Hives in gardens

[VEG]

neighbours have the right to enjoy their garden if they are constantly being bothered by bees who do you think they will go for?
It doesn't need much thinking. MandF Maybe you need to read up a bit and be a responsible beekeeper and not give us all a bad name.

 

[ma1308]

Sounds like you are just like my neighbors, let me get this right you are saying I have not got the right to enjoy my garden?...... sad sad world

 

[MandF]

I have my hives at the end of my garden - I would point the entrances towards the hedges (5 feet or so away) to encourage them up, and if at some point you end up with aggressive bees be prepared to re-queen or as a last resort move them.

There are lots and lots of people who are keeping bees in urban areas, in their own back gardens, and I have yet to hear about someone (a person) dying as a result of a honeybee sting from such an urban hive, or anyone being sued for some spurious reason (!). I would follow the advice to contact your local association and site your hives as sympathetically as possible. As long as you show reasonable care/thought has gone into it, you will be fine regardless what the neighbours might think.

 

[MrB]

let me get this right you are saying I have not got the right to enjoy my garden?

Hmm, not wot i read!

 

[Poly Hive]

Seems two of you have a bit of a rosy spec on for the situation that is being discussed.

A colony of bees that has lost it's temper is a very fearsome thing. I am discussing every moving thing for hundreds of yards being stung.

Not stung once, dozens of times.

In the light of that possibility are you so keen to go the garden route?

And please don't try and tell me it cannot happen, I have seen it.

PH

 

[victor meldrew]

Take you to court for what?!

Nuisance for starters followed by damages (No win no fee!)
VM

 

[MandF]

neighbours have the right to enjoy their garden if they are constantly being bothered by bees who do you think they will go for?
It doesn't need much thinking. MandF Maybe you need to read up a bit and be a responsible beekeeper and not give us all a bad name.

Who are you to say I am not a responsible beekeeper?! Another astonishing knee jerk load of codswallop!

See my last advice to the OP. Did I say "just put them anywhere, it isnt your problem"?

Sod the neighbours, if *I* was being constantly bothered by my bees when I was around them I would do something about it. What did you think the OP was going to do, put their killer bees at the end of the garden, pointing at the local primary school, and then leave them to it?

Anyone who comes on here, asking for advice, seems to me to be a perfectly "responsible beekeeper" in the making. What they dont need is to be given the impression their bees will be chasing little kids around - as I said, there is no reason to put up with our bees chasing US around, which even you might agree is more likely to manifest itself before either a court summons or a lynch mob at your front door.

But anyhow, you still havent explained what exactly you might be sued for...

 

[VEG]

You dont know me and I do not know your neighbours. I am just offering advise as I USED to keep hives in my garden until it all went bad. My neighbours didnt complain but I moved my bees as I have a conscience.
It is easier to learn from others mistakes but if you want to make them yourself then go for it.

 

[user 6228]

Sounds like you are just like my neighbors, let me get this right you are saying I have not got the right to enjoy my garden?...... sad sad world

Put them out of sight - have a screen 6 feet high a round them
then its you can say "Bees what Bees? I havent seen many in my garden " . (which will be true)
And if you hear of someone getting stung its a case saying
" oh dear those wasps are dreadful" with a straight face (and again will be true)

 

[MandF]

Nuisance for starters followed by damages (No win no fee!)
VM

Right, so someone playing music at 120db at all hours gets taken to court?

And damages... you are telling me that someone could sue because they got anaphylactic shock when stung by YOUR honeybee. First question must be, can you prove it was my honeybee?

I agree a neighbour might think they could sue, but I dont think they would get very far if they tried.

Of course, there are numerous case histories to prove me wrong? No? Ok, maybe one then?

 

[MandF]

Seems two of you have a bit of a rosy spec on for the situation that is being discussed.

A colony of bees that has lost it's temper is a very fearsome thing. I am discussing every moving thing for hundreds of yards being stung.

Not stung once, dozens of times.

In the light of that possibility are you so keen to go the garden route?

And please don't try and tell me it cannot happen, I have seen it.

PH

So whats the case name so we can see what the law decided?

