How viable is an allotment as a place to keep a hive?

[Acie]

It's not possible to keep bees in our garden, as my neighbours have some quite severe allergies. There's a community allotment just down the road, which is well-kept and organised and has blooming flowers all year round. I'd like to know if anyone can give me some upsides/downsides to keeping my first beehive there, if I can swing it with the owners. I'm going to be working with a friend, because I'm out of the country occasionally and have health problems that mean I'm out of commission some days. Thank you!

 

[B+.]

There's a community allotment just down the road, which is well-kept and organised and has blooming flowers all year round.

Even if you can get all the allotment holders and the local parish council, you'll probably find that there just isn't enough on the allotments to keep your bees satisfied. Look further afield. Bees can travel quite a long way (~5 Km) so you shouldn't ignore hedgerows/ farm fields / etc.
One problem can be that, however hard you try, bees can and do sting people. This may cause your friendly allotment holders to become not so friendly. Another problem may be if/when they swarm. Can you deal with this in a timely fashion? If not, your allies may become increasingly hostile.
Finally, you hinted at some health problems that may impact on your ability to manage the colonies properly. I suggest that you think long and hard about this. Not only for your own safety, but, for those around you too. Bees need quite a bit of your time during the active season (March-October). If you can't provide this, you may be starting something that you can't maintain. Friends can be a great help, but, unless they are as committed as you are, you may find them less and less useful as time goes on.
I once had a couple of colonies near my local allotments. I thought, as you do, that they would do well off the fruit and veg being grown there. In fact, they were not very productive at all. One thing I hadn't taken into account was their need for shelter from any winds and the number of people working quite nearby. I thought this would be manageable, but, their presence seemed to attract inquisitive visitors.
It may work for you, but, my advice would be to find a site away from people if you can (possibly on a farm).

 

[Swarm]

Find yourself an out apiary that is out of the way but accessible to you. bees on allotments can be fine but something to consider after gaining experience, IMO. Once you gain that experience, you will probably forget the idea.

 

[Worldsend]

Our local authority permit bees with conditions

Only two hives per allotment site (not per allotment)

All hive owners must belong to local association and must have kept bees for at least two seasons

 

[Millet]

A friend of a friend had three stolen from an allotment last year, i know it can happen anywhere but allotments always draw the attention of wronguns.

 

[drewbhoy1]

I have two hives on my allotment . I put the metal fence you put round building sites and covered it with scaffold netting so the bees fly above everyone's head . That was there rules along side having insurance .

Drew

 

[Brigsy]

I have mine on an allotment. Everyone, so far, is very happy.

 

[drex]

Having obtained written permission from council, I kept bees on my plot for 5 years. Everybody was happy. New town clerk takes over and orders that the bees had to go. Appeals etc made no difference. Had to move the bees.
Forage is a consideration. Mine were on edge of town. Summer time they were off in the rape and hedgerows, in Autumn they would fly in opposite direction to town gardens.
I agree that keeping bees well is a big commitment. For example, will you be able to inspect every week for May- July ? All depends on what sort of a beekeeper you want to be

 

[Amari]

Six years ago I helped establish a new allotment site just 300m from my house. I asked the parish council for permission to keep two hives and was refused. In retrospect I am glad.
However good you are as a beekeeper and however docile your strain of bees there will be occasions when a colony will turn nasty.
We like to bee-keep on nice warm sunny days - just the sort of day when all the allotmenters will be digging near by!
Vital that you have 3rd party insurance via BBKA membership.
Try advertising for an apiary site in your parish magazine or similar - it worked for me.

 

[MartinL]

It's not possible to keep bees in our garden, as my neighbours have some quite severe allergies. There's a community allotment just down the road, which is well-kept and organised and has blooming flowers all year round. I'd like to know if anyone can give me some upsides/downsides to keeping my first beehive there, if I can swing it with the owners. I'm going to be working with a friend, because I'm out of the country occasionally and have health problems that mean I'm out of commission some days. Thank you!

I keep a hive or two on my allotment, give it a go what have you got to lose (other than the whole lot if it isn't secure)?

They are in the corner of my plot which is in turn in the corner of the allotments.

They can't rely on what's there for year-round forage, (that's why they fly, lol)!However, everyone up there appreciates the pollination benefits for the beans, soft fruits e.t.c.

 

[Millet]

Why does everyone keep mentioning Parish , i am catholic but i can not be done with the greedy cult, i much prefare to be atheist..

 

[Poly Hive]

Careful some toes are sensitive says this Humanist.

PH

 

[Millet]

Careful some toes are sensitive says this Humanist.

