Bee-ing a good neighbor

codeboy · March 28, 2012, 04:46:49 PM

My wife and I moved to our current house at the end of summer last year and we will be keeping bees for the first time this spring. We want to "bee" good neighbors and our first instinct is to be as up front as possible with our neighbors. We live in a fairly rural setting with the nearest houses 50+ yards away from where I'll be putting the hives. I've read a lot about using responsible hive placement (out of high traffic areas), providing a water source so they don't wander over to the nearest kiddie pool, etc. Our current thought is to make up a small flyer with a few nice facts about how great bees are, how they benefit everyone and how they only sting as a last resort because they die and how we'd love to share our honey with them. But, It seems from what I've read and heard and looking at other forum threads such as "Why cant people get along!", that maybe we should take the opposite approach and not say anything? Do you think it would be better to be open or to hide them as much as possible?

BlueBee · March 28, 2012, 05:02:59 PM

My advice would be: don't advertise you're a bee lover / bee keeper. Many people (maybe most) have a fear of about everything anymore; that includes bees. Even if your neighbors don't fear bees, they're probably not really going to love the idea either. After all, it's YOUR hobby, not theirs. As long as your hobby doesn't interfere with them they will care less. The good news is the bees shouldn't interfere with them if you're 50 yards away and you provide a water source.

As your neighbors discover that a hive of bees isn't going to swarm and attack them when they step out their back door, they will probably become more interested in what you're doing and ask some questions. That's probably the time to do your marketing spiel about how great bees are. Until then, I wouldn't advertise that you're keeping bees.

I have one neighbor that loves my bees and the rest are just kind of ambivalent about them.

iddee · March 28, 2012, 05:41:59 PM

I would try to place them out of sight. Not just to hide them from neighbors, but vandals and thieves, too.

Second, Once a harvest has been made, I would bottle some in small containers, maybe 4 oz., and when visiting with the neighbors, give them a bottle of "your own home grown honey".

In other words, don't advertise them, but don't hide the fact that you keep bees.

jldoll · March 28, 2012, 08:17:57 PM

I agree," hide the bees. Then after your first harvest take them some honey.
They will be surprised, that they never knew the bees were there in the first place.

Kathyp · March 28, 2012, 08:38:55 PM

agree with the above. i don't have any really close neighbors, but the comments i got when those around found i had bees were about how well their gardens and berries had been doing. let them see benefit before they see hives.

carlfaba10t · March 28, 2012, 08:55:35 PM

I think i will have the same problem here, i cant believe how spooked some people get of a little honey bee. Guess i had better add some more signs.

Kathyp · March 28, 2012, 08:56:56 PM

you are down there with the green people. they should be thrilled and willing to take a sting or two for the cause. :evil:

BrentX · March 28, 2012, 10:57:41 PM

After three years my neighbors have figured out there are bees living at my place. I didn't loudly proclaim they were here, but didn't hide it either. The new neighbors learned about the bees at a party where the "how's the bees" question came up in conversation. I try to aways have an interesting bee story to share. I brought a bottle of honey for the host, which they proudly displayed. A couple families at the party asked what to plant so the bees come visit them. To date none of the neighbors have taken me up on the invitation to the deep hive tour, where they suit up and do an inspection with me, but several are interested.

So far no complaints.

beekeeperookie · March 28, 2012, 11:36:14 PM

I keep mine in a rural neighborhood, my next door neighbors know about them but can't see them. I keep mine behind my garage with a six foot privacy fence surrounding them. I also keep water in there.

BeeMaster2 · March 28, 2012, 11:44:53 PM

I went the route of talking to all of my immediate neighbor before I started. Everyone thought it was great except the last one that I asked. He went berserk. He went off saying why do people cats and dogs and worse yet bees. And he brought up killer bees. That was over 2 years ago and we still do not talk to each other. My other neighbor on the other side has been working with me with the bees from the beginning. You never know how people will react.

My dad had 5 large hives on his roof in a subdivision with 1/4 acre lots. They were there for 3 years when one of his next door neighbors ask if he was ever going to get bees that he had mentioned years ago.

It's your call.
Jim

Michael Bush · March 29, 2012, 05:17:45 AM

>We want to "bee" good neighbors and our first instinct is to be as up front as possible with our neighbors.

Which are good instincts, however it does not pay to tell them about things they cannot comprehend.

> Our current thought is to make up a small flyer with a few nice facts about how great bees are, how they benefit everyone and how they only sting as a last resort because they die and how we'd love to share our honey with them. But, It seems from what I've read and heard and looking at other forum threads such as "Why cant people get along!", that maybe we should take the opposite approach and not say anything?

