freakin overload, so much info! Wow! Get me a beer! I am a "hands on" type of person, and I get the impression that alot of you guys are too. I know that all will work once I see my first bees and get down to business. We live on 20 acres, nearly all wooded, water near by and tons of black locust, honeysuckle and fruit trees. We have only about one acre cleared, and that is taken up by a veg garden, chickens, and our house. Placement of hives is gnawing at my brain. Do I clear some trees and open up an area for them? We have two young children that seem only to learn by putting their hands on the hot stove, and trespassers that seem to think we are a hunting preserve,public park....oh, lets not forget the mushroom pickers. There have been times I have looked up from gardening to see "bubba' in his overalls walking through the yard! My husband takes walks in the woods with a tomahawk and a rifle (good image, huh?) and scares off hunters. I worry about the bees, due to the lack of respect from above mentioned "bubbas". We had a guy trespass, do damage to his ankle (from an old half filled in well) that tried to file a law suit! Can you belive that???!!! Should I file somewhere in city hall and have it recorded that we have bees? Has anyone else out there had this kind of insanity,...or are we the only ones? We can't be, can we? Also, what about the noise and vibration of a large riding mower? P.s. the ankle guy didnt win, but the city made us fill in the well at our expense, even though ankle guy was trespassing! Man, go figure!
sounds like you need a fence with gates. Hint on gates is leave it open cause people will think, well maybe they're there and will usually not trespass, close it and they think you're not there. You can make a beeyard with a low fence to keep the kids out or teach them to ask first before venturing and only with Mom or Pop and of course their own little bee suits. We have a very similar set up that you described.
Man, that's nuts!
I'm not sure about the laws in Kansas, but here if you have a sign posted warning people of something they can't get you for it. I'd put up NO TRESSPASSING signs up all around the entire 20 acres. Put up enough and hopefully they'd get the point.
A fenced in bee yard is the ticket. I have a 1 1/2 year old who loves daddy's bees. The fence is mainly to keep her out but it also works great for wildlife (skunks, coons, bears) and curious hillbillys. Doesnt have to be a big fence either. I used scrap lumber from when we fenced in the pasture years ago to make my yard and then nailed welded wire fencing to the inside. Looks nice and does a great job. And I bought a really cool sign from Brushy Mountain Bee Farm:
(http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/1453/beesignob3.jpg)
(http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/1958/kellybeeyardes2.th.jpg) (http://img86.imageshack.us/my.php?image=kellybeeyardes2.jpg)
As for the riding lawn mower, I just put mine on full freakin speed ahead and the blade all the way down and hold on for dear life! Go fast enough they cant catch ya!!! Mowing inside the bee yard is a whole different story. My hive is new enough that the grass is still short. It's pretty tight in there so I'm gunna have to use a push mower. Might wanna suit up for that. :-\
Sean
love that sign Sean!
Quote from: JP on April 21, 2007, 07:30:42 AM
love that sign Sean!
Yeah, me too. Saw it in the 07 Brushy Mountain catalog and had to get it. The signs I've seen from other companies have been kinda weak. Silly little bee on a flower and the words, "Bee Careful, Honeybees live here". Blah. I needed something that got the point across. "You open this gate and it's your rear, not mine". :evil:
I also have crazy sue happy hillbillys where I live and I'm not taking any chances.
My parents live in the lot next to ours. My dad put a sign on the gate leading to his shop that says, "NO TRESSPASSING: TRESSPASSERS WILL BE VIOLATED, SURVIVORS WILL BE SHOT" with a skull and crossbones in the middle. Gets the point across for sure. :-)
Sean
Sean
Post your property and register the posting with the town clerk. When you catch people on there press charges....does not take long to make your point. The bottom line is you are liable if somebody is hurt on your property, even if they dod not have permission to be there.
on the trespassing part you got enough good answers, on place to put your hive's goes like this, it nice to put your hive facing east to catch the early morning sun, its also nice to have a small tree line on the west side of your property to be a wind break from storms coming from the west, so hive entrances facing east and hive placement on the west side of your yard preferably with a windbreak behind the hives, now you don't have to do it this way but I do when I can....
