Siting a hive near a country road

[Roobarb]

Hello all - first post for me ;-)

I have a couple of questions about moving my hive and my choice of location for its new site.

I currently have a single colony (still alive as of a week ago) that's located at the end of my garden. The trouble is that the bees are somewhat feisty, having come from a swarm, and last year they were a real nuisance when I was out in the garden. Several stings (well away from the hive) and general aggressiveness.

So the plan is to move them somewhere else, and also requeen them with a gentler strain this year. We live in the country and have a small field next to our garden. The ideal spot for the bees is in a corner of the field that has a lowish hedge around it. The road is about 6 or 7 metres away from the proposed hive site and roughly 2 metres below the height of the field.

The new site isn't very far from the old one, and when the bees are flying obviously I wouldn't do it, but is it ok to move bees during winter? I'm not sure how long it takes for bees to "forget" their mental map of where they live.

My other worry about doing this is whether the new site is too close to the road. It's a country road that sees very little traffic, but I can easily imagine them choosing to swarm just as a cyclist or a horserider passes by. Am I worrying too much? What's the beekeeper's liability if, say, a horse throws its rider as a result of encountering a swarm of bees? I realise that a swarm could pose a problem to people regardless of where the hive is sited, but it probably wouldn't be seen that way by non-beekeepers.

Perhaps it's quite normal to site bees close to roads? I guess with urban beekeeping it could be difficult to avoid.

Thanks
Simon

 

[arl]

Hi Simon,
Welcome to the forum, not sure why nobody has answered your post yet, but am sure there will be some words of wisdom along in awhile, I am still very new to beekeeping, but would say that common sense is the best way to go.

 

[Poly Hive]

It is cold enough to move them now.

A swarm i legally no ones as I understand it but I am not a legal eagle. My case law book though does point in that direction.

As for next to a road, the problems are more do do with working them and passers by esp as you are moving them by reason of temperament.

2nd thoughts on location possibly?

PH

 

[Erichalfbee]

If the field is yours can you not put them in the middle with a stock fence or suchlike round them? That way they would be away from the road and your garden but still within eyeshot.
Mine are half way up a newly wooded hill behind my housein a large clearing with willow hurdles round them.

 

[oliver90owner]

Hi Roobarb,

Welcome to the forum. I will start by saying I will give information to anwer your questions at most times if possible. Whether you like that information, or not, is up to you. Just remember all the advice (from the forum) is worth exactly what it cost you. There is no requirement for you to heed any of the advice, or instructions, given.

Right, disclaimer out of the way. Now to your post.

An alternative might be to requeen, in the spring, with a more docile queen and leave them where they are? But perhaps not for a new beek with just the one colony.

I had eight colonies (I don't really want more than max 4 at one time), at one point, in my garden this last year. Walked back and forth, well within two metres of all entrances, all summer and not one sting from them.

Sooo here is what I would do. Move the colony now (well, in the next prolonged cold spell). Move it a good distance from any right of way - the bees may well be feisty, for some time, after any intrusive inspections. Utilise any of the re-orientation prompts you think fit, and wait for spring.

Split the colony (probably by artificial swarming it) at the earliest opportunity to at least double your colony count. Then start requeening, if that is what you have in mind.

Regards, RAB

 

[For want of a better word]

Mr Tractor is right.... but I would move them 3 miles away for a week or so, and then bring them back to the new location... the Precautionary Principle.......

and it is always useful to have another apiary site located at at least 3 miles away!

Even now I am moving my garden nationals 3 feet a day across the garden to a stance away from a trampoline... the trampoline is bright blue and for some reason my little girls like to sit on it!

I have Newzealanders in the garden hives and some Carniolians... the NZs are calm the Carnies can be vicious little bees!

However don't take everything you read anywhere even on this forum as gospel !

Good luck and ENJOY!!!!

 

[drstitson]

interesting to be discussing siting issue re road - in italy as well as having to register hives with local vet service (and fine if you don't), they also have various regional rules re siting distances - see the link, end column (the notes state that hives behind 2m barriers are exempt from the distance rules!!, at least in some areas).

http://www.mieliditalia.it/download/tab_distanze.pdf

 

[drstitson]

in winter can't you just move the hive in one go - no 3ft 3 mile rule when bees are clustered - just put obstruction in front of hive to force reorientation of any that venture out.

 

[MJBee]

Welcome to the forum.

I note that the proposed site is 7 meters from the road and 2 meters above it, that puts the bees above any pedestrians ( unless they are very tall) The addition of something like windbreak netting would screen the hives from the road and add another meter to the flight line which should put them above everything. You can move them in one go as long as you are gentle and do not break the cluster, as has been said prop something against the entrance to ensure re-orientation. Good luck

 

[taff..]

I would be most concerned about the hives being visible from the road, and that includes when you are carrying out your inspections. hive theft is not unheard of.

 

[For want of a better word]

in winter can't you just move the hive in one go - no 3ft 3 mile rule when bees are clustered - just put obstruction in front of hive to force reorientation of any that venture out.

is there a STICKIE on this..... my bees seem to have been in and out on warmer calmer sunny days,,, even out this morning, and the duckpond is frozen over!

 

[oliver90owner]

Just the problem - generalisation!

Try this again from post # 5

Sooo here is what I would do. Move the colony now (well, in the next prolonged cold spell). Move it a good distance from any right of way - the bees may well be feisty, for some time, after any intrusive inspections. Utilise any of the re-orientation prompts you think fit, and wait for spring.

Take special note of the bit which is fairly explicit ie (well, in the next prolonged cold spell)

That should have been enough to correlate your observations wrt moving hives in winter (the generalised version). Obviously not cold enough for long enough at this particular point of winter.

RAB

 

[Roobarb]

Thanks everyone for your feedback. I could leave them where they are and simply re-queen, but obviously there are no guarantees that the re-queened colony will be passive enough to for me to enjoy the garden without risk of stings and walk around without having to duck under their flight path!

The proposed new site is above head height, but we do get people on horseback passing by, and they would be at about the same level as the top of the hedge. The windbreak idea is a good one (at least until the hedge grows up enough). Might have a think about doing that.

Reorienting them after a move - where do you put this obstruction and how big does the obstruction have to be? My bees haven't been out of the hive for at least a week now (and even then, it was only a small number investigating what I was doing while I tested the hive straps).

The Italian document is interesting, as it gives actual figures for the minimum distance from a highway, and I haven't found any equivalent figures recommended by either the BBKA or the National Bee Unit. The Italian figures vary by region, but it seems that 10 m is regarded as being a typical minimum distance.

Thanks
Simon

 

[MJBee]

Reorienting - I used to prop a sheet of glass against the entrance, any bees emerging bumped into the glass which made them realise that something had changed and take more notice of their (new) surroundings. Anything that stops them zooming straight out into the wide blue yonder will do.

Incidentally in France minimum distance from a public right of way is 10M - as you say a good ball park figure.