Author Topic: mowing the lawn around the hives (Read 12418 times)

Mici · « **on:** June 04, 2007, 01:02:10 pm »

HI!
i simply couldn't figure out, why everyone is so afraid doing it. i always mowed the lawn with out any problem, well maybe there was a bee or two flying about my head, but that's about it.
this year i...expanded, sort of, so my table for 5 hives got too small, so i simply took one off and put it on concrete blocks. few minutes ago, i started mowing, mowed about half of our front yard lawn, but as i got closer to hives, the white one (the one on concrete blocks) instantly turned BLACK with bees. so i just shut the mower and got away.

conclusion:
if you want to trim the grass around your hives, have them suspended on woden legs, i guess they transmit far less vibrations so the bees don't get upset one bit.

doak · « **Reply #1 on:** June 04, 2007, 02:03:26 pm »

I use a weed-eater out to 15 to 20 feet. Turn it so it doesn't throw clippings toward the hive. I still use the head gear.
doak

Fannbee · « **Reply #2 on:** June 04, 2007, 02:26:33 pm »

I used head gear also. Plus I killed the grass