yard work

beebaby · February 09, 2015, 11:16:39 AM

With all the new backyard bee lovers having their own hives, isn't do typical yard work a problem

aka mowing the lawn etc...? our neighbors want to raise bees in their yard and I told him yard work may

become a problem

indypartridge · February 09, 2015, 01:49:29 PM

No, yard work isn't a problem unless you have a particularly aggressive hive. I've never had a problem with mowing, cutting & splitting wood, or any other of a multitude of things I do in my yard.

splitrock · February 09, 2015, 02:50:53 PM

might wanna stay a ways away on dreary days, and i wouldn't blow the grass toward the hives if you don't bag it.

they will usually give you a warning when you pushed your/their limit.

emrude · February 09, 2015, 07:16:05 PM

I found that I would go and talk to them and see if they thought the grass needed to be cut. If they were grumpy I would let it go for another day.
I cut with push mower and weedwacked around my hives. Got strung once.

trimman · February 09, 2015, 08:59:02 PM

I RUN A MOWER RIGHT UP TO AND UNDER MY HIVES NO PROB

Steel Tiger · February 09, 2015, 09:08:01 PM

Last year I mowed in front of the hives, Like I always did, and paid for it with a dozen or so stings.

Michael Bush · February 10, 2015, 08:25:30 AM

I mow as close as I can get and not hit the hives, but then I'm in a cab... :) And I keep a veil in my back pocket.

BeeMaster2 · February 10, 2015, 12:52:41 PM

I mow right up to the hives with the exhaust (grass and muffler) pointed away from the hives with no problems, most of the time. Once at my farm used a new mower that I thought would exhaust under my hives on a trailer and quickly learned that behind me it was shooting up at the hives. They would not let me within 100 feet of the one hive that got hit, that day. Had to put a veil on after trying and waiting for several hours.
Do not try to mow around your hives on a rainy day nor just before a storm, this is probably the worst time.
Jim

sc-bee · February 10, 2015, 01:02:15 PM

Quote from: beebaby on February 09, 2015, 11:16:39 AM
our neighbors want to raise bees in their yard and I told him yard work may

become a problem

Looks like a non-beekeeper asking questions if the neighbors bees are going to pose problems for them. Am I right? Some measures can be taken as in hive placement (location, direction hive pointed etc.) How large are the lots? Pose a problem with your yard work next door should not. Pose a problem for the beekeeper, well he will quickly learn the do's and don'ts.

GSF · February 10, 2015, 10:08:36 PM

ditto on the exhaust. I was pushing around my hives and life was great. For some reason I turned the lawn mower with the exhaust blowing at the hives and the party was on!

Michael Bush · February 12, 2015, 08:31:54 AM

I've had bee hives right next to my door with no issues... (facing the wall) I've mowed right next to and in front of hives with no issues. But mowing right next to them (like 6" away) can set them off sometimes...

Foxhound · February 16, 2015, 10:50:28 PM

I mow with a push mower pretty close to them, and have never had a problem. I usually leave about 3-4' on the side un-mowed and 6' in front un-mowed. Occasionally i'll clean all that up with a trimmer and a veil when I inspect them.

lomatia · February 16, 2015, 11:54:22 PM

They certainly don't like the noise, vibration and especially the exhaust gases.
Learnt the hard way!!!

kingd · February 17, 2015, 07:43:37 AM

Never had a problem,only once I had one bee bumping me in the head a few times as I went by.

Michael Bush · February 17, 2015, 09:57:23 AM

>our neighbors want to raise bees in their yard and I told him yard work may become a problem

Probably not for you. Probably not for him, but more likely for him than you if he mows right in front of the hive. Bee colonies are like dogs in that they each have their own temperament but after thousands of years of breeding both dogs and bees most of them are quite nice. Bees usually only guard a few feet from their front door.