I always take that approach. By the time they realize you have bees they will also realize that the world didn't come to an end, they weren't "swarmed" by bees or attached when they went in their yard and, indeed, didn't notice until one day they saw you in a bee suit.

> Do you think it would be better to be open or to hide them as much as possible?

IMO I would hide them for now. I would accept that the neighbors will figure it out. I would ever be dishonest if asked about them. The reality is, it is none of their business. So I would treat it as if it's none of their business. It all comes down to the fact that until there have been bees there for some time, they can't really imagine the impact (or lack of impact) on their lives and will react instead to their wild imaginings rather than reality.

The Bix · March 29, 2012, 10:38:29 AM

I have had a good experience with my neighbors. I live in a lower density area, each house having approximately 2 acres. It is governed by a homeowners' association. I did get permission from the HOA, but didn't tell anyone else. I positioned my hives in the only area that was mostly concealed from the neighbors. Gradually folks have been finding out about the bees and the feedback has been mostly positive with some ambivalence and some who were absolutely overjoyed because they are gardeners. One of my neighbor's apple tree produced 10x more apples than in previous years. So the positive results are not insignificant. I have not heard anything negative. I would follow a similar track if I were you...don't advertise it upfront.

codeboy · March 29, 2012, 02:13:37 PM

I guess I shouldn't be amazed at the great comments posted by all you beeks out there! :-D

Thank you for everyone's input!!

yockey5 · March 29, 2012, 02:54:00 PM

Just be discreet with them and enjoy. Why would we have to ask permission? 50+ yards is way more than enough space to prevent any contact with the colony, and individual bees are everywhere.

backyard warrior · March 29, 2012, 07:50:54 PM

Quote from: jldoll on March 28, 2012, 08:17:57 PM
I agree," hide the bees. Then after your first harvest take them some honey.
They will be surprised, that they never knew the bees were there in the first place.

Unless their smart ass kid comes home with a thousand bee stings for banging on the hives :)

Eshu · March 30, 2012, 01:13:02 PM

People who are prone to fear are difficult to educate. They probably only hear "Blah blah blah BEE, Blah blah blah STING..."

I would do as others suggest and don't tell but don't hide. When most of my neighbors found out they were positive, asked questions, told stories of seeing my bees on their flowers etc. The few that I suspect disapprove - steer clear. If they decide to confront me about it, I will gladly discuss bees with them.

Our neighborhood has: coyote, bear, cougar, bobcat, rattle snakes, unfriendly dogs, drunk drivers, unsavory characters - but people choose to fear honeybees. It is hard to reason with them...

luvin honey · March 30, 2012, 02:19:02 PM

I agree with all of the above. Don't advertise, try to keep them hidden, but obviously don't be dishonest about it.

CapnChkn · March 30, 2012, 03:53:59 PM

I also agree with "out of sight, out of mind."

A family friend who has been commercial fishing in Alaska, hiked the Appalachian trail, and wanders out to the woodshop in 0 degree F weather, comes over to see me around the bees. You should see the look Mr. "rough and ready" has on his face while I walk shirtless and in shorts to get a feeder jar.

You don't have to paint them camouflage (Mine are bright white and 400 feet from any other house), but behind a fence or in shrubs and nobody will ever even know they're there. Chances are there are bees in a tree close-by anyhow.

Shawn · March 30, 2012, 04:18:00 PM

As you read in my thread I had my hives for 6 years before I had my first complaint. I dont think they really wanted to complain about the bees I think they wanted something to complain about because my job. I started out with one hive, then two, then three, and up to four. The hives were sat on the nw corner of my property. They were 10' from the alleyway, 30 yards from my neighbors back door, and less than 50 yards from two other houses, across the alley. I have a privacy fence so no one really could see them. After I started getting honey, whcih took a couple of years, I took honey to the neighbors. They asked "do you have bees." Then I told them I had the hives in the backyard and everyone thought that was cool. Everyone talked about how the bees were dying and it was good people were keeping hives.

codeboy · March 30, 2012, 05:38:48 PM

Yeah, I can't really hide the hives anyway since my back yard is all grass and no trees. I will be planting a garden around them but it certainly won't hide them.........not to mention nothing is hiding the guy walking into his back yard with his "fencing gear" on holding a billowing smoker!!! :-D

I have no problem being up front with people if/when they ask.

I do plan on putting the empty hives out there this weekend and since my packages don't arrive until April 18th, that should be plenty of time for someone to see them and give me a faux complaint. :roll: