Urban Inspections

[Buzzby Babe]

I am now a 48 hour old beekeeper and have installed my new nuc in the garden. As this is a small garden and surrounded by neighbours I would love some advice on when / how to do inspections without sending angry bees all over the neighbourhood.
Is anyone else an urban beekeeper with any tips?
All advice gratefully received

 

[tonybloke]

you need to have high garden boundaries (my lowest garden boundary, which is an 'open' hedge, is over 10 foot high ) and very good bees.
you also need an alternative site, 3miles or more distant, where you can move your bees to, at the first sign of them being a problem to the neighbours.

 

[jimmybee]

Yes have some thing tall in front of the hive so the bee's fly straight up, also check every 5 to 7 days as you dont want swarms landing next door. As I have one of mine by a pub and last year the bee's went for a beer!

 

[REDWOOD]

You don't need to inspect until day 7 or 10 if you have a clipped queen, only inspect midday when it's warm and most of the flying bees are out, use smoke, grow your hedges or erect high fencing well above head height

Good luck

 

[VEG]

not an ideal site, suggest you find somewhere you can move then to when they cause problems. As soon as your neighbours find out they will hold you responsible for any sting or bite even if not from bees.

 

[the beehive lodge]

do your neighbour's know i left them 8 weeks before giving all my neighbour's
a jar of honey all mine was total surprised that they had never noticed them coming and going. a big gamble but it play a big role on how people didn't care as long as they didn't bother them i keep my inspection to a fri pm if possible it hasn't caused any problem for me i have even invited any one of them to put on a suit and what at a closer range. put as tonybloke says high fencing makes the bees fly in from a nice height not bothering them all was very happy to get local honey and how local can you get from next door beekeeper

 

[Tom Bick]

The best time to inspect will be the warmest part of the day this way the foraging bees will one hopes out foraging and less bees flying around the hive during the inspection.

You have a Nuc and as a result a small hive your neighbours will hardly notice it or the bees. But perhaps in a couple of months and defiantly next year they just may so a few jars of honey and a bit of netting may be an advantage.

 

[VEG]

only prob with the warmest part of the day is that neighbours will be in their gardens as well

 

[jimmybee]

not an ideal site, suggest you find somewhere you can move then to when they cause problems. As soon as your neighbours find out they will hold you responsible for any sting or bite even if not from bees.

They are only there until the rape has gone and then they get moved.

 

[VEG]

your bees or the original posters bees???

 

[countryman]

i have upto 10 at a time on a garage roof in an estate only 1 problem with swarm ,but as i told all the neighbours before i got them, explain to them everything about them, answered all questions asked, a few douts but all ok apart from mrs who is alergic to stings but dont get them in and then tell them, as some have said plenty of smoke when inspecting i do this in the evening so any flying quickley go back in i also keep welsh blacks which i find a lot gentler than carnolians but it all comes down to the queens tempament any high obstruction in front of them or around them will force them to spiral up first and then away

 

[Tom Bick]

only prob with the warmest part of the day is that neighbours will be in their gardens as well

Very true Craig should add providing they are not applying the factor 10 next door

 

[itma]

I am now a 48 hour old beekeeper and have installed my new nuc in the garden. As this is a small garden and surrounded by neighbours I would love some advice on when / how to do inspections without sending angry bees all over the neighbourhood.
Is anyone else an urban beekeeper with any tips?
All advice gratefully received

These things might have been better considered before the bees arrived ...

Regarding inspections, yes, do them when lots of bees are out foraging. There will still be "flying bees" in and around the hive, but you'll disturb fewer of them if there are fewer around.
When you smoke the hive before inspection, wait for the bees to become 'affected by the smoke' - its not instant for the bees to tank up on honey and thereby feel less stressed. Give them fully five minutes (time it on a proper clock, five real minutes, minimum) after smoking before opening up.
And you might consider using an "inspection cloth" over the open hive. Its basically two cloths with a gap between. You move the gap to where you want to lift out a frame. It doesn't make the work easier (rather the reverse), but it can reduce the number of flying bees.

And even though not specifically to do with inspections, you are almost certain to need high hedges, fences or netting (at least six foot high) - all round the hive, not just in front of it. The bees will eventually come and go in all directions, though some will be favoured. You need the bees to travel above head height, to minimise nuisance. They simply "don't look where they are going" - they fly 'on instruments' not by ordinary eyesight, and will (unintentionally) smack into people if they happen to have moved into the flight path (or beeline). To avoid the collisions (and subsequent stings), make them fly higher until very very very close to the hive.
ADDED -- You'll note that Countryman gets them flying high by having his hives high up, on a garage roof. The thing is to get them somehow (anyhow) flying high, not low, over the neighbours gardens, footpaths, etc ...

 

[tonybloke]

instead of forking out for n inspection cloth, just lay the first frame out across the rest of the hive, move as necessary during inspection

 

[Joseph]

This one is often overlooked. Try to get a good reliable plume of smoke going before delving in.

I agree, life is much, much easier with clipped queens in the city.

Also useful I find for longer inspections when required, is to move the Brood box(s) to one side even if just by a few feet placing a super or brood box on the original spot for the flying bees, which will help in achieving a peaceful inspection away from guard bees on the original hive location.

I try never to inspect just before the time when children come home from school.

 

[Buzzby Babe]

Have chickened out and moved them to a friends garden which is massive and in a small village down the road (more than 3 miles). It will mean more relaxed inspections for me and the bees!! Only lost about 3 bees in the moving process although they didn't seem impressed being taped up again. Hopefully they will enjoy their new home.

Thanks for all your advice, I'm sure I will be back to ask for more.

 

[Cazza]

Have chickened out and moved them to a friends garden which is massive and in a small village down the road (more than 3 miles).

I think that was a wise move and not at all chicken.
Cazza