Warning Signs?

[Mabee]

i’ve recently been painting my hives a colour which completely blends in the shade, quite unnoticeable in field from a distance too. i’ve just got an out apiary which is also a fenced off area within a field and was planning on putting up small signs saying ‘caution, bees at work’ and my phone number in case i’m required., I thought that would alert anyone too close just as a polite, keep out!

 

[user 819]

Painting the colonies varies hues of the surrounding colours would be my choice (in slap dash camo effect, an ideal job for a 5/6 year old to bring out their creativity) esp any roofs that are all the same colour and can be seen on Goggle earth.

 

[Antipodes]

Hadn’t looked at it from perspective of people getting too close before realising they are there.

You’d be aware they were there from about 10 metres away - so you wouldn’t be right up close before you realised they were there.

Definitely something to think about from when looking at keeping them less visible, really useful.

That seems ok to me. Camouflaging them, not so standard I'd say. Your public liability insurer may not be too impressed either if you did that? Anyhow, if you are planning for the hives to be there long term, it may be of comfort to fence them off with (free) long pallets held up with star droppers or something similar. If the "fence" was far enough back away from the hives it could function as both a (partial) visual screen as well as keeping people at distance.

 

[ericbeaumont]

I would think it sensible to screen/ fence them off

Caz has done this already within the field using stock fencing. If it were me, I'd make that fence as far from the hives as you like, to prevent wanderers getting close.

 

[Caz]

That seems ok to me. Camouflaging them, not so standard I'd say. Your public liability insurer may not be too impressed either if you did that? Anyhow, if you are planning for the hives to be there long term, it may be of comfort to fence them off with (free) long pallets held up with star droppers or something similar. If the "fence" was far enough back away from the hives it could function as both a (partial) visual screen as well as keeping people at distance.

By camouflaging them I just mean I don’t want them to be easily visible from a public vantage point. I don’t think is unusual? Maybe just the wording that I’ve used ?

 

[Caz]

Thanks for the plant, netting, hive painting and bow saw alternative suggestions. Some good ideas, and appreciate you sharing them.

 

[Sutty]

You could drape and secure one of these over each hive. Or probably better, use a piece as fencing to visually block the hives
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nitehawk-Camouflage-Shooting-Military-Available/dp/B00IZJ3XYI

 

[Hachi]

The gates locked, the bees are surrounded by a stock fence and away from public footpaths and ROW relax and enjoy your evening.

 

[Antipodes]

By camouflaging them I just mean I don’t want them to be easily visible from a public vantage point. I don’t think is unusual? Maybe just the wording that I’ve used ?

Sounds good. I camouflaged some hives once....you know, the actual hives themselves with paint. Wow they were hard to see and then I realised that I had done too good a job Hives here are generally painted white because of the sun, so they really tend to stick out from the landscape .... people see them and know what they are. All the best with them.

 

[Mabee]

Reawakening this thread as I am not clear if anyone has a concrete answer on the legal aspects of warning signs. I’ve just had some cheap signs made saying

“Caution, honey bees at work, bees may sting, please keep your distance from the hives, beekeeper tel no”.

On reading a post on FB this morning with a few American posters it seems in some states this can see this as accepting liability, so does anyone know ‘legally’ if this is the same in the UK. I made the signs just to ensure nobody gets too close and they are small discreet signs so unlikely to attract too much attention but now thinking maybe I shouldn’t use them at all!

Apiary is a fenced off part of a private field away from the road and currently there are sheep in the other part of the field but I have seen locals walking dogs and grandchildren when they are not. Scotland also has a different access code to the rest of UK, people can go pretty much anywhere!

A association nearby has an apiary in the middle of a village with no issues but I do worry a lot about people other than me being stung (maybe overly so).

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Reawakening this thread as I am not clear if anyone has a concrete answer on the legal aspects of warning signs. I’ve just had some cheap signs made saying

“Caution, honey bees at work, bees may sting, please keep your distance from the hives, beekeeper tel no”.

On reading a post on FB this morning with a few American posters it seems in some states this can see this as accepting liability, so does anyone know ‘legally’ if this is the same in the UK. I made the signs just to ensure nobody gets too close and they are small discreet signs so unlikely to attract too much attention but now thinking maybe I shouldn’t use them at all!

Apiary is a fenced off part of a private field away from the road and currently there are sheep in the other part of the field but I have seen locals walking dogs and grandchildren when they are not. Scotland also has a different access code to the rest of UK, people can go pretty much anywhere!

A association nearby has an apiary in the middle of a village with no issues but I do worry a lot about people other than me being stung (maybe overly so).

How about a sign at the entrance to the place "Danger of Death"? Seems to work at substations

 

[Beedogg]

I think that the danger of putting up a sign saying 'Danger; Bees' is that one makes it more or less certain that some timid soul will then complain about the dangerous bees....

