Hobby Beekeeping

[Michael C]

I've been Beekeeping as a hobby for three years now. I have three hives to date. Recently my neighbor has placed 40 to 50 hives on his property. Do you think his bees will affect my bees or my honey production? 

[Michael Bush]

If he is within a half a mile or more, yes.

[Michael C]

Its within 200 yards. How so? Is there anything I can do to minimize affects?

[Beeboy01]

Hang a whole bunch of swarm traps and sell the swarms back to him or use them to increase your bee yard ;). Beside that his hives will be working the same forage area your hives are and I would expect less honey out of your hives during a light or medium flow.
  Be careful if you feed your hives, if hive robbing gets started the new bee yard could easily overwhelm your yard in under a day.

[Acebird]

Its within 200 yards. How so? Is there anything I can do to minimize affects?

Have you been treating?  I would assume he is with that many hives.  It might be good to talk to him on his feeding plans.

[GSF]

ditto what beeboy said

[Michael C]

Yeah, I've given the guy free honey over the years and he goes commercial beekeeper on me without any mention.
Go figure.......... 

[little john]

Yeah, I've given the guy free honey over the years and he goes commercial beekeeper on me without any mention.  Go figure.......... 

Well, somebody's in for a shock - you can't just create a 40-50 hive static apiary like that - unless there's exceptional foraging within range or you know what you're about with regard to supplementary feeding.  Does the bloke have any experience with keeping bees ?

I'm inclined to agree with the others - string a dozen or so bait boxes out, just inside your boundary.  Should be interesting ...
LJ

[BeeMaster2]

Michael,
I have the same problem at my farm. I move my bees there for the spring bloom and so does every other commercial beekeeper in FL. One 56 hive location is within 50 feet of my property.
When they move in on top of me my production is way down.
I had one year when they did not, I think it was after the monstrous forest fire we had the year before and my production doubled.
Jim

[Acebird]

I don't think 50 hives is commercial and until he produces a product I wouldn't call him side liner either.  If he just throws down 50 packages next to you and you have developed hives he might get the rude awakening.

[JackM]

Well, if you want to get nasty, you could put out feeders with a colorful dye so that his honey will be as worthless as yours, as this will ruin your honey too.

If you can to be polite, find place(s) to put your hives in other yards farther away.

Seems to me like what he did was chicken poo. 

[Groundhawg]

Yea, do something that will ruin your honey, as well as his, that will teach him a lesson.      

[Cedar Hill]

    I would move my hives if the production of honey were important.   He might have some varroa mite bombs develop if he is inexperienced. However, queen pheromone baited swarm traps would certainly be my winter project - the more the merrier.   OMTCW