PH

I'm Ok, however most folk only become religious and start going to church when they hit there pension age for some kind of relief that they think will help them go to heaven when they curl there toes up.

 

[psafloyd]

It's not possible to keep bees in our garden, as my neighbours have some quite severe allergies. There's a community allotment just down the road, which is well-kept and organised and has blooming flowers all year round. I'd like to know if anyone can give me some upsides/downsides to keeping my first beehive there, if I can swing it with the owners. I'm going to be working with a friend, because I'm out of the country occasionally and have health problems that mean I'm out of commission some days. Thank you!

I have had my main apiary on an allotment since 2010 and find it is very good.

You shouldn't anticipate they will be fine by what is on the allotment, but what is around it as well.

I am in a suburban area with a lot of allotments, as well as rivers, railway lines, parks and domestic gardens around.

I have another one about 12 miles away on a small allotment near wetlands and scrubby land along the Thames estuary. There was a break between their last beekeeper having bees there and when mine moved in and they noticed a real dropoff in the blossoms on their top fruit and soft fruit.

Certainly, since I have had bees on our site, we seem to have more and more blossoms on our top fruits and our soft fruits are consistently abundant, so perhaps there is some benefit after all.

However, (almost) all of our members are happy having bees on the sites beause whether they do anything or not for their plants, they know they are doing good somewhere nearby.

 

[alldigging]

It's not possible to keep bees in our garden, as my neighbours have some quite severe allergies. There's a community allotment just down the road, which is well-kept and organised and has blooming flowers all year round. I'd like to know if anyone can give me some upsides/downsides to keeping my first beehive there, if I can swing it with the owners. I'm going to be working with a friend, because I'm out of the country occasionally and have health problems that mean I'm out of commission some days. Thank you!

What's a community allotment?
Would they allow you to put your bees on there or would they expect them to be community bees. In which case you might not sleep at night worrying about who has been in your bees without your knowledge and permission.

The allotment act 1950 section 12 only allows for hens and rabbits. No mention of bees. So it's down to landlords (councils usually) or management committees. And to the people that use the allotment site.

If you have health issues and can't guarantee you will keep on top of swarming then maybe find somewhere/someone to share these duties with.

Are you a complete beginner?

 

[Amari]

Why does everyone keep mentioning Parish , i am catholic but i can not be done with the greedy cult, i much prefare to be atheist..

A parish is also a tier of local government and is totally secular. Thus a parish will elect a Parish Council every four years pari passu with district and parliamentary elections - all under the aegis of the Electoral Commission. Quite separately the Anglican church elects a Parochial Church Council which has nothing to do with local government.

 

[MartinL]

A parish is also a tier of local government and is totally secular. Thus a parish will elect a Parish Council every four years pari passu with district and parliamentary elections - all under the aegis of the Electoral Commission. Quite separately the Anglican church elects a Parochial Church Council which has nothing to do with local government.

Think you'll find that there is rarely any "Election". All jobs for the boys and local landowners needing planning permission in the next 4 or 5 years!

Without exception all our Parish Council members have either submitted planning applications or just built without permission!

More recently they want to concrete over 25% of the allotments to build a play area for the 5 kids in the Village. Allotment holders are not allowed anything more than "temporary wooden buildings" ie- No concrete!

The only bricks up there were buried by the Head of the Parish Council.

 

[Levitt53]

Our parish council has elections regularly. There won't be elelections though if councillors are unopposed. With all these things, if you don't like it, do something about it.

 

[taurus]

Why does everyone keep mentioning Parish , i am catholic but i can not be done with the greedy cult, i much prefare to be atheist..

Careful some toes are sensitive says this Humanist.

PH

Erm - as has been said above, the word 'Parish' refers to a secular elected body. We might all have some grumbles about those who offer to represent their community via this democratic means but it is interesting to note how ignorance of the facts leads to derogatory comments about what others believe in.

I am giving a talk about my first year of beekeeping this weekend, part of which is to lament the hostility of some beekeepers to anyone who doesn't think like they do. In fact I am beginning to think that if we stamped out beekeepers we'd put an end to wars and misery.

 

[MartinL]

Our parish council has elections regularly. There won't be elelections though if councillors are unopposed. With all these things, if you don't like it, do something about it.

I have all the planning permission I require.

The large garden extension into agricultural land now up for sale >£1M will be up for property miss-description by the estate agent, then the vendor, + it's at the other end of the village. lol

It's the Two faced nepotism that p1$$e$ me off, might be fun but not sure I have the time.
With my planning secured I don't have the motivation of others!