I am obviously not saying bees will always be nice and friendly, or wont ever get nasty, but I dont understand the logic of therefore not siting hives in gardens, or any urban area? The occasional plane crashes, should be ban air travel? Lots of people get killed and injured on quad bikes, should be ban those? Lots of people kill themselves and others with cigarette smoke - ban that?

If bees going medievel was common, or even fairly regular occurrence then I might agree with you. As it is I do not think we should be discouraging anyone from keeping bees who has come on here asking a reasonable question in a responsible manner. If you dont want to keep bees in an urban area, firstly thats your privelege and secondly you are fortunate you have a rural area available to you. I am not that fortunate and I dont like the implication that all us urban beekeepers are mavericks, playing russian roulette with little Jimmy next door.

Thanks.

 

[MandF]

You dont know me and I do not know your neighbours. I am just offering advise as I USED to keep hives in my garden until it all went bad. My neighbours didnt complain but I moved my bees as I have a conscience.
It is easier to learn from others mistakes but if you want to make them yourself then go for it.

Thanks I will. Just like I am sure there are people who have given up alcohol because their liver is shot to pieces. Mine isnt. Cheers!

 

[VEG]

All I am saying is have a plan B ready if/when they do go bad.

 

[gavin]

Of course, there are numerous case histories to prove me wrong? No? Ok, maybe one then?

In my view this guy got off lightly. If one of his neighbours had died (not an impossibility) he could well be on a murder charge.

http://news.stv.tv/scotland/123803-animal-asbo-handed-to-perthshire-beekeeper/

There are very many rogue colonies out there but fortunately only a few rogue beekeepers.

But daveq, excellent question, I'm glad to see that you care. You had good advice. Big gardens, decent screening, sympathetic neighbours and it might work. Always sensible to have a Plan B ready.

 

[MandF]

All I am saying is have a plan B ready if/when they do go bad.

Which is what I said.

And I also gave a plan C.

But plan A is, go ahead and site the hives in the garden, lots of us do it, and we arent all posting on here from our luxury prison cells

 

[MandF]

In my view this guy got off lightly. If one of his neighbours had died (not an impossibility) he could well be on a murder charge.

http://news.stv.tv/scotland/123803-animal-asbo-handed-to-perthshire-beekeeper/

There are very many rogue colonies out there but fortunately only a few rogue beekeepers.

That isnt case history.

Also, I sort of agree with the court, even if it was scottish, because this was an ongoing situation. If a neighbour complains about being stung, in my view the responsible thing to do is to re-queen, not just belligerently ignore it.

Law is mostly about "reasonableness", if the beekeeper was responsible, he would have tried requeening and then resiting his bees. ie our suggested plans B and C.

I can point you to many neighbourly disputes resulting in ASBOs for things such as mowing the lawn, or putting a fence up. Are we saying urban householders shouldnt mow their lawns?

I hope people now understand what I am saying...

 

[Winker]

Take you to court for what?!

You should write for the Daily Mail!

'Read this Animal ASBO' handed to Perthshire beekeeper

He was taken to court for his bees and lost!

 

[MandF]

In my view this guy got off lightly. If one of his neighbours had died (not an impossibility) he could well be on a murder charge.

Oh, and I am sorry but murder charge?

I think I have slipped to an alternate reality where the Daily Mail is indeed statute.

Sheesh.

 

[MandF]

'Read this Animal ASBO' handed to Perthshire beekeeper

He was taken to court for his bees and lost!

See previous reply.

Keep trying guys, these killer urban bees around - its only a matter of time until we see some proper case law dug up...

 

[victor meldrew]

Right, so someone playing music at 120db at all hours gets taken to court?

And damages... you are telling me that someone could sue because they got anaphylactic shock when stung by YOUR honeybee. First question must be, can you prove it was my honeybee?

I agree a neighbour might think they could sue, but I dont think they would get very far if they tried.

Of course, there are numerous case histories to prove me wrong? No? Ok, maybe one then?

Civil law is quite different from criminal law!
With civil cases probability comes into the frame ! If neighbours get stung by honey bees and you keep honey bees next door , the court will take the view that in all probability the bees that stung your neighbour were yours and find in their favour ! The precedence has been set on more than one occasion .
VM