It's sort of late and I'm coming up with a ton of questions so please forgive me!
I have weeds growing right by my two hives and underneath as well..
I'm concerned that the weeds will block airflow through the screened bottoms.
Is it safe to use Round Up or a similar type application to kill the weeds off? Will it harm the Ladies if they get into it?
Jim
I would stay away from any chemicals that close to your bees if I was you. A much better and long term solution is mulch or weed barrier. Whether a rubber mat or landscape fabric with pebbles on top, this will permanently take care of the problem. Also, when you use Roundup (and I use it on the farm for poison ivy and Russian olive) once it wears off the tall annoying weeds come back worse than ever, because you have killed off the short grasses and clovers that were competition. I used to use it under the electric horse fencing, but it made the problem worse for that very reason. If you use a rubber mat (you can get quite sturdy ones at farm supply stores) and you decide to move the bees, no problem! Their mat just goes with them and the spot that is left can be reseeded immediately or whatever.
JC
I use large sections of rubber that I bought from a roofing contractor. No more weeds around the hives, no more weedeater days, no sprays, and working the bees free of waist high weeds is a pleasure.
Is it worth the 30 dollars for the rubber, as compared to no weeds for the next 10 years? You bet! Maybe the best bee equipment I ever bought.
Feed bags, carpet scraps, old rugs, scrap pieces of lumber, shingles, whatever.
While not using any chemical around your hives is the best solution, I understand that using a herbicide will only hurt your bees if they land on the vegetation while it is wet with the weed killer. IF you are going to spray for weeds around your hives, do it after the sun has set and it's almost totally dark. That way the weed killer will have a chance to dry before dawn the next day.
Of course, insecticides are a whole different story.
Never use Sevin dust anywhere because you bees will collect it like pollen and take it back to the hive. I'll leave what happens after this to your own imagination.
Personally, a weed EATER is the best way to remove vegetation from beneath and around your hives. :-D
Yea, you say weedeater until you find an old hive that is SURROUNDED by poison ivy! I used Round Up with no problems!
you could try argricultural vinegar if you can find it. you can also solarize the area with clear plastic. couple of hot days and nothing is alive. i think a mechanical barrier as suggested would work best. landscape fabric and a layer of decorative stone would be durable and fireproof as well as inhospitable to other creatures. if you're not concerned with appearance roofing shingles last forever and nothing grows through them.
I have heard that lots of diesel fuel will keep the weeds down and also take care of SHB in the soil, but that's just what I have heard, never tried.
I wouldn't put diesel on my soil! I mean, the good folks in LA don't have much choice over the ground being saturated with petroleum but I do.
Scott
What about years ago when road crews use to spray used motor oil on all the dirt roads to hold them keep the dust down?
POISON IVY...............Yeow! If it's too bad, I think I would find another place for my hives! :-D
Many folks use round up around there hives and to keep weeds from shorting out there fence. I use roundup on my fence now and weed eat in front on hives. There are studies that show less honey production when entrance is blocked by grass. I have my bees on stands which helps allot so I only have to whack down the grass a couple times a year before it grows high enough to be a problem. I also use some corrugated plastic sheets with a rock to hold it down that I get from work that are just like card board but wont rot
another cheap fix for the problem, if you only have two hives. Buy a 1$ box of salt and salt the area under your hives
Keith