In terms of liability, we are luckily some way behind the US in terms of recourse to law, which has become their national sport. In the UK's legal system the word 'reasonable' still carries much weight. So, unless you have done something unreasonable (for example, sited your hives where a reasonable person would consider that they represented a significant risk to a third party) then someone who got stung would have to work very hard to pin upon you any legal liability for the loss or damage that they had suffered. I think that they'd be advised not to waste their time and money. But in any event, signage isn't really going to help.

PS. I'm not a lawyer, but I've had more exposure to the law than I would wish for and still spend quite a lot of time engaged in matters legal.

 

[Mabee]

I think that the danger of putting up a sign saying 'Danger; Bees' is that one makes it more or less certain that some timid soul will then complain about the dangerous bees....

In terms of liability, we are luckily some way behind the US in terms of recourse to law, which has become their national sport. In the UK's legal system the word 'reasonable' still carries much weight. So, unless you have done something unreasonable (for example, sited your hives where a reasonable person would consider that they represented a significant risk to a third party) then someone who got stung would have to work very hard to pin upon you any legal liability for the loss or damage that they had suffered. I think that they'd be advised not to waste their time and money. But in any event, signage isn't really going to help.

PS. I'm not a lawyer, but I've had more exposure to the law than I would wish for and still spend quite a lot of time engaged in matters legal.

Thank you! That’s a v helpful insight.

 

[Just Steve]

You could accept responsibility for any sting to anyone else as long as they can prove beyond all doubt that they were stung by a bee that did in fact belong to you and not by one that didn't belong to you. You can argue that Bees squatting in one of your hives do not belong to you.

 

[Murox]

Reawakening this thread as I am not clear if anyone has a concrete answer on the legal aspects of warning signs. I’ve just had some cheap signs made saying

“Caution, honey bees at work, bees may sting, please keep your distance from the hives, beekeeper tel no”.

On reading a post on FB this morning with a few American posters it seems in some states this can see this as accepting liability, so does anyone know ‘legally’ if this is the same in the UK. I made the signs just to ensure nobody gets too close and they are small discreet signs so unlikely to attract too much attention but now thinking maybe I shouldn’t use them at all!

Apiary is a fenced off part of a private field away from the road and currently there are sheep in the other part of the field but I have seen locals walking dogs and grandchildren when they are not. Scotland also has a different access code to the rest of UK, people can go pretty much anywhere!

A association nearby has an apiary in the middle of a village with no issues but I do worry a lot about people other than me being stung (maybe overly so).

Well, the so-called 'right to roam' is part of the 2003 Land Reform (Scotland) Act. The public can access most land and inland water in Scotland for recreational or other purposes, provided that the right to roam is exercised reasonably and responsibly and aims to balance a person's freedom to roam and respect for private property.
It does not apply to land on which there are buildings, or shelters including tents and caravans and it doesn't apply to gardens or land where crops are growing or schools, school grounds and sports grounds.

 

[Antipodes]

You could accept responsibility for any sting to anyone else as long as they can prove beyond all doubt that they were stung by a bee that did in fact belong to you and not by one that didn't belong to you. You can argue that Bees squatting in one of your hives do not belong to you.

...............

 

[JamezF]

You could accept responsibility for any sting to anyone else as long as they can prove beyond all doubt that they were stung by a bee that did in fact belong to you and not by one that didn't belong to you. You can argue that Bees squatting in one of your hives do not belong to you.

I'd guess the counter-argument would be that had your bees not been there it would have been far less attractive to "foreign" bees, therefore you are increasing the risk even if your own bees aren't directly responsible.

James

 

[F.F.Stung]

I'd guess the counter-argument would be that had your bees not been there it would have been far less attractive to "foreign" bees, therefore you are increasing the risk even if your own bees aren't directly responsible.

James

I'd guess the counter-argument would be that had your bees not been there it would have been far less attractive to "foreign" bees, therefore you are increasing the risk even if your own bees aren't directly responsible.

James

I would blame the foreigners. My bees are gentle,and also nobody was getting stung until the foreigners arrived.

 

[thorn]

The Occupiers Liability Act requires an occupier of land to take such care as is reasonable in respect of the danger of someone on their land suffering injury, and where appropriate that care can be discharged by giving warning of the danger.

A simple bee sting or three would be be so minimal as not to attract a claim for damages. If the victim went into anaphylactic shock which lasted an hour or two the damages would be minimal and no solicitor would take such a case on. It's really only if the consequences were long term or fatal that a claim might be worthwhile.

I've not found any reported cases on someone being awarded damages as a result of being stung by bees, and I've asked the members of this forum on a number of occasions if they've come across a case. No-one has responded positively.

 

[Brian Bush]

The important thing with the general public is to make them think and make their own decision.
All my apiaires have a sign saying 'Caution Honey Bees Hard At Work'.
This is the wording that seems most acceptable. If you say danger of being stung, you are feeding people the information for complaint. If you make them make a decision they are responsible for their actions not the bees or thair apiarist.