Hives in gardens

[victor meldrew]

My bee hives are back to back with a stable, hence my non-tolerance of over defensive bees !
I've had bees in this location for over 20 years but only had to destroy 2 colonies!
Should I find myself in a position of dispute I will of course move my bees .
It is always wise to have a bolt hole as insurance if a colony gets a little feisty !
Digging trenches results a war the bees and beekeepers can only lose !
VM

 

[tonybloke]

Right, so someone playing music at 120db at all hours gets taken to court?
Of course, there are numerous case histories to prove me wrong? No? Ok, maybe one then?

http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/9182405.Noisy_neighbour_fined_for_loud_music/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukn...ed-for-waking-neighbours-with-loud-music.html
http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/ne...ying-loud-music-at-rugby-flat-92746-28148985/

how many do you want? lol

 

[oliver90owner]

My 2p worth.

I have had bees in my garden for several years, but I did not start off beekeeping in that situation. My original bees were not the best behaved and I was not aware they were anything out of the ordinary.

I do have alternative sites and do move out any that are less than well behaved.

On top of that I now have the experience to know what to do and when. New starters, keeping bees in their gardens, can be easily caught 'on the hop' (if, for example, supercedure results in an evil colony). Not having an alternative site is tantamount to waiting for trouble at some time. It will depend on all sorts of factors but I, for one, would not advocate to all and sundry that garden beekeeping is perfectly safe.

I walk past the current garden dwellers within a couple metres and have neither been stung nor harassed by them - just pinged by leavers and returners who don't realise I am in their flight path! I moved out some earlier in the season, though.

But, they will have to go. My wife should now carry an epipen. She has never been stung in the garden, ever, and is not overly worried about them, even now.

RAB

 

[daveq]

I think that after reading all your views I would feel safer if they were not in a urban garden.
Recently I was put in touch with a local beekeeper who let me join him at his apiary on a local farm.
After getting suited and booted he showed me inside his hives and let me handle some frames of bees.
I was surprised how calm the bees were and felt at ease,this made me think that they would be ok in a garden. but after some views of how bees can become aggressive, I no longer feel that a garden is the best place.

 

[Winker]

No, not to me or the OP. Whats your point? I think you are arguing with the wrong person here!

You're being to defensive, im not having a go at you. Im am trying to remind you of what the ma1308 was saying and what the ASBO Beekeeper said.

Because its my house my land, you really have to live it to understand it.

Ps dude, i have said in this thread...I KEEP BEES IN MY GARDEN

 

[beeatshellards]

I too keep bees in my garden but it is 1 .50 acres down a lane, neighbours on one side only but I always had a plan B if the bees turned nasty, to my good fortune I have never needed to impliment it, but for the safety of others I would move them if necessary, a garden 60 x 22 could create problems

 

[Easy Beesy]

I have 3 hives in a normal suburban garden. Neighbours on each side of me are fine but the two backing on to mine are a nightmare. Constant heckling, one has turned the hose on my bees and hives at least twice ( while I was out) one said they reported me to the council but I haven't had a visit yet. One further away said she didn't mind but now friends have told her horror stories and she is wavering. It's not easy being an urban beekeeper!

 

[Flatters]

I have a small garden and at the moment I have two hives and two nucs in it. This is not ideal as far as I am concerned.

The nucs are OK as they are small and only building up since mid August and I hope to sell them on early next year if they get through the winter.

The hives for most of the time have been fine and it is a pleasure to have them there and to be able to observe them. However the exception is where I have had to do manipulations with them that upset a colony and then the garden can be a dangerous place. I do have three colonies at my mother's but I am reluctent to move more there and so I am looking for a better place.

As far as neighbours are concerned I am lucky; I took a jar of honey round to each of them earlier on, my first extraction. On one side they said it was a pleasure to see them in their garden foraging on flowers they have. On the other they said they would not know they were there.

My intention is to keep two colonies at home but if any colony turn bad then they will not be tolerated. I want to enjoy my garden.

 

[psafloyd]

VEG, I don't have any onsite as of yet I have purchased an hive that will be delivered with its contents of bees next March I am just preparing the garden for them, this decision was not been taken lightly it as taken me 3 years to get to this stage.

As for the honey the Bees will keep it or I will give it away to friends and family, I am not keen on honey I am just fascinated by the life of the bees.

