Lawnmowing

[E1M]

Good afternoon.
Surprise surprise, there IS a sun in the sky, and it has been a wonderful day here in North West Norfolk.
Therefore I decided to mow the lawns.
As our bees are in the front garden on the lawn I use an electric mower with a very quiet motor, in order not to upset them.
Today however, I noticed that each time I approached the hive a pack of bloodthirsty, lawn mower avenging bees would attack the machine. They didn't come anywhere near me!
The mower is Orange, does anyone think this would have an effect? The mower causes little vibration if any.
Thoughts please.

 

[Ivor Kemp]

Unusual for an electric mower. However:

1. You din't say whether the mower was still on when it was 'attacked'.
2. Are you cutting grass or is there anything else that you might be chopping up that has a distinct smell?
3. My lawn is lies below the flight path to my hives and at this time of year there are always a few bees on the grass who have not made it back to the hive. Any chance you are grinding up them and releasing pheromes?

 

[scuttlefish]

If your lawn is full of white clover like mine then they're probably pretty pi$$ed at you for chopping down their forage!

 

[alanf]

The mower is Orange, does anyone think this would have an effect? The mower causes little vibration if any.
Thoughts please.

Maybe not orange specifically, there is one hive that goes for my electric mower. My mower body is green, but they go mostly for the black grass box. Turn it off and walk away and they lose interest in it. They have not reacted anything like as strongly to a big and far more noisy petrol mower either. I suspect it's acting as a sounding board for some vibration in a range they don't like. Other hives are fine with the same mower at closer distances, so it's possible that your colony are reacting to a different pitch or something else entirely. One of the reasons I want to re-queen this colony, I don't want neighbours to have their mowers attacked.

 

[E1M]

AlanF,

Funny you mention that.
I also have a large petrol monster machine which I stopped using, thinking I was doing the right thing for the bees. If it was loud to me what sort of vibrations must they feel.

I also noticed that they are more interested in the box.

All very interesting.

Someone should do a study on it.

Iain

 

[Black Comb]

Try mowing in the evening.

 

[nonstandard]

.....so it's possible that your colony are reacting to a different pitch .....

I suspect you are right, I can now round ours with our petrol 'pram' mower without too much grief but show them the strimmer and all help breaks loose. It also doesn't matter if its the regular 'pole' strimmer or the heavy duty wheeled one, I can only guess it's the sound the cord makes as it whizzes round.

 

[susbees]

Some bees can be very cranky with black. Even to the point of divebombing steaming hot coffee in a flask mug with black inner (several instances) and chasing cameras (ditto). But only when they are cranky anyhow.

 

[madasafish]

I have a mix of Carnies and Buckfast.

Petrol mowing - morning, noon and evening is OK: even under the hives.
Electric strimming is also OK - around the hives and under them. Electric hedge cutting within 3 metres of the hives is OK.

BY "OK" I mean: "ignored completely".

Never had any problems despite cutting grass and chewing up bees on grass and being hit by bees as I crossed their flight paths.

I suspect you have defensive bees...

(I personally could not live with that behaviour but each to their own)

 

[E1M]

Defensive bees! Who can blame them, their hive is their castle.
I think I shall live with them, after all, I chose them, not the other way around.
Thanks for all the other replies, some interesting views.

 

[dickndoris]

Defensive bees! Who can blame them, their hive is their castle.
I think I shall live with them, after all, I chose them, not the other way around.
Thanks for all the other replies, some interesting views.

 

[Ziggymole]

If I were a bee I'd be pretty peeved if you disturbed the only chance I'd had all week for a decent meal.

 

[E1M]

Blimey, only one decent meal a week, they must be slim bees!
I suppose depends on what else is about and where you live.

 

[Ziggymole]

We've only had one sunny day all week!...............the rest had either been cool and overcast or, like today, downright sopping, but that's the Valleys for you.

 

[fredbloggs]

Hello

My contribution!

I have a 40cc petrol brushcutter. It uses an Oregon head with four lines. The cord line is 7mm and absolutely destroys anything in it's path with accompanying racket and bits flying everywhere. Extreme strimming this is. To clarify further, My new apiary has been cleared despite annual "weeds" 8 feet high (this years growth and no exaggeration) and brambles with stems over one inch thick.

I do have experience of cutting grass around bees and accept (through the stings incurred) that they can tolerate a cylinder 4 stroke better than a strimmer. Don't know why as this case suggests.

My occupied Hives are in a hay field and I have left the grass too long (as it contains many wildflower species) for a "trim". I spent 4 hours clearing up everywhere except around the hives leaving a 2/3 feet wide swathe around each one. I have to use brute force to cut this bit, there is no finesse involved as the growth is too thick and I am going for a quick finish (or maybe quick escape?) To reduce the antagonistic effect, I had cut some panels of ply around 1 foot wide - four feet high to stand alongside the hives entrance and protect the front & entrance from the blast of weed fragments when doing the sides and back of the adjacent hive.

I have to say that after 4 hours of run up, I expected some reaction when I cut in front of the hive - grass was up to the entrance at over two feet. I had donned a loose veil over the hard hat/visor I normally wear and used marigolds inside the hard gloves. Taking a deep breath (and having already made sure of a clear escape path , I blasted tentatively away. (good example of an oxy-moron that?)

And the reaction? - not a single sausage! Not one single ping or even one inquisitive bee and as has already been suggested in this thread, I must have unintentionally strimmed a few? I even took the elaborate head gear off to rake up and they were was no sign whatsoever of any retaliation.

I think the important part was that I was prepared for any initial reaction and would not like to repeat this exercise in shorts and flip-flops (metaphorically!) only to discover that the charmers were choosing that day to have their bad one?

The next time?

Apart from not letting the grass so long. I will improve the protection to the front of the hive. To lay a scaffold board on blocks level with the hive entrance? That way I can strim away underneath the board and the bits will not fly up.

Regards

FB

 

[Black Comb]

I brush cut (2 stroke) around andunder mine last night. Very few came out.

 

[meetballuk]

do bees hear a different range to us?
could the elecy mower have a very high or low frequency sound?


not too fussed bout y they attacked just wondering if any1 knows bees hearing range?

 

[victor meldrew]

I have my hives (Yes still got them) on concrete flags raised just over the height of the mower ( A four stroke rotary no grass box, 20" cut) I mow apiary all over including immediately around the hives with no probs . I wait until flying has lessened and wear a lightweight veil (silly not to).
The bees disperse as I approach and carry on as if nowt happened when I've passed
Prior to raising the flag stones I trimmed under hives with a strimmer , I have used both electric and two stroke, they both provoked the bees !
VM

 

[Luminos]

concrete flags raised just over the height of the mower

Concrete flags? We only have material ones here!
Wow, you must have really strong winds in Wigan...

 

[victor meldrew]

concrete flags raised just over the height of the mower

Concrete flags? We only have material ones here!
Wow, you must have really strong winds in Wigan...

The French aren't allowed concrete flags, they finish up through the windows of public buildings
VM