Great feedback, glad to know I am not alone in the hillbilly problem. We have posted signs, put up property fences and even in the past posted letters in the paper. Signs are shot and ripped down, refuse is tossed about.... I think the signs you have Sean, will help, skull and crossbones,perfect touch! I'm thinking shrunken heads..what detours hillbillies? Scarecrows will a full set of teeth? Overalls with a leg missing? No, I like overalls....A six pack of cheap beer with one can missing? No, I like beer, Oh my god, I'm a hillbilly. Maybe not, I have my teeth! Yikes! Save me from myself! Any ideas out there? Your little one is adorable , by the way. I like your bee barn, and the photos, Ill try a similar enclosure until my little Ella is a bit older.
The comment on hive location TwT,thank you! We already have a tree/shrub barrier planted by my husband's grandfather (was an exceptional beekeeper} which is a major plus. My husband forgot to tell me the purpose of our tree/shrub line, until I started talking bees! They will be in the same spot as Carl's hives were 20-30 years ago! Reading, learning and talking, met some beekeepers today.
Cheers JP, suits all around. My friends and neighbors are terrified now . Do you all deal with this reaction?
Are they terrirfied of the bees or coming onto your property or the hillbillies with the missing teeth :-D
And I though the school kids crossing the yard was a problem....I planted a hedge of osage-orange and blackberry around my lot and the thorns stopped them, but......
20 acres mmmmm..... Four stands of electric fencing would not be too hard....and thow a couple of llamas out there....everybody is scared of llamas.....or a few mean old rams....pack of wild dogs :evil:
Yeah we have the same problem. My dad has about 280 acres out in the sticks and people are always abusing it, trespassing and fishing out the lakes I help him stock yearly. We posted the property and all of that(all of the signs were ripped down shortly thereafter), but It's about an hour from either one of our houses so when someones trespassing we usually hear about if from the renter or a neighbor and never catch them ourselves. The really stupid part is we've always been willing to let people hunt or fish on the property so long as they ask our permission and clean up after themselves.
>freakin overload, so much info!
http://www.bushfarms.com/beeslearning.htm
LOL...you can have a beer, I think I need a valium after reading all this stuff...We could never put a warning sign like that here in California...because you are admitting that you have something dangerous...crazy eh?? So just the plain "No Trespassing" will have to do...our hive will be somewhat near the lane we live on, so I am going to plant a grevillea hedge. Grevillea are drought resistant Australian plants, and this variety ( canberra gem ) flowers almost all year long...Yes bees and hummers love it...It also has prickly needles...
wtiger where are you in Mo.? I live in Lexington.
Regarding the riding lawn mower. I just suit up and get on it. They have never bothered me, even though I mow that big noisy thing right up to the hive on all sides. I think as long as you do not kick up a rock or debris that hits the hive, you are ok. Sometimes they will come out due to the vibration, but never go at me.
Good Luck
Annette from Placerville
"Get me a beer!" Honey beer or mead? Perhaps you'll have to wait until the end of the season to make your own, but it will be an excellent, even soothing, reward.
" I am a "hands on" type of person, and I get the impression that alot of you guys are too." Hands-on, eyes on, bee forum on ~ lol - cool thing about the info age, adds many ways to the traditional methods of gaining info & perspectives. Nothing beats hands-on personal experience for dispelling all doubts but it is definitely advantageous to go into any venture well-informed. More fun! :-D
"I know that all will work once I see my first bees and get down to business." Don't be sooo sure! que ~> :evil: "bwahahah" - just JOKING! You're right... it's just "fear of the unknown" but, even in my limited experience (1st time beek) nurturing nature just seems to work.
"We live on 20 acres, nearly all wooded, water near by and tons of black locust, honeysuckle and fruit trees." Bees say "yum". :) What kind of water near?
"We have only about one acre cleared, and that is taken up by a veg garden, chickens, and our house. Placement of hives is gnawing at my brain. Do I clear some trees and open up an area for them?" If you already have an area that gets good full morning sun and preferably throughout the day, with partial late-afternoon shade in hottest part of summer be ideal (but not necessary) ~ they'll be happy and productive.
" We have two young children that seem only to learn by putting their hands on the hot stove," The DO learn tho, right? ;) If anyone here didn't "mess" with bees in some fashion as a child (& learn that precious lesson the painful way) please raise your hand. heh As long as they are told/taught to respect the bees (they defend their homes indeed!) and don't tackle or tip the hive boxes outright :shock: I think they should be fine. Other animals can be sorta fierce too - chickens have those pointy beaks and will charge ya! ;) But big +1 to fenced in hive area for protection from ALL pests (2 and 4-legged).
"...and trespassers..." Ditto what everyone else has posted thus far: fences and signs and definitely take lawful action if necessary.
"Should I file somewhere in city hall and have it recorded that we have bees? Has anyone else out there had this kind of insanity,...or are we the only ones? We can't be, can we?" I've heard and read of a LOT of insanity. Eminent domain comes to mind as one particularly egregious example. That being said, how one proceeds through the maze that is municipal governmental bureaucracy is probably a very personal decision, not to mention potentially complicated (they don't call it legalese for nothing). If you own your home outright vs. have an equity interest (the bank owns it), etc., etc., all determines your standing.
"Also, what about the noise and vibration of a large riding mower?" I'd be curious about that one too. Not that I have to worry about it in my own circumstance (hives are fenced in and on a deck/overlook). I sure wouldn't mow close in front of the hives. I have to power-wash and paint my deck though... gonna have some temporary bee-hive logistics issues there. lol
Ahh - Annette posted while I was replying... suit up eh? No mower tan for you. ;) Do you notice they get riled up when you buzz directly in front of them?
Cheers,
Dane
Just try to blow the grass away from the hive entrance. I've only been stung once running the riding mower near the hives!
Quote from: DayValleyDahlias on April 22, 2007, 07:32:23 PM
LOL...you can have a beer, I think I need a valium after reading all this stuff...We could never put a warning sign like that here in California...because you are admitting that you have something dangerous...crazy eh?? So just the plain "No Trespassing" will have to do...our hive will be somewhat near the lane we live on, so I am going to plant a grevillea hedge. Grevillea are drought resistant Australian plants, and this variety ( canberra gem ) flowers almost all year long...Yes bees and hummers love it...It also has prickly needles...
I know what you mean, I moved here from L.A. seven years ago! Beautiful plants you are putting in. Miss the weather in Calif.
Overload, yeah!!!! My nephew from a neighbouring county came and told me that he had a real lawnmower, I laughed, I told him I had one too. He said, Auntie Cindi, I have a real lawnmower. I did not get it until he told me that he had one (a reel lawnmower) that operated like the old push ones, only it is simply more sophsticated. He has a reel lawnmower. Best of a beautiful day, good health. Cindi
Lol... Cindi, I was thinking that an old push mover would be my choice, can we find them anymore....and to think, my husband's grandfather mowed this whole place with one. Something to be said about clean living and hard work
Quote. We have only about one acre cleared, and that is taken up by a veg garden, chickens, and our house. Placement of hives is gnawing at my brain. Do I clear some trees and open up an area for them?
All of us can describe the perfect location:
Quote...full morning sun and preferably throughout the day, with partial late-afternoon shade in hottest part of summer be ideal...
Very few of us have such a place.
I live in a cabin in the woods. I situated my bees as best I could for maximum sun, but that ain't much. They do fine.
Quote from: beehive lane on April 23, 2007, 03:01:11 AM
Lol... Cindi, I was thinking that an old push mover would be my choice, can we find them anymore....and to think, my husband's grandfather mowed this whole place with one. Something to be said about clean living and hard work
Yes! I saw two different models here at the local hardware store. One a little more heavy duty than the other. Both ran for around $100. I seriously thought about picking one up. Still might. Would sure be some serious exercise too. I just might loose a few pounds, enough to fit into a "normal" bee suit (see other post lol).
I'll let you know who makes them when I'm at the store next time.
Sean
I do have the perfect spot for my bees. I can't post a picture yet, still working on the Gateway Timeout crap, gotta phone Dell to find out what the problem is, but we just haven't had a rainy day where I want to be inside.
My bees sit on a grassy knoll on a part of my property that is behind my house. It gets sun the moment it comes over the horizon until about 5 PM, then shade from the trees on the western end of my property. It is indeed the perfect spot and I feel very grateful that I was able to situate the girls there.
Last year I mowed the grass around the bee yard, inside and outside of it, they didn't seem to mind. But, the reel lawnmower runs about $160 at the hardware store, so my nephew told me, and I am going to invest in one. Just so I don't have to make noise unnecessarily around the bees. I don't need to pollute their little kingdom with noise, I am sure that they don't like it and causes them stress. They don't need stress, just like us humans, we just can't seem to get rid of it, it is always lurking in the back of our lives. Oh well, learn to live and deal with it is all I can say. Lots of B vitamins (LOLL).
