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.

[Choufleurfromage]

@BananaShrimp

Report to the council. There is undoubtedly a policy against keeping non-pet animals in domestic back gardens.

Some councils require a licence to keep bees, but it is NOT illegal ffs!
I can imagine the policeman's face when he rocks up to deal with this (according to you) major crime....

[Eddiesferret]

@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.

You really do need to educate yourself and stop being so dramatic. A swarm is just a lot of bees moving en-masse to find a new home. Which will be somewhere they consider safe. They are far from stupid and will not be choosing your kids paddling pool. !

They feed before they swarm reducing their sting ability. Not that they are interested in stinging you. Their whole reason for being is to protect their Queen who will be on the inside of the swarm. They will stick like glue to the swarm.

Bees are defensive. Leave them alone and the swarm will literally hang around for a couple of hours whilst scouter bees find them a new home - usually about a mile away .

I have kept bees for years, small garden , have 3 kids now grown, grandchildren who help me inspect hives and collect honey. No one has ever been stung.

[WonderingWanda]

We get tree bees in the summer and lots of hornets which look and sound terrifying but are actually much more docile than wasps. In fact wasps are the only ones whoever behave aggressively. I regularly rescue honey bees and bumble bees on a bit of card from my conervatory. Why don't you give it a few weeks to see if it all calms down?

[Brainwave89]

Bees are lovely creatures and do not harm anyone unless massively threatened. Frankly I would be much more interested in getting mates rates on the honey.

[HalfGerman]

@Hdpsbfb

Thanks for the heads up on that. She claimed it was the type of tree that attracts them. I don't believe it's due to light issues.

So if a young child shrieks 2-3 metres from a beehive they will not come from the beehive out of fear? The woman claimed that her husband was stung a dozen times when her son once shouted across the garden.

Nope! Unless all my mother’s bees were deaf.

What kind of tree is it then, out of interest? If it’s not a shade issue, is is a tallness issue like lelandii, or dropping sticky sap like a lime tree, or maybe poisonous lime a laburnum and she’s worried her honey will be contaminated?
[disclaimer: I have no idea whether honeybees feed from laburnums!]

[HalfGerman]

Oh you can mow right up to hives, as long as you don’t actually bash into them, just to give more evidence for lack of noise problems…

[Lovemusic33]

I would love a bee hive in my garden but I worry about neighbours complaining. Bees are amazing and unlike wasps they don’t just sting people. I can see why you are worried if you have young dc but I don’t think there a huge risk.

[SickAndTiredAgain]

Frankly I would be much more interested in getting mates rates on the honey.

That was my thought as well!

[Flaunch]

I don’t keep keeps but do have an enormous pond which is always and absolute haven for wild bees, wasps, hoverflys and dragonfly’s not to mention all the weird and wonderful things that live it in. I’ve never been stung or otherwise tormented by wildlife in my garden.

if you want a garden with no wildlife you really shouldn’t have bought a house with a pond or any trees in it but honestly that would be such a sad existence.

[Scianel]

Now wasps, kill them with fire

Wasps get bad press. They're also important pollinators.

[stuntbubbles]

::Sighs enviously:: My new garden is a small concrete yard that needs clearing; living in a tree-shades idyll with a pond and beehives and local honey sounds dreamy.

Fight fire with fire OP and get some ducks.

[Maytodecember]

If you want to use a paddling pool distract the bees away from it.
you need the bottom pats of a few plastic bottles, string.and sugar water.
Cut the bottom third or quarter ( depending on size) off some plastic drinks bottles. Punch or burn a few holes around the rim and thread strung so you can hang the bowl from a tree branch ( no need for Hokies and string if you have a high up flat surface ) Pour in sugar ( small amount) dissolved in water. Place far away from the paddling pool.

Stings for beekeepers are an occupational hazard, don’t worry about your kids making a noise.

And don’t cut down your tree.

[Maytodecember]

• holes, no idea what Hokies are :)

[MrsLargeEmbodied]

so is your neighbour complaining about your children?

[CeeceeBloomingdale]

My house backs on to a wood so we are surrounded by trees and two of my neighbours keep bees. Each has at least 10 hives. On the rare occasion bees swarm it is them regrouping to find a new home. So rare I have never seen it in the 11+ years I've lived here. None of us have ever been stung. I really think you're worrying unnecessarily.

[yellowsuninthesky]

@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.

