Will a fence cause confusion?

[bpmurray]

Because the girls tend to sometimes fly straight up the garden at waist height, depending on the location of the current nectar source, I've bought a couple of 6'x6' fence sections to force them up to a height that won't conflict with the humans. If I put this fence in place a couple of feet behind the hives, is it likely to cause confusion such that flying bees cant find the hive? What if I put it up while they're indoors because of the cold - when they emerge will they be confused?

 

[Cazza]

They will be fine. A quick reorientation if needed and all will be well.
Cazza

 

[user 6228]

Because the girls tend to sometimes fly straight up the garden at waist height, depending on the location of the current nectar source, I've bought a couple of 6'x6' fence sections to force them up to a height that won't conflict with the humans. If I put this fence in place a couple of feet behind the hives, is it likely to cause confusion such that flying bees cant find the hive? What if I put it up while they're indoors because of the cold - when they emerge will they be confused?

forest canopies dont stay the same ... Bees evolved in a changing landscape

 

[wessexmario]

I've had a think about this as I'm also planning to soon add a 6ft panel close to a hive to allow use of the garden closer to the hives.

On the morning that you add the fence panel I'd suggest laying a branch across the entrance as you would after moving a hive. Then the girls will reorientate on leaving. (but that would be 'belts & braces', I wouldn't worry about it as an issue.)

 

[enrico]

Trellis works, for some reason they don't fly through the holes!

 

[bpmurray]

Trellis works, for some reason they don't fly through the holes!

I wish I had known that a couple of days ago - after the wind yesterday I'm concerned about the potential stability of a solid fence. And I'm sure I could have found some nice flowering climber to provide additional nectar while camouflaging the thing.

 

[bontbee]

Trellis works, for some reason they don't fly through the holes!

Ditto. I have trellis with "large square "holes" and, before I could get the mesh attached, (I had bought it ready to cover the trellis as I was sure that the bees would just fly through those big square holes), the bees were doing VTOLs quite happily!

I have since added a jasmine and a honeysuckle to clothe the trellis but, as I am no gardener the plants are struggling and there are still large areas with big square holes - and the bees still fly over the top, bless 'em...

I definitely wouldn't use a solid fence panel - not only does it act as a sail but it can create stagnant air behind it, especially if it's a small area - and shade, too, depending on aspect of your apiary!

 

[itma]

Trellis works, for some reason they don't fly through the holes!

The reason for avoiding the holes is probably spiders and their webs.


Not only does trellis not catch the wind so badly(until you grow stuff up it), it also shades the hives less.
Win-win.

 

[bontbee]

The reason for avoiding the holes is probably spiders and their webs. QUOTE]

I don't think so, itma, not my girls, anyway! They started flying over the trellis as soon as it had been installed - no chance for spiders to have established! Maybe the "landscape" beyond the trellis affects the bees' perception?

 

[farbee]

I have netting around one of my apiaries which actually allows bee to get in and out (it is meant to be for fruit so allowing bees in to pollinate). Anyway I have loads of the stuff from a job lot so thought I would give it a go. Bee always fly up and over.
Interestingly (but maybe also worryingly) at the end of last season saw a European hornet close to a hive. I threw something close to it to get it away. It flew through a hole in the netting.

 

[itma]

The reason for avoiding the holes is probably spiders and their webs. QUOTE]

I don't think so, itma, not my girls, anyway! They started flying over the trellis as soon as it had been installed - no chance for spiders to have established! Maybe the "landscape" beyond the trellis affects the bees' perception?

Its not learning - its instinct. Don't fly through small gaps if you can go round!

 

[farbee]

I wonder if they think the netting is a gigantic spiders web so avoid it.

 

[bontbee]

Its not learning - its instinct. Don't fly through small gaps if you can go round!

Instinct/learned - I dunno. The bees mentioned above were flying over a 3'6" picket-type fence one day and the next there was 7' of trellis with 5" square holes. They immediately revised their flight plan to go up and over - I have yet to see a bee fly through that trellis. (I never did add the mesh - no need).

A while ago, before I reconfigured the apiary, bees were flying out over another fence, of the same height and type, and I had to add an extension to that fence to stop them flying at neighbours'-ear height. That was ½" square mesh, double layer, taking the fence to about 6' high - a lot of the bees insisted on landing on it and, with a lot of effort, crawling/flying through - both ways...(but at least it slowed them down and gave my neighbours a chance!! ) In the end, they did amend their flight to go over the top, but it took a surprisingly long time.

Some of my bees are obviously lacking...

 

[wessexmario]

In the end, they did amend their flight to go over the top, but it took a surprisingly long time.

about 3 weeks? (the foraging life of a bee)

 

[bontbee]

about 3 weeks? (the foraging life of a bee)

It took just over a week before they stopped flying into the mesh which, to me, was slow!

The trellis colony picked up the habit of flying over immediately, even though that was much easier to fly through

 

[itma]

It took just over a week before they stopped flying into the mesh which, to me, was slow!

The trellis colony picked up the habit of flying over immediately, even though that was much easier to fly through

Consider that the bees' eyesight is decidedly strange and surprisingly low-res. The worker compound eye has something like 7k pixels - way short of our multi-megapixel appreciation of our surroundings.
It is perfectly possible that the trellis was simply much more visible - to the bees.

 

[bontbee]

I don't doubt that you are right about their vision - but, by the same token, I would have expected a double layer of black mesh to have been avoided as, if not more, quickly than the trellis. It seems that bees are good at dodging around vegetation to get in and out of the hive, so I would have thought that they would have seen a 5" square gap as a suitable flyway. But as long as they get back and forth OK, I'm happy!

 

[itma]

Even been scientifically researched and discussed here!

Took me a while to find the LASI paper I remembered on this topic.

They found that trellis (14cm sq openings) was as effective as their (artificial) 'hedge'.
They put their 6ft high barriers (standard garden planning/bylaws/etc) 1 metre in front of their hives.

Anyway, if anyone is interested ... http://www.ibra.org.uk/downloads/20140221_5/download

 

[bpmurray]

That's an interesting paper, not least the metrics - the sting rate of the observer! He provoked the bees by hitting a post with a mallet, not a million miles from what I plan on doing when erecting the fence. I think I better do it before it warms up next weekend!

 

[bontbee]

Even been scientifically researched and discussed here!

Thanks for the reference itma.

Glad my observations agree with the science (with a little bit of variation from my trellis bees who sussed it straight away!) I just wish I'd put in a bid for the research grant!!