Siting my hive for mowing

[akwusmc]

All,

I'm going to site my 1st hive on the SE side of my house to catch the morning sun. I want to keep it fairly close to the house but I need to leave room to mow around it. I know that the bees aren't going to like any mower being around so should I leave enough for my push mower, or for the riding mower? Or should I astroturf around the hive site?

aw

[BeeMaster2]

All,

I'm going to site my 1st hive on the SE side of my house to catch the morning sun. I want to keep it fairly close to the house but I need to leave room to mow around it. I know that the bees aren't going to like any mower being around so should I leave enough for my push mower, or for the riding mower? Or should I astroturf around the hive site?

aw

I use my riding mower right up to the hives. Just do not allow any exhaust, grass or engine, hit the hives. The Astro turf would make it easier to maintain.
Jim

[KeyLargoBees]

where are you located AKWSUMC? If you are in an area where small hive beetles are an issue you might consider placing the hive(s) on a pad made out of pavers....works wonders to keep beetle numbers down and would give you grass free area under the hives...astroturf would work too but might not be as durable as pavers.

[Oblio13]

When I was a young and pretty fighter pilot, we were taught to never fly over a target twice. The first time you can surprise everyone, but if you circle around again, all the anti-aircraft gunners will be waiting. The expression was, "One pass, haul ass". I apply this philosophy to mowing near hives.

[BeeMaster2]

Oblio,
I used to worry about that on my second passes but I have only had trouble with mowing near my hives once. On that occasion I was using a new message mower to cut around my hives that were on a trailer. I never looked back to see how the grass was ejected. As soon as I passed the first hive they were all over my head and in my hair. I had to completely leave the area, about 250' before they left. I looked back at the shoot and the grass was going up and out from behind me instead of going down like I am used to. I tried 4 times, waiting 30 minutes each time. They were all over me even though the last time I was 50' away from the hive. I ended up putting on a vail and finished cutting the field.
Other than that I have never had a problem even though I cut right up under the hives and usually come back with a weed eater to get under the stands.
Do not cut the grass near the hives with a pending storm or during a storm. 
The first time I met a 30 year plus beekeeper at his place, he looked like he went  5 rounds with Cassius Clay.
After talking with him for a while I asked him what happened. He was cutting his grass with a riding mower near his hives like he had done hundreds of times. A storm came up quickly over head and his bees tore him up.
Jim

[rober]

as long as the grass was not being thrown towards the hive I could make multiple passes & was only harassed by an occasional guard bee. since I fenced the property I can no longer do drive byes. I had to pull in, back out reposition & repeat that 4 times. the bees are now on pavers & that tight corner has been planted in ground cover type plants so it no longer needs mowing. at my outyard I put down used carpet & covered that with mulch.

[akwusmc]

KeyLargo, I'm on Lookout Mtn in Rising Fawn, GA ... I've not been able to connect with the local bee club here but I 'm going to get with the extension office for general info.

Oblio13, as a Marine Corps vet I understand completely!

Sawdstmakr, the advice about storms is well-taken, as I believe I remember in Beekeeping for Dummies that storms and other meteorological stuff makes bees cranky (and trust me, I don't need much reason NOT to mow!).

rober, I'll keep your idea about old carpet and mulch in my back pocket!

aw

[GSF]

akwusmc, I'll be up your way in about another month. If you need me just holler.

I've always heard that the lightening in a storm discharges a lot of static electricity which in turns drives the bees crazy. I believe this. I went out to my bee yard one evening and they kept nailing me. It finally dawned on me that the storm on the horizon (which was missing us) was the reason why. I've noticed it a couple of times since then as well.

[BeeMaster2]

GSF,
As a storm approaches, the atmospheric pressure drops. With a exoskeleton the bees feel the change and this sets them off. Quite often we get the storms with no lightning but the bees are still cranky.
Jim

[little john]

I've always heard that the lightening in a storm discharges a lot of static electricity which in turns drives the bees crazy.

I wonder if you (or anyone else reading that line) realises the significance of those words ? It isn't 'the discharge' which is the underlying cause of the crankiness - but rather the prior build-up of static, the level of which may or may not 'flash over' into a discharge of lightning.