Gonna go get a REEL lawnmower, my nephew says that it is fantastic, unless you run into a stick. He was pruning his fruit trees and found that it stoppped right up when he hit a stick, poor dude. Have a wonderful, beautiful day, our sun is still shinin'. Right, good health, can't forget that wish for everyone. Cindi
or, you could save 155 dollars by buying some screen material and pushing it into the entrances late the night before mowing, or early in the morning before they begin flying. Get the mowing done, and then pulling the screens. As long as the discharge chute and exhaust isn't blowing in their direction, the bees at the house don't get too excited. I take more bumps walking through the takeoff and landing patterns than when mowing.
Did someone offer beer? I'll take one, something I can taste the hops in, without water added to make it lite, not cold brewed, preferably a dark beer, maybe a boc. Bring some wings too! bahahahahahahah Lately, I've been enjoying captain bastards oatmeal filtered stout. Now thats a beer.
ahhhh...oatmeal stout :-* I love that stuff, especially Trout Rivers chocolate oatmeal stout, some other brands are good too, but can't think of the name.....For everyday drinking I like honey bown lager.
about reel mowers....they are alot of work and they make noise too. If you are worried about the noise around the hives lay down landscape cloth and mulch it.....it would be cheaper.
Quote from: thegolfpsycho on April 23, 2007, 01:38:46 PM
I've been enjoying captain bastards oatmeal filtered stout. Now thats a beer.
How could you not enjoy a beer with that name! How funny!!!
Sean
How about Polygamy Porter? Not a thing wong with a porter. And their motto? Why just have one? bahahahahahah I even have some of their T-shirts. Guess I'm a low brow tho. Or is it unibrow? 1800 cc brain, protruding suborbital ridges..... no geico for me!! bahahahahaha
I have a lawn mower and brush cutter with 4 legs. Likes to chew on my belt when I feed it. It's called a goat. Works great on the creek bank that's too steep for the riding or push mower.
Brian, now you have brought up a very interesting point. I have had goats, I like goats, but man oh man, can they be a nuisance, unless they are in an area where they can't do the goat attack on tender plants, and man do they love these.
I had Nubians many, many years ago, two to be exact and then no longer kept goats because we moved.
A few years ago, I bought another Nubian cause I think they are so darn cute. Well, what a mess. This was about 10 years ago. I did not have a proper area fenced for this young lady and she used to always sneak out and eat my stuff. She particularly liked the raspberries' new shoots. She had an entire forest of new shoots to choose from, those being high in blackberry numbers. But did she stay in the back with the horses. Nope. Had to come into my cultivated area to chomp. She didn't live with us very long, I was much more impatient back then and too worried about my garden tenders, so I sold her to someone who want some land clearing performed, and I know that she did her job well.
Brian, does your goat go near the bee yard? I have heard that they do not like horses (I imagine the scent), but goats definitely have a stronger scent than horses, particularly the lovely stench of a billy. Eeeh gads!!! So I wonder if they would really dislike goats? Best of a beautiful day, good health to all. Cindi
milk from Nubians ROCKS! 8-) (just finishing up my raw nubian kefir smoothie, lol)
I raised Oberhaslis for 4H, had 15 of them.....they where in electric fence and I never had trouble with them getting out once they where big enough that the could not slip through the strands. The kids where out all the time. If you are going to drink goats milk it has to me handled right and the goats fed right, otherwise it has a flavor that I can only describe as old sponges. That is what the stuff in the can (from the store) taste like too. They do a great job of clearing property....I wouldn't let them near a bee hive though, they would constantly be standing on top of it.
No goats' milk for me of any kind. Had the most horrible experience drinking the milk. It was when I had the first two Nubians, when I was about 22 years old. Young, inexperienced with farm life. Probably did not take the best of care when milking these girls, nor the care afterwards.
I did not have regular milk in the house one day and thought that I would make a drink of Kahlua and goat's milk. Probably had a few too many of these "smoothies" and the next day had the worst goaty burps that you could ever imagine. Ya, kind of like an old gross sponge, come to think of it.