For all your best laid plans, ma1308, if those bees decide to get cranky, you won't get out of your back door without them being after you. So, Veg is right to point this out, ma. Best to have a contingency plan, because if your neighbours claim your bees are a nuisance, you may be hassled by the council.

 

[Ferbanetreasure]

Had two colonies on my allotment (with council permission) for 6 months without any trouble and over the August weekend one colony turned VERY nasty and stung neighbouring allotment holders and I ended up hiding out in my allotment shed until the calverly arrived!
Thankfuly found a local orchard owner who was happy to re-home both hives (at short notice).
Moral of my story - always good to have a contingency home should the ladies get aggressive, for whatever reason. Two years later they're fine but I'm certainly more cautious!

 

[Nose Ma]

A rudimentary google search (I lack Lexis Nexis for full case law searches) reveals this nugget:

http://bit.ly/eztfl

ASBO for bees - cool!

Most caselaw is in the US, which sets no precident for the UK. Actually, the above is Scotland, and that has a different legal system from England and Wales, but is similar enough.

This type of page is quite common:

http://bit.ly/qUG8Rj. That seems to be common sesne, but note:

"Rights

Beekeepers have the right to keep bees. Their neighbours have the right to enjoy their property in peace.
Badly kept and positioned colonies can be a nuisance.
Unfortunately, what the neighbour might see as a nuisance is likely to be given more consideration in a court than that which the beekeeper sees as an interesting characteristic in his bees. Bees harmlessly drinking water from a pond may well, therefore, be deemed a real nuisance, even if all the beekeepers called to give evidence state the opposite."

That is all I can find on case law. I may be able to do mre if I can get the ISBN of PH's book on the matter.

NM

 

[MandF]

http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/9182405.Noisy_neighbour_fined_for_loud_music/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukn...ed-for-waking-neighbours-with-loud-music.html
http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/ne...ying-loud-music-at-rugby-flat-92746-28148985/

how many do you want? lol

Tony, my point was that this never happens on a first complaint. You will never get a court summons popping onto your door mat as the first sign that something is wrong - you need to be a repeat offender. In other words, irresponsible.

 

[MandF]

My wife should now carry an epipen. She has never been stung in the garden, ever, and is not overly worried about them, even now.

RAB

Thats one of the other things we have, as responsible beekeepers - and epipen in case a visitor to our house or a neighbour gets stung and goes into shock.

 

[MandF]

I think that after reading all your views I would feel safer if they were not in a urban garden.
Recently I was put in touch with a local beekeeper who let me join him at his apiary on a local farm.
After getting suited and booted he showed me inside his hives and let me handle some frames of bees.
I was surprised how calm the bees were and felt at ease,this made me think that they would be ok in a garden. but after some views of how bees can become aggressive, I no longer feel that a garden is the best place.

There we go, well done all, one less urban beekeeper with all your daily mail scare stories!

I give up.

 

[Swarm]

These stories are no worse than the ridiculous suggestions like 'prove it was my bees that stung you.'

 

[tonybloke]

I keep bees in my back garden. but do have several out-apiary sites available, if need be. I moved a couple of hives as soon as they started 'following' ( same day) my garden backs onto an old cemetery, and on the four sides of my garden are, high hedge/fruit trees, house, sheds/greenhouse, Art studio. all over 10 ft in height, so bees go 'up'n'away' both neighbours are pleased to have bees next door, and have suited up and had a look in the hives with me.

 

[Bob Bee]

There we go, well done all, one less urban beekeeper with all your daily mail scare stories!

I give up.

 

[aberreef]

One of my hives got really agressive earlier this year when the queen died. After that experience I'd be a bit concerned keeping bees in an urban area.

Having said that my TBH is mch calmer than the nationals. Inspections are more relaxed because only a very small part of the colony is exposed at any one time. You don't tend to get so many bees in the air. If I were to keep bees in a garden, this is the route I'd choose.

Just my opinion so no need for TBH bashing

 

[tonybloke]

but tbh are not easily transportable, if the bees get aggressive, are they?

 

[aberreef]

but tbh are not easily transportable, if the bees get aggressive, are they?

Yes(ish). I made mine with cork size holes so these are easily blocked and it has detatchable legs. Provided it's made short enough to fit in a car things get easier.

Tha only problem I can think of is comb breaking if its heavy with stores. In this case the bees normally (for me) brace the combs to the side of the hive. I've only moved my hive the once (20 miles or so) and had no problem whatsoever