The bodies of bees are covered all over with hairs - their legs, feet, wing surfaces, even the 'cornea' of their eyes have hairs protuding from them. These hairs are known to carry electrostatic potentials acquired during flight. And the near-earth atmosphere (the few hundred feet above the ground) is known to have significant electrostatic charges radiating upwards at all times from 'spiky' objects (trees, masts, tall buildings etc), and not just prior to a storm.

These electrostatic 'leaders' (as they are called) are most prominent during the hot calm days of late sprng and summer - exactly the same time that drones and queens seek out DCAs (Drone Congregation Areas) - and, it is now known that DCAs are formed over areas of flat land immediately adjacent to tall trees, or similar 'spikes' in the topography.

Do bees then navigate using a three-dimensional electrostatic 'road-map' in the sky, one which is invisible to us humans ?  It's a very interesting possibility ...

LJ

[Acebird]

I put down used carpet & covered that with mulch.

You might regret that some day.  In less than 5 years most of the carpet will rot out but the warp threads will still be there.  The weeds come back and if you try to mow them the blade will pick up one string and you will have a job unwinding the mess.  Ask me how I know?  We now use pallets because we have them.  If the pallet is not solid use two and that covers up most the light so not much grows.

[Richard M]

Could also do a bit of prior preparation & planning. Block the entrances the night before and mow next morning.

[Acebird]

You got to take the block out sometime.  Do you garb up and use smoke for that?

I don't have any grass around my hives, chickens make sure of that.  I do have to pull weeds that they don't like and first year saplings which can be done in the fall or spring.  The weeds I only clear for about 4 ft around the hive because the bees love them and the chickens use them for cover.

[little john]

You got to take the block out sometime.  Do you garb up and use smoke for that?

I seal hives fairly often, as I live in 'spraying country'.  Just wait 10 minutes or so after any local disturbance, then pull the plug and walk away.  It usually takes the girls at least 10 seconds before they realise that their hive is now 'open for business'.
LJ

[Acebird]

I think that is a different situation.  We are talking about locking in bees and then agitating them by some mowing operation.  If it was during the warm summer you can't wait long for them to calm down.  And if you can how long should you wait?

[little john]

To clarify - I seal hives fairly often - probably 50% of the time for crop spraying, and 50% of the time for my own convenience - such as mowing, house repairs/ maintenance, - and of course as an immediate step should robbing ever break out.

Mowing doesn't seem to bother them very much - it's strimming which sends them ballistic.  I guess the high-pitched whirring must sound like a super-sized hornet to them.

When crop spraying is taking place, or when I need to nip robbing in the bud, they stay 'locked-up' all day.  When mowing, the hives are opened just as soon as I've finished.
When strimming, I allow at least 10 minutes, maybe a little longer - then I start opening the hives at the far end first, and work my way along the lines of hives.  I've never once had any kind of problem when opening hives which would require smoke or a veil.  In contrast, when I've left hives open, I've been attacked when spraying weedkiller 20 feet from a hive.  It was probably the high-pitched 'fizz' from the knapsack-sprayer lance which they objected to, as they attacked the arm and hand which was holding the lance.

Keeping a hive locked-down - even in summer - isn't a problem providing the hive has adequate ventilation, such as an open mesh floor, and a crown board (inner cover) with good sized holes which can be covered in mesh.
If the sun is really baking hot, then it would certainly pay to fit some kind of awning over a locked-down hive, in order to provide shade.  Excessive sun isn't normally an issue in Britain, but might be elsewhere ...

LJ

[KeyLargoBees]

Excessive sun isn't normally an issue in Britain, but might be elsewhere ...

Made me smile ;-)

[little john]

Excessive sun isn't normally an issue in Britain, but might be elsewhere ...

Made me smile ;-)

Yeah - apparently some beekeepers live in Florida ... (lucky sods)

A couple of years ago we had a summer's day (actually three days in a row if I remember correctly - made newspaper headlines).  This was my QD (quick'n'dirty) way of dealing with this brief taste of Florida:
 



LJ

[Richard M]

Excessive sun isn't normally an issue in Britain, but might be elsewhere ...

Made me smile ;-)

Yeah - apparently some beekeepers live in Florida ... (lucky sods)

A couple of years ago we had a summer's day (actually three days in a row if I remember correctly - made newspaper headlines).  ..................

Hey we had 235 degrees C this last Xmas Day.   




Edit: OOPs make that 35 degrees C

[KeyLargoBees]

Yeah Rich but ya'll are all upside down and backwards down there ;-)