsible for stinging horses or causing horse injuries etc. He hadn't and had never heard of of this supposed bad mixture before.

It may well be horse riders who have the problems due to their being high up on horseback and possibly getting in the way of bee flight paths.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Is this the perpetuation of another Beekeeping myth or are there some hard facts about it?
I ask because I keep bees next to fields with horses in and have never had any problems. The horses get more freaked out when they see me in my bee suit (yeah I know HM!!!, still not quite that confident ...yet).
I asked our local vet a while back if he had ever come across any cases with bees being responsible for stinging horses or causing horse injuries etc. He hadn't and had never heard of of this supposed bad mixture before.

It may well be horse riders who have the problems due to their being high up on horseback and possibly getting in the way of bee flight paths.

My apiary is separated from the horses by a high mesh fence attached to the paddock post and rail. The mesh was attached shortly after the big horse was turned out into the paddock because he was getting stung by bees when he got in the flight path. Now they fly over him and all is well.
A couple of bee stings will upset the horses but not involve vets unless the owner is rotten with money

 

[Thymallus]

In your experience they don't specifically seek horses out and bother them. But are stinging animals in their flight path, which could have included humans had they been stood in it?

 

[buzzlightyear]

Did consider the horses, but have a paddock / garden is sheltered from the main yard and turnout area`s. Is on the other side of the house, so should be ok.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

In your experience they don't specifically seek horses out and bother them. But are stinging animals in their flight path, which could have included humans had they been stood in it?

Of course but generally humans are expected to have the nous to keep out of the way. (and horses cost more)

 

[Tremyfro]

I quite often see our horses standing front of our Pond Apiary hives. They have their ears pricked and seem to listening to the bees. I haven't noticed them getting stung. They would soon move away if it was horse flies...so I think they ok with the honey bees.
We have just built a manège....the bees were all over the sand!....now that may be more of a problem!
Oh and welcome to the forum!

 

[For want of a better word]

Stable yard meaning horses? You do know that horses and bees don't mix too well?

Would be well advised to keep bees and horses well apart ... 3miles!
Beesuits for horses are available.....






Yeghes da

 

[Hivemaker.]

Is this the perpetuation of another Beekeeping myth or are there some hard facts about it?

Yes there are, i know of two horses being stung, one so badly it died shortly after, the vet could do nothing to save it, the owner of the two horses was also stung very badly.

 

[For want of a better word]

Yes there are, i know of two horses being stung, one so badly it died shortly after, the vet could do nothing to save it, the owner of the two horses was also stung very badly.

Equestrian vet fees are prohibitive... possibly why I do not keep a horse!

Yeghes da

 

[Thymallus]

Yes there are, i know of two horses being stung, one so badly it died shortly after, the vet could do nothing to save it, the owner of the two horses was also stung very badly.

Where there any reasons why the horse and the owner were so badly stung? Some horses seem to react badly to being stung, like some beekeepers. Some dogs are also quite sensitive to bee stings in the same way suffering anaphylactic shock as well.

 

[For want of a better word]

Some dogs are also quite sensitive to bee stings in the same way suffering anaphylactic shock as well.

Really?

Nos da

 

[Thymallus]

Really?

Yes, really.
Try a google search of anaphylactic shock and dogs.
Don't just take my word for it.

Not sure why you emphasized the wording in blue though. Care to explain?

 

[For want of a better word]

Yes, really.
Try a google search of anaphylactic shock and dogs.
Don't just take my word for it.

Not sure why you emphasized the wording in blue though. Care to explain?

Has been said so many times before... there is anaphalaxis and there is shock... not necessarily connected!

Nos da

 

[Thymallus]

I seem to be missing the point you are making. Anaphylaxis is a severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction. It is also known as anaphylactic shock.
Very connected.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

I seem to be missing the point you are making. Anaphylaxis is a severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction. It is also known as anaphylactic shock.
Very connected.

I'll bet the original poster didn't expect to open such a debate