Would you hire a holiday cottage that had a beehive in the garden?

[Scoutingforhoney]

Quite a big garden, beehive is a long way from house.

Personally it would put me off.

I've kept bees, they're amazing creatures. I used to sit at the side and watch them flying in and out for hours.

Thanks so so much for your feedback! It’s actually inspirational; we have just been talking then, about the other aspects that might be interesting. (I’m not at all “eco” but my beloved is)

So maybe then, having more information about the stuff he did with the Soil Association, and things about the biodiversity of the garden and the biome in the soil and stuff?

He also obviously has loads of his own raw honey that’s produced on site, and apparently knowing where the bees have got the pollen from, is very important. They’re funny, they have what his little boy calls “shopping bags” on their back legs.

We are brainstorming! All ideas welcome!

I thought about whether it might be nice to have a trail through the orchard? With info on each of the types of tree. And an invitation to pick your own etc.

Also it gets really dark there - I was thinking “well we need more electric lights in the garden” but as he has cleverly pointed out, “Dark Skies” is a thing and some people like sitting out with a telescope. Hmmm.

AFAIK none of us allergic, and if outside near plants bees are around everywhere anyway so it wouldn't bother me. I'd want a contact number in case they decided to swarm or there was another problem with them.
We don't have a dog, a football kicking or other destructively minded kid so they'd be safe from us but I can understand you'd want to have a secure fence round them

Op it sounds blissful.

Dear God no! 😱

I am absolutely terrified of anything with a yellow and black striped jacket.

I’d love to stay there 😀
It wouldn’t bother me one bit.

I would love it.

Like others, I’d be more concerned for the bees so would fence them off. They won’t bother anyone if they’re not bothered.

Love the idea of the trail through the orchard. Also being somewhere completely dark at night would be a massive incentive for me to visit. I live in a city so long for "Dark Skies". I would put some sort of fencing around the hives to protect the bees.

Yes, Bees are pretty chilled out unless you piss them off! I wouldn't if I had a dog though

I've never been jealous of anyone else's DH until now

Blimmin heck OP you should work in sales it sounds absolutely heavenly.

Is there any way you can alert us if and when it gets listed?!!!!

I would love it, we regularly walk past beehives and I just call the dogs away. Children also manage it with no issue.

You could always fence/gate off so it’s optional.

As long as you inform people it’s fine.

I’d be happy to! Just need to get some photos done properly.

It sounds like an incredible place to stay OP

I’d advertise it emphasising the natural elements of the garden. Some people want hot tubs and barbecues, others (like us) want nature and dark skies.
I don’t see why a fenced off beehive would be any different than warning potential visitors there is an unfenced pond, or steep slate steps - as long as it’s clear on the listing people can make their own choice.

I now want to stay here! It sounds divine 😀
I once stayed at a B&B with bee hives and the owner took me to have a look 😀 Fascinating.

It sounds wonderful! We actively look for places that practice organic or no pesticide gardening!

In the real world I would want to read or pick up from the advertising that the whole site is cared for and tended as RL experience says not everyone cares for their animals as much as they ought to, so checking for swarming signs etc, but otherwise the whole thing sounds absolutely idyllic. A dream house🌸 🐝

I do think you need to fence off for visitors though sadly but hopefully you would get mostly lovely visitors.

The more I read this thread the more blissful it sounds! Where about is it @Scoutingforhoney

I personally wouldn't as two of us are allergic.

What I would do if I was you I'd check out insurance carefully.

Would your OH be around if anything exciting happened with the bees? We stayed in a campsite with a hive once, and the bees decided to swarm, so the campsite owners had to call the beekeeper out. It was fine in the end (DD May tell you otherwise) but I wouldn’t fancy sitting inside a holiday cottage with bees swarming and no idea what to do about it.

Dark/light in the garden - how about gentle lights on a switch (perhaps a timer) near the house if people want to sit out in the evening, and provide a couple of torches?

It would be a plus for me.

Bees regularly swarm in my garden. They don’t bother anyone and the dogs very sensibly keep away!

I’d love it. My mum had hives at the bottom of her garden.

No. Personally I’d be fine with them, but I have a family member who really gets jittery about stinging insects, and I’d be worried in case one of the children got stung.