Help

[bhough]

Dear Friends,

Without your generous education, I never would have attempted this, but I moved my first hive from a farmer's field to my backyard today.  I just started my hive a month ago.  The man I bought my nuc from said he had a place I could put my hive because I live in a suburban neighborhood.  Once I got the nuc from him, he asked me not to call our state inspector to look at my hive because he hadn't registered any of his hives.  The registration is $10 every two years regardless of how many hives you have. 

The field is 30 miles from my house and the last two weekend I checked, the bees had not laid down any extra foundation.  (I'm using langstroth 10 frames with plastic foundation).   Given I didn't trust the guy who sold me the nucs and the fact that my hive looked a little anemic  So I asked both my neighbors if they minded if I had a small hive and I convinced them it didn't post them harm. (one is actually quite interested)

I drove to get the hive and taped shut the opening, put it in the back of the minivan and drove home with the windows open.  I few got out (and one kissed the back of my neck for a few minutes), but it worked out well.  I put it in the far edge of my yard, about 20 feet from my backdoor.

Now the question--I don't have a neighbor to the back of me, just a large hill, so I think that will interupt their flight pattern and force them to go above 7 feet. After making sure they have an adequate water supply and their flight path is impeded by shrubs bordering our yard and the neighbor's yard, is there anything else I can do to prevent beestings?  I've already promised both neighbors honey!
b

[Kathyp]

your neighbors should be ok.  bees are around even if you don't keep them.

i'd be a little concerned that they are not expanding.  if it were me, i'd feed them a bit until they are established in the new area and you know they have stuff to bring in.

others may disagree, but it seems that many of us are finding our bees short of food and yours have to find new stuff.

[doak]

Anytime you have a colony with limited stores,"food", feed. Even when there is a low to minium flow on. You might try putting some starter wax strips or wax foundation in. Sometime they are slow getting started on the plastic foundation. MY bit.
doak

[Moonshae]

I put two hives in my backyard this year. I live in the middle of suburbia, as well (0.19 acres, neighbors close). The bees are up against a fence, and go up and over. You did the right thing by telling the neighbors,  so that they at least know. The bees will search such a huge area, the chances that your next door neighbor will have very many bees is unlikely. I watch my bees flying away, and they zip all the way over my next door neighbors' yards on their way to whatever forage they've found. I have a patch of clover in the front yard, and there are generally about 5 or 6 bees there. There must be better forage somewhere else, because I see hundreds of bees zipping away.

[bhough]

Thanks guys.

I think you are right about feeding.  It is a lot easier to do when they are in your backyard, too!  I was concerned when I didn't see any single eggs in the cells on first inspection that there might not have been a queen in the nuc, but on second thought, it was probably lack of food.  I can imagine she doesn't want to expand the hive quickly if they are starving. 

I'll let you know what happens.  Thanks!
b

[JP]

One thing you could do is to educate your neighbors. Let them know that if they do have bees that visit, that they should never swat at them, this is when most people get stung. Tell them that the bees are just on a journey and checking things out, perhaps foraging or looking for a water source. Bees are attracted to sweat a lot of times. Tell them this. Ok, perhaps you shouldn't tell them all of this at once. Use your descretion, but let them know that they may see your bees and how fascinating an insect they are, and that even though they can sting, they only do so, if someone is threatening their hive, and of course that someone will be you, and not them. Don't forget that it is always proper to give your neighbors honey, every season.

[Michael Bush]

I had (and have) bees in town since 1974.  I've never really had a problem.  I had one neighbor get a bit nervous but once he realized they had already been there a year before he noticed, he was ok with it.

Flight patterns aren't usually a problem if you are far enough from the property line or you face a building close enough that they have to fly up to get out.  Once they are going up then tend to continue to the tops of the trees.