Problem Sites

[cerberus]

I am asking this on behalf of neighbours who are not happy with a hive that has been put on a plot opposite several houses separated by a road several plots are adjacent to the one with the hive which is situated near to one boundary and near to the road rather than at the far end.
This hive has been there for about a year and so far several people have been stung with one the nearest to this plot being stung eight times whilst mowing the lawn.
Complaints as to the siting have been made but no movement of the hive has taken place, it now transpires that the owner of the hive is not the owner of the land and has been given permission to site by the owner ?
Yet still it remains in situ whilst not involved, my garden is just sufficiently distant not to have any effect from the hive others are and an elderly woman has been severely stung, no one seems to know what is the best remedy and what happens if someone is stung who is allergic, something I have not been able to find in your blog.
Realistically this hive is badly sited the hive owner has several hives on different sites so why he want's to persist with this odd one is strange and the land owner as a friend of his appears reluctant to say please remove which he would have no problem doing, this has reached the stage where something will happen that will not be a good result for anyone and the neighbours because they get on are reluctant to go to court or take action, but that might happen and then you have a neighbour problem, all a bit sad owing to a lack of common sense on the part of the bee keeper in this case, oh and no honey for anyone despite telling he had 65 jars in the first full year, solutions please.

 

[Poly Hive]

Contact environmental health and put it in their hands.

PH

 

[elite123]

Re-queening would be my solution - and some sort of screen to make them fly higher

 

[sbisme]

Agree PH although it sounds like a killer hive that hates the neighbors, every sting in the neighbourhood will have come from that hive

 

[For want of a better word]

Hope the hive owner is insured for all risks including third party liability... his bees stinging passers by could be considered a public nuisance if enough people complain?
( follows .. a diatribe about what BBKA insurance covers... need to say not on beekeepers own land!)

One for your local councilor to sort out amicably?

Yeghes da

 

[Amari]

Outrageous situation and despicable attitude of hive owner. it will harm the public image of our craft. Maybe collect signed statements from neighbours and send a deputation to the land owner?

 

[For want of a better word]

Outrageous situation and despicable attitude of hive owner. it will harm the public image of our craft. Maybe collect signed statements from neighbours and send a deputation to the land owner?

Gather outside the premises wearing long white robes with pointy hats and masks... carrying a Jerry can of petrol?

Perhaps not!

Yeghes da

 

[Hachi]

An interesting post that poses more Q's than it answers but hey if genuine they have their answers and options

 

[madasafish]

A registered letter to the hive owner politely asking for action within a reasonable period (2 weeks) due to effect of passers by.#
If no response involve local newspaper . Most are very keen to get copy and if approached sympathetically will be very helpful.

# So proof of delivery and making the point it IS serious.

Legal route is going to take time and cost money. Avoid except as very last resort.

 

[thorn]

How many people have been stung, and over whet period? Get the data, and then see if your local environmental health department would be willing to bring a public nuisance action. But they will need to see facts, not just hear moans.
But before going down the official route, show the facts to the owner of the hive. There's nothing in th OP to say that anyone's done this. It's very probable that a simple repositioning of the hive could solve the problem. A gradual move, a few years into the property, together with a reorientation, and the flight path could well change for the better. If the owner realises the problem, he may well be more than happy to do this.

 

[cerberus]

Many thanks for all the replies, I was some years back friendly with a hive keeper in N Essex and know a little about the way things should be done and in the case I have put to you it was not the total picture until I was told about the hive owner being a friend of the land owner, when that piece of information came to light I believed the complainants had a valid case to ensure the hive was moved, it is still there by the way.
To my knowledge five people have been stung and one has been stung four times and the last time had eight stings all when mowing his lawn, many thanks again and I shall put all the points made to them as soon as possible.
What I do not understand was why the hive owner who has hives elsewhere would put a hive if he is experienced so near a boundary and so near the road and houses opposite, you don't need to be a brain surgeon to know that is asking for problems, thanks again.

 

[Fritillary]

It sounds as though you know who the beekeeper is. I wonder if they are a member of the local beekeeping association? It could be worth finding out. What you describe is v bad PR for bees and beekeepers... I'm thinking that other local beekeepers would be as keen as you to see a quick solution to this.

 

[Finman]

.
First thing is to move the hive at once to such place, where it cannot sting people or animals.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Many thanks for all the replies, I was some years back friendly with a hive keeper in N Essex and know a little about the way things should be done and in the case I have put to you it was not the total picture until I was told about the hive owner being a friend of the land owner, when that piece of information came to light I believed the complainants had a valid case to ensure the hive was moved, it is still there by the way.
To my knowledge five people have been stung and one has been stung four times and the last time had eight stings all when mowing his lawn, many thanks again and I shall put all the points made to them as soon as possible.
What I do not understand was why the hive owner who has hives elsewhere would put a hive if he is experienced so near a boundary and so near the road and houses opposite, you don't need to be a brain surgeon to know that is asking for problems, thanks again.

Does the hive owner have a history of animosity towards the neighbours?

 

[Hachi]

What I do not understand was why the hive owner who has hives elsewhere would put a hive if he is experienced so near a boundary and so near the road and houses opposite, you don't need to be a brain surgeon to know that is asking for problems, thanks again.

This statement is not helpful and it can be interpreted as Bee's are ALWAYS a problem in close proximity to humans which is far from an accurate statement.

I have had (over the years) more than 30 hives in my back garden on a high density housing estate, not more than 12 feet from my neighbours back door and have NEVER had a problem.

I know its difficult when stress levels are running high but please do try and keep to the facts.

 

[charlievictorbravo]

Five people have been stung in a year, one with multiple stings.

I may be mistaken but that does not sound like a major nuisance - not enough I suspect to constitute, to the local authority, an actionable nuisance.

If I were the beekeeper, I might be inclined to move the hive - just for a quiet life. But if he were to move it and people were still getting stung at a rate of 5 a year, what happens next Find the next nearest beehive and get that moved?

CVB