Beehives in neighbours garden

[Hdpsbfb]

Moved into a new house. I am unable to see the neighbours garden due to the layout. I discovered a few weeks after moving in they have two beehives. Already I have seen two massive swarms of bees. Thousands of them for two days. Had to close all the windows and doors. If you've never seen a swarm before it can be terrifying when it's right by your house.

The small pond has around fifty around it at any given time. Already I'm thinking having a medium sized padding pool up for the kids is going to be a no-no as I'd rather not have dozens of bees hovering about using it as a water source.

Also, the woman told my DH that they get irritated by noise and that on one occasion when their son shouted something, her husband was stung a dozen noise. Where the beehives are is metres away from a children's play area to was insitu when we moved in. Already although my child is a baby I'd be terrified of letting her play down that area where the swings are as all young children can make loud unpredictable noises from time to time. Oh she also told me that we would need to get rid of a tree as it attracts bees.

[LoudingVoice]

Who told you to get rid of a tree?

Bees won’t hurt you if you leave them alone, and are really important to the environment. Your comment about the padding pool attracting them is melodramatic.

If anyone complains about normal noise from children playing ignore them.

[Hdpsbfb]

How is that melodramatic when they are using a pond as a water source, literally dozens hovering around it. I'm guessing the same happen with pool if I have it up for a few days.

[ChardonnaysBeastlyCat]

well, what do you want to happen now?
what solution would you want to see?

[MrsTerryPratchett]

Let's get rid of all the bees. But also that means no fruit, and lots of other food.

Really, learn about them, properly. They are wonderful animals.

Now wasps, kill them with fire.

[Hafera]

Well my ds was swarmed in his paddling pool by a neighbours bees! They were very attracted to it!
The neighbour was actually made to get rid of them as it's not allowed in our housing estate. Many of my neighbours got stung! Now I'm a big advocate for bees, have bee friendly garden etc but tiny suburban gardens are not the place for bee hives. (not sure if you're urban/rural op)
There are rules regarding who can keep bees and where so maybe check your local bylaws.

[PersonaNonGarter]

Unfortunately, this doesn’t seem to be something within your control.

You don’t have to get rid of the tree, that’s just dramatic.

in better news, bees are great for any fruit you might grow

[SarahMused]

It’s currently the season for bees to swarm. We don’t have any bee hives near us but we have had swarms in our garden several times, so there is no guarantee that removing the bee hives will stop you getting a swarm. If they do settle a bee keeper can come and collect them. We desperately need bees in this country and you will antagonise your new neighbours if you ask them to remove the hives. There is no way that you would need to remove a tree because of bees. Teach your child to leave them alone and I can’t see why they would cause you any issues.

[MrsTerryPratchett]

I spent most of my summers in a garden with beehives. My mum worked there. I've never been stung.

[Ferngreen]

I don't know much about bees but we have just had a swarm swarm - if you know what I mean. They are in an unused chimney. But normally we don't know they are there so I think the swarming might just be the time of year with a new queen so hopefully it is over for this year. Lots of dead bees around falling down chimneys.

Could you put something like a bird bath near their hives for them to use for water.

[FindingMeno]

I'm allergic to stings.
I'd find it very worrying.

[Soubriquet]

He needs to look at putting the bees up higher.

Bees only come down to the ground for food or their hive.

If the hive was higher up, the bees would only come down to get food and then go up high again.

[Discovereads]

YANBU
Bee hives should be kept a safe distance away from neighbours/children.
Id contact the British beekeeping association and ask for their advice on whether your neighbours are practicing safe beekeeping.

[Loopyloopy]

You are being melodramatic. My dad has a few hives, and I only notice them if I'm right next to the hive.

Water should have bees around it this time of year. The fact that we've come to be used to them not being there is a serious problem.

[Beggingforsleep]

My dad keeps bees, he has four hives in his garden and my DC play within 10 meters of them and have never been stung. There’s a swing and a slide and they make a lot of noise. There’s also a stream that runs past the bees that we paddle in. Again no stings. Bees really do leave people alone. I wouldn’t worry too much but obviously if they become bothersome speak to your neighbours. They could reangle the hives so they have a different flight path.

[purplesequins]

yabu

bees are wonderful.

and 'domestic' honey bees are docile and will only sting if they absolutely have to. just be careful if you have flowering clover in your lawn. if you do, avoid walking barefoot on it.

wrt to the paddling pool - it will be fine.
bees collect water from ponds, but they need something to land on. usually they suck up water from the muddy bit at the edge of the pond.


I agree swarms are quite something. especially if you are not used to them. bees swarm this type of year. then they quietly collect nectar without fuss.

[Sargass0]

World bee day today.

www.bbka.org.uk/world-bee-day-events

[TenRedThings]

My neighbour has bees. We have noisy DC, paddling pools and flowering trees and shrubs. Bees have never been a problem. They swarm at this time of year. It's pretty rare to witness this ( unfortunately ).

[Cliftontherocks]

Bees leave people alone. I once lived in a house where there was a huge colony under the decking we taught the dog not to stick his nose in and I’m allergic and it was fine. If you are worried contact your local beekeeping association. A bee drinking water from a pond is fine. Bees in a tree is fine. Take a chair and go and sit by the pond and watch them. You can contact the local council to see the situation. The owner of the hives can move them but it needs to be done gradually

[TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross]

Where have you been that you don’t know how urgently we need bees and how worrying the crisis in the bee population is? Unfortunately, it really does dwarf any concerns about the paddling pool!

I’m not sure why you should get rid of your tree though - we need trees too!

[SickAndTiredAgain]

How lovely, I love bees!

My grandad had about 15 hives when I was growing up. Admittedly it was a large garden but the bees were never a problem even around the pond, and none of us were ever stung. And the honey was delicious.

[HairyBum]

Heres some info

www.nsbka.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=726&Itemid=1445

[Lemons1571]

This would terrify me. Yes, bees are good for the ecosystem. But would all of you really be happy with your toddler playing in a padding pool with hundreds of bees hovering above the water around them. I mean, really? Wouldn’t the garden become unusable?

I think there’s a place for bee hives and a small suburban garden one metre from children's play equipment isn’t it.

[CaptainBeakyandhisband]

Our (not next door) neighbour has bees, in fact there are a few households keeping bees in the vicinity. We have never had a problem with bees and the paddling pool, but I love seeing bees working all around the garden, they are truly remarkable creatures.

My children have been to visit the garden with the bees and have been fine. To be honest it sounds like the woman next door might be a bit of a dickhead (comments about noise and the tree). The only thing you need to be slightly wary of is the bees’ route into the hive, if that’s very close to where children are playing that could create an area of bouncing children and many bees coming and going.

perhaps worth consulting with the beekeepers association and seeing if there really is an issue before raising it with the neighbours.

[FlamingoQueen]

We once had a swarm of bees through the garden - bloody terrifying! I’m all for promoting bees and nature, but to have hives next door would freak me out. I have plants that attract bees and have recently introduced lots more flowers to my garden so am aware of how important bees are.
I don’t see how you can escape this apart from moving, which is extreme.

[Choufleurfromage]

You only discovered the bees 'a few weeks after moving in', so clearly were not bothered by them until you knew they existed. Stop being melodramatic; a kids pool is hatdly likely to be their go-to drinking hole, especially if there are screaming kids playing in it.