Smoke

[grizzly]

I have asked this question some time ago, but the issue still persists at my original site, and now there are more of you on here, i would like to get clarification once and for all.

As you can see from the pic i, my 3 hives are sheltered under a corrugated barn, now what you cannot see to the right of the hives, starting about 20 feet away, is a large pile of garden waste, which gets dumped there by the landscape gardeners, and farm hands, all manner of stuff from plants to wood to plastic etc. this pile can grow to 6 feet in height and usually covers 10-20 metres.

when they light this pile, it can burn and smoulder for days, now although they say they wait for the wind to be blowing away from the bees, quite frankly it burns for so long its going to blow their way at some point.

how badly do you think this would affect the bees ? some have said it will be minimal, other that they could abscond. Should i move them.

Thanks
Andy

 

[jimbeekeeper]

Did you have a problem with it last year? You might be able to answer the question yourself!

 

[grizzly]

well, last year they were only exposed to it late on, i was told that they will eventually dig it all into the ground, but the burning continues.

They have all increased in size rapidly so far ths year, so that can't be bad, but i am sure it affects their temper, smelling smoke for days on end.

 

[jimbeekeeper]

I would say they will get p*ssed off with and and might well p*ss off!

Regardless of bees, even if for example you kept hens or any other livestock there and they where constanly been smoked out they would not like it.

But you have quite a good set-up there and a perfect source of pollen/nectar, it would be a shame to loose that.

 

[grizzly]

yes you are right, they have oodles of pollen/nectar, and it would be a big shame to give that up, i was talking to admin recently and i decided to make it my nursery site to bring on nucs, full hives will go out to the other sites to work with minimal interference.

I guess another conversation with the farmer is needed.