Actually wasps are really important too, although it pains me to say it. It's just that in the autumn they don't have a job and are waiting to die so annoy humans for a few weeks until they do!

I think the OP is exaggerating. A Lot. A friend of mine lives a few metres away as the crow flies and he has beehives. I am always saying how surprising it is that we don't see more honey bees in our garden given there are hives nearby. Also we live near a canal and I don't see loads of bees flying around it as a water source so it seems unlikely that they would zero in on a paddling pool.

OP why not actually speak to your neighbour about them? I mean - in a friendly way so she doesn't get defensive (not that she has anything to get defensive about). Or find your local beekeepers association on Facebook and get one of them to talk you through what they do and get them to reassure you.

Bees are not autumn wasps, they really don't hassle you. And I have no idea why your husband was stung but it wasn't for existing.

[yellowsuninthesky]

I mean bees are not like wasps in the autumn. They have a job to do and are not interested in humans.

[Hdpsbfb]

@yellowsuninthesky

Actually wasps are really important too, although it pains me to say it. It's just that in the autumn they don't have a job and are waiting to die so annoy humans for a few weeks until they do!

I think the OP is exaggerating. A Lot. A friend of mine lives a few metres away as the crow flies and he has beehives. I am always saying how surprising it is that we don't see more honey bees in our garden given there are hives nearby. Also we live near a canal and I don't see loads of bees flying around it as a water source so it seems unlikely that they would zero in on a paddling pool.

OP why not actually speak to your neighbour about them? I mean - in a friendly way so she doesn't get defensive (not that she has anything to get defensive about). Or find your local beekeepers association on Facebook and get one of them to talk you through what they do and get them to reassure you.

Bees are not autumn wasps, they really don't hassle you. And I have no idea why your husband was stung but it wasn't for existing.

I can assure you I have not exaggerated about anything in any of my posts

The person that was stung a dozen times was the woman's husband by her own admission after their son shouted across the garden.

[muddyford]

Bees in a swarm are almost drunk on honey and are looking for a new home. Just stop flapping.

[ChardonnaysBeastlyCat]

These threads are so annoying.

Oh, I moved too a new house and never noticed the huge tree in next door's garden/the ivy on their fence/the beehives, so would it be reasonable to ask then now to kill it with fire? Am I? I am, Aren't I? I AM!

[ChardonnaysBeastlyCat]

to a new house

[HalfGerman]

What’s the tree type, @Hdpsbfb ?

[DameHelena]

@Delinathe

People's honeybees kept in hives in their garden are NOT good for the environment! They edge out wild bees, and are less efficient pollinators than them. If people want to help the environment, a wild bee-friendly garden with the right plants is much better. The crisis in the bee population is not a honey bee crisis and they are not the bees we need!

theconversation.com/keeping-honeybees-doesnt-save-bees-or-the-environment-102931

I came on to say this. It’s an unfortunate misconception.

having said that, I think you’re being more wary of them than you need to be.

If you (or their owner) put out a tray or shallow bowl of water with a layer of marbles in it, they may well use that for water instead of the pond; they see the water and marbles glinting and come down to use it. And they can land on the marbles to drink; easier for them than trying to reach a pond.

[SuziLikeSuziQ]

We had someone who kept bees up our small, single-track lane when I was growing up. He lived about halfway up, and the hives were next to the road, so occasionally a swarm would "block" the road. We got used to just walking right around the edge of the swarm if we wanted to get past.

There were about 10 of us kids who lived up there for the 7 or so years the hives were there and I only ever remember my brother getting stung once, no-one else. And we certainly played and shouted near the bees many times! And my neighbours had a huge paddling pool out and I never saw a swarm of bees over it!

I am wary of being stung because the last time I was stung the reaction was worse than the time before that, and I have issues with urticaria for various reasons. But I wouldn't be concerned about a hive next door, as bees aren't out to sting people if they can help it.

[AngelinaFibres]

I had 3 hives and 2 small children. The bees swarm at this time of year. They aren't interested in people in the slightest. The swarm will not involve you in any way. Leave them to do their thing. They don't react to the noise of children. Your son will pick up his fear of bees from you.
Paddling pool - my children had one. I put water in it when they were using it and then tipped it out to water the grass at the end of the day . I woukd never leave a pool of water unattended with small children about so leaving it filled for several days woukd never have happened. I have never seen hundreds of bees gathering to drink at any one time. If you are so freaked out about bees how are you going to cope with the fact that you are likely surrounded by rats too.