To this day the smell of a billy, the thought of consuming goats' milk is beyond what my stomach can handle. Eeeks, even thinking of it now is a bad thought. Have a beautiful day, good health. Cindi
I have, at present, a toggenburg nanny, a 1/2 nubian-1/2 Boer Billy (Whose a Major pain), and a 2 month old buckling. The billy came with the place when my father died. My brother gave me the nanny. It was only recently That I realized that trying to teach a 5 year old nanny to milk was a lost cause. My wife and I have decided to get rid of the billy and nanny and keep the buckling. 1st I'll wether the kid so he'll stay gentle and keep him around for shrub and weed control.
You're right about them wanting to hop up on the hives. I have my beeyard fenced from kids of all kinds.
funny that you all are talking about goats... my husband and I were talking goats the other day. Man,... one thing at a time though!
Syd
Thats right. This post is about beer.... er... lawnmowers... lets stay on topic.. bahahahahahha
Quote from: thegolfpsycho on April 26, 2007, 12:13:39 AM
Thats right. This post is about beer.... er... lawnmowers... lets stay on topic.. bahahahahahha
HAHA, I thought it was about tresspassing hillbillys messin with beehives! lol. I love how conversations morph. :)
Sean
give the goats the beer, put them on the lawnmower and they'll chase the trespassing hillbillies away.
:mrgreen:
Quote from: Dane Bramage on April 26, 2007, 12:30:36 AM
give the goats the beer, put them on the lawnmower and they'll chase the trespassing hillbillies away.
:mrgreen:
Oh man, I'd pay money to see that!!!
Sean
(http://img112.imageshack.us/img112/5717/goatmowernq6.jpg)
http://www.karlschatz.com/yearofthegoat/archives/000089.shtml
Here is a goat that is a mayor and drinks beer.
Man, that's great! My neighbor had a horse that drank beer! It was hilarious!!!
Sean Kelly
Quote from: Brian D. Bray on April 25, 2007, 11:57:24 PM
I have, at present, a toggenburg nanny, a 1/2 nubian-1/2 Boer Billy (Whose a Major pain), and a 2 month old buckling. The billy came with the place when my father died. My brother gave me the nanny. It was only recently That I realized that trying to teach a 5 year old nanny to milk was a lost cause. My wife and I have decided to get rid of the billy and nanny and keep the buckling. 1st I'll wether the kid so he'll stay gentle and keep him around for shrub and weed control.
You're right about them wanting to hop up on the hives. I have my beeyard fenced from kids of all kinds.
Whethers are great, they don't smell and they are great pets, just like a dog, only it eats brush and stuff. I used to sell mine to people who had horses that needed company. Standardbred rescue took a few from me, I think I donated those ones. This tread is still on topic as long as we stll mention BEEs and LAWNMOWERs in it :-D
I love the way the threads weave in and out of different topics. I love the people on the forum. I love how everyone is so kind to each other (well, 95% of the time, loll), I love to spend time here when I wake up. Hmmm....seems like a happy place to be!!!!! All you have a wonderful day, great day and wishes of good health to all. Cindi
HAHAHAHA, this is hilarious...fun fun fun...i could call my hubby an "old goat", give tractor mower, that would be a site to see...of course I would give hima fresh Nubian goatmilk kefir drink...peace out
Right on!!! It is fun, fun, fun. Ooooh you make me wanna laugh, oooooh you make me wanna shout, I like the sprite in you!!!! Have a wonderful, happy, day, full of foody goody and good health. Cindi
Oh ya, which reminds me. I ate some of my preserved salsa last nigh. I combined mine variety combined with my Chilean brother-in-law's, yum yum. His is totally different than mine and when the two meet, what a delight for the sense buds!!!! C. Oh, oh, off topic!!!!
Cindi,
Not too much off topic, as salsa and beer...mmmmmmmmm...go hand in hand??? Cheers. :-D
Quote from: beehive lane on April 22, 2007, 06:25:47 AM
Cheers JP, suits all around. My friends and neighbors are terrified now . Do you all deal with this reaction?
When it comes time to exrtract your honey. I always give some to my nieghbors .
DayValleyDahlias.
Hmm..salsa, beer, hot summer days, right, they are comin', I know that as surely as I know the sun will shine tomorrow. Best of this wonderful day, good health. Cindi
I mowed in front of my hives with a tractor/shredder the first year, right up until one hot August day. I ended up with over 50 stings in the head and neck. Any hive can get cranky. Want to get your adrenalin going, try getting a diesel tractor stopped with a cloud of hot bees on your head. Suit up, it's safer.