Potential neighbor issues!

[Rodni73]

Greetings all.

This my first post in a while. We managed to flee the maddening suburbs of New Jersey and relocated to the North West where its rural. Our property is about 3 aces with half wooded. We carefully choose the location so we may start our apiary! We are planning on starting with three hives Spring of 2022 and expand to 6 max with time. However, when we met our new neighbors about a week ago, his spouse stated that he is allergic to bees! Their home is about 900 yards away from the proposed Apiary site. We are not looking for feuds or trouble. My wife suggested I should post about this in this forum. Any advice on how to handle this situation?

One thing we know for sure: BEES WE WILL HAVE! However, how should we approach the situation to tell them? 


Thank you in advance
Sincerely
Rodni & Lisette   

[Ben Framed]

Greetings all.

This my first post in a while. We managed to flee the maddening suburbs of New Jersey and relocated to the North West where its rural. Our property is about 3 aces with half wooded. We carefully choose the location so we may start our apiary! We are planning on starting with three hives Spring of 2022 and expand to 6 max with time. However, when we met our new neighbors about a week ago, his spouse stated that he is allergic to bees! Their home is about 900 yards away from the proposed Apiary site. We are not looking for feuds or trouble. My wife suggested I should post about this in this forum. Any advice on how to handle this situation?

One thing we know for sure: BEES WE WILL HAVE! However, how should we approach the situation to tell them? 


Thank you in advance
Sincerely
Rodni & Lisette

Congratulations on the move! It is good seeing you are back posting! Wishing you the best in success with bees and neighbors!

[Robo]

I guess it depends on how close friends you want to be with the neighbors.   It is worth to have an initial conversation with them and go from there.   As far as I know you are under no obligation to alter your choices based on a neighbor's allergies.   I would start the discussion with the fact that you will be starting an apiary in the spring (be very clear, but not over powering).   DOn't be wishy warshy (thinking/deciding/etc) that gives them the opinion they have some input to the decision or can convince you otherwise.   Simply stating I will be starting an apiary should make that clear.   I have a colleague who always says don't ask someone for permission for something you have the right to do.  His favorite example is "never ask someone if you can walk on the sidewalk in front of their house,  what are you going to do if they say NO".

Once you make that clear,  I would suggest you explain to them the difference between wasps/hornets and bees.   Most people group them all together.    A lot of people claim they are allergic when it is just a swelling reaction and not anaphylactic/life threatening.    Secondly, it is my understanding that most true allergic reactions are to wasps/hornets and not honeybees.   I have worked with Amber Rose who is a legend in the bee venom therapy area (trained under Charles Mraz) and at the time she had claimed to of stung 10000+ people with honeybees and never had an anaphylactic reaction.  She had protocols she followed that we won't get into here.   Depending how receptive they are to the discussion I would suggest they be tested for honeybee sting allergies and if truly found to be allergic invest in having epipens available in case needed.

Beyond that,  I find a small jar of honey always "sweetens" the relationship with neighbors.

[cao]

Robo said it well.  I have 40 +/- hives on less than an acre.  Surrounded by mostly fields but I do have a couple neighbors nearby.  Other than them seeing the hives themselves, they have not noticed any difference in bees around their property.  And after giving gifts of honey, my closest neighbor has been a regular customer for the last several years.

[Oldbeavo]

Rodni73
I am 100% with Robo, especially on the honey gift.
Maintain the temperament of your bees and i don't think there will be an issue.
At 900 meters the bee at your neighbors house may not even be yours.

We have people say they are allergic to bees and we ask do you carry an epi-pen. the usual answer is no, i am not that allergic.

[Kathyp]

Your other option is to say nothing and they will probably never know unless they can see your hives.  3 acres is enough land that you hopefully have a spot that is out of sight.

Unless they have nothing that flowers or has pollen, they have bees around anyway.

I have become a bit cynical when it comes to the logic of people and bees.   

[Beeboy01]

900 yards is about a half mile away which more than enough distance to thin out the foraging bees to the point where they won't be noticed. Make sure your hives have a close by water source so they don't visit your neighbor's bird bath or pool and I csan't see how there would be a problem. I've found a sweet gift of honey always helps with sour neighbors.   

[Rodni73]

Hi all

We currently have four hives and captured one swarm. I did not even bother to tell the neighbor about the hives or promise them honey. We just installed one package of bees and two overwintered New Jersey Nucs that are visible from the street. We registered with the state and as such we are not breaking any laws. My eldest daughter who is 10 years old insisted and advised that we should not appease
the neighbors because doing so implies that we are submissive or doing something wrong. She made me promise to install the bees and wait for their reaction because doing so gives us an advantage if they complained. Long story short...They did not even bother to ask or complain. Its been three month with no issues.

Thank you all for your sound advice. Attached is a picture of our hives.

Kind regards
Rodni & Lisette.

[Michael Bush]

Not telling them is always the right thing to do.  They will never notice the difference.  If some day they do, all of their fears will already have not happened.

[yes2matt]

My blackberry canes are way higher than my hives.

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[Ben Framed]

My blackberry canes are way higher than my hives.

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[Ben Framed]

Thanks for the update Rodni73. There was good advise given by different points of view and outlooks on this topic. Every situation is different and the results may differ accordantly to neighbors personalities... Im glad it worked out good for you and your Daughter in this circumstance. Keep us updated on your beekeeping experiences and progress!

Phillip

[TheHoneyPump]

Not telling them is always the right thing to do.  They will never notice the difference.  If some day they do, all of their fears will already have not happened.

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