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slider955i

New Bee
Joined
Feb 28, 2010
Messages
66
Reaction score
0
Location
stourbridge , westmidlands
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
1
how do your neighbours get on with the fact you keep bees
we have a relatively large garden and the hive will be well away from the house but the neighbours can be a little moody on the one side of me
not sure whether to tell them or not :willy_nilly:
 
I would not be inclined to tell you neighbours. And one colony does not work in beekeeping. You really need to think in terms of providing a home in your garden for two or three colonies.

Problems are not likely to arise on a day to day, normal flying basis. The problems arise when you open up and manipulate colonies.
 
I havent told my neighbours although I didnt lie when one of them saw me carrying a bee hive and asked what it was. I'm planning on taking some honey to them after harvest.
 
I would not be inclined to tell you neighbours. And one colony does not work in beekeeping. You really need to think in terms of providing a home in your garden for two or three colonies.

Problems are not likely to arise on a day to day, normal flying basis. The problems arise when you open up and manipulate colonies.

thanks for the reply yes i was thinking of a couple of colonies , i was going to start this year with one and move onto two the start of next year
i have all sorts of things "buzzing" around in my head at the moment
 
I started away from home. I only put bees in the garden that are docile, non following, and stay on the comb fairly well. That was after my first couple of seasons.

No complaints in the seven or eight years some bees have been kept at home. I don't often manipulate at a weekend. I would think wasps might be more of a nuisance to them - or maybe all the wasps are in my garden!

Regards, RAB
 
If you start them off in the garden, always have a Plan B at hand, ie. somewhere else they can go if you get problems, as in an out apiary.
 
I have excellent neighbours. Very excited about me keeping bees and they both came to see the inside of the hive last year. They also pointed me at one of my swarms that had landed in their garden :blush5:
 
My neighbours are fine. One was a bit miffed when a swarm settled in a tree above her car and they sh***ed on it big time.
remember to have water in your garden so they don't drink in neighbours garden/pond/hot tub.
 
I have told next door , what will be happening this year but my old house ooohhh moan moan moan little did they know I had them 5 years before, until bee inspector turned up out of the blue and changed into bee suit outside my house, they thought the house was infested so I had to come clean.
Every swarm in my area would settle in a massive plumb tree next door !!! I got the blame each time
So take into consideration whats happening next door first
Grub
 
I shall be having one colony in the garden initially as the land i was going to use will not be available untill after i get my bee's.
The neigbours on one side of me cant wait!. the other side i have not told yet. they have a grandson comes to visit sometimes so my only concern is with him playing in the garden. still cant decide if to say something or not!!
I suppose as said earlier, its not the day to day comings and goings of the bee's, its manipulations and of course swarms that could be an issue.
 
how do your neighbours get on with the fact you keep bees
we have a relatively large garden and the hive will be well away from the house but the neighbours can be a little moody on the one side of me
not sure whether to tell them or not :willy_nilly:

My neighbour found out that I was keeping bees after a swarm which was noticed by the son who had been working with his head under the bonnet of his car five or six yards away. The family was excited in a happy way and pointed out where the swarm went, next garden down, and knocked the door to say that the bees were coming back, thanks to a clipped queen.

Moral: always have spare kit to do a split if they start producing queen cells. I was busy making the box at the time - not the fastest wood worker that I know. :)

Predictably the neighbour two gardens down has an elderly mother in law and is concerned that she might get stung. so this year the equipment will be ready and the swarm management will be done in good time.
 
mr B face them to the ones that are happy for you and your bees, mine never seem to go behind the hive they just go up when flying out
 
We had a Hive in our garden last year, and enjoyed hours of pleasure watching them.
Since then I have had new neighbours move in on one side, so not sure what reaction I will get from them this springtime.
Fortunately I do have somewhere to move the Hive to if next door are unhappy..
However I am hoping I shant have to, as we have enjoyed having the Bees around.
bee-smillie
 
mr B face them to the ones that are happy for you and your bees, mine never seem to go behind the hive they just go up when flying out

Thats what i do, the grumpy neighborour next door can't see them from his house and would only see them if he peered over the 6ft fence as the are right up tight to the fence

i discretly change into a veil camoflage top in the garage for the inspection, i keep normal one in the garden plus my Nuc and two hive 3 miles away , full whites there, as i keep siuts seperate at each location for infection control

if a hive get to fisky for the gareden i swap it for a calmer one from my other site
 
I have a large garden -fortunately, as my stock has grown to 9 hives.
All the neighbours are ok about it, very supportive and often enquire as to their health. I will try to reduce this year by taking some to the out apiary, but I always check each week and address any possible swarm situation quickly. Each year, I have only had 1-2 swarms and they were usually in my own garden.
With Nucs and collecting swarms/casts from elsewhere I was up to 20 last summer - silly! But I sold on or donated to young new beeks to reduce asap.
 
Worst I ever saw was in Stanley Perthshire where the chap had just lost control.

40 odd hives in the garden not really sure how many more as the undergrowth was so high, at least 5 swarms hanging on various walls, trees and so on, and not ONE item with out a hole in it to take them in.

Talk about the beekeeping neighbour from hell.

If you have neighbours make VERY sure indeed you are insured. Things these days can and do get very nasty.

PH
 
My bees were transformed from fuzzy teddy-bears (kind of) to evil psychotic monsters when they were queenless last summer. If there is anyone nearby who could be bothered, then I'd say essential to have at least a temporary back-up location just in case.
Other problem is that the best time to do inspections (sunny afternoons at the weekend, in my case) would also be the best time for your neighbours to be having barbeque/gardening/messing about outside/etc. And if they don't like bees....
 
As I was getting into my car one day last summer, I overheard one of my neighbours say to his wife, "Where have all these bees come from?" as he looked down at a little water feature in their front garden. As he hadnt directly asked me, I decided not to suggest they might be from some beehives in my back garden.

I'll own up in the autumn when I take them some honey.
 
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