They called the Fire Dept!

tlynn · August 01, 2008, 11:18:23 PM

So here we were tonight, sitting on the patio. Mosquitoes are just thick right now. We have had about 9 inches of rain the last 2 weeks...just unbelievably wet summer. Seems like the only way to keep those little buggers at bay is to smoke the yard before we sit out. I admit I really fired it up and was billowing quite a bit as I watched it slowly waft up above the yard while my wife was harvesting a bumper crop of basil. Next thing we hear a fire truck, which isn't unusual, because the fire department is less than a mile away. It gets closer and closer. Then we see flashing lights bouncing off the trees. A neighbor called the fire dept!

I went around front and my wife follows with the smoker. I greeted them and told them we were smoking the mosquitoes. They said they needed to see around back and being my accommodating self said, "Sure, help yourself." Our county has an ordinance against bees, by the way, but it's not enforced, according to the state inspector. I didn't want to make it an issue, like refusing them access to the yard, but perhaps I should have said no. I might have if I had given it some more thought. They went in the back and a few laughs but not a mention of the bees. I just figured act as casual as usual, plus I was passing a few feet from the hive with shorts and no shirt, like heck, no big deal, no killer bees here. Worst is they notify code enforcement I suppose, and we have to move them. Hope not.

Kind of interesting about the ordinance. Apparently a beekeeper had a bunch of hives near the Mercedes dealer, and the bees flight path was over the cars and of course cleansing flights were causing some issues. So they lobbied the Board of County Commissioners to outlaw beekeeping. And it was passed! Unfortunately it seems to be a trend in Florida with all the hysteria over Africanized bees. In fact somebody's dog was recently killed here and it made the front page. The state apiary folks are getting concerned as more municipalities and counties are outlawing beekeeping. At least our drones are diluting the Africanized gene pool, but they don't seem to grasp that. I guess it's up to people like me to educate them.

bassman1977 · August 01, 2008, 11:35:27 PM

That's kinda funny about the fire department showing up. I doubt anything will be said about your bees. Unless they are nosey, idiots of neighbors, who really thinks about whether or not they are legal if they are just kinda "passing by". Most times it takes someone to be inconvenienced by whatever it is, before they call in the hounds.

pdmattox · August 01, 2008, 11:37:20 PM

Man what a story. What county is this that your in. I thought that pinnelas (not sure if that is right) was the only one that outlawed bees? Have you ever tried a therma cell? The work well with the no see ums and mosquito's.

SgtMaj · August 02, 2008, 01:28:35 AM

Interresting... If they ever came after you to get rid of or move your bees, you could perhaps challenge the ordinance in court. I'm not sure what grounds to challenge it on, but I'm sure at some point a court would be sympathetic.

hankdog1 · August 02, 2008, 02:47:22 AM

i'm sure the fire department isn't gonna say anything heck it's not thier job to enforce the law. but i do understand what your saying about towns and cities passing ordinances against it. a town a few miles away from me made a guy get rid of his bees cause kids were playing around his bee hives and getting stung. last time i checked that would have ment the kids were tresspassing but the town didn't see it that way and punished the beekeeper. if i had of been the guy as stupid as those kids were i would have gave them a nice game of lawn darts ya know the sharp ones. gotta thin out the dumb ones somehow lol

tlynn · August 02, 2008, 07:07:35 AM

Quote from: pdmattox on August 01, 2008, 11:37:20 PM
Man what a story. What county is this that your in. I thought that pinnelas (not sure if that is right) was the only one that outlawed bees? Have you ever tried a therma cell? The work well with the no see ums and mosquito's.

Yep, that's the one. I'll check out the therma cell. We have these traps, which are jars with one way holes, sort of like lobster trap design. The mosquitoes are attracted by a phermone they use to mark good water for egg laying. They are catching plenty of mosquitoes and black flies, but I think we have so many. The neighbor who called the fire dept probably is the one with standing water everywhere!

JP · August 02, 2008, 09:49:53 AM

Quote from: tlynn on August 02, 2008, 07:07:35 AM
Quote from: pdmattox on August 01, 2008, 11:37:20 PM
Man what a story. What county is this that your in. I thought that pinnelas (not sure if that is right) was the only one that outlawed bees? Have you ever tried a therma cell? The work well with the no see ums and mosquito's.

Yep, that's the one. I'll check out the therma cell. We have these traps, which are jars with one way holes, sort of like lobster trap design. The mosquitoes are attracted by a phermone they use to mark good water for egg laying. They are catching plenty of mosquitoes and black flies, but I think we have so many. The neighbor who called the fire dept probably is the one with standing water everywhere!

I had a customer who swore up and down about the mosquito magnet: http://www.mosquitomagnet.com/

Also check this out: http://www.mosquitomagnet.com/how_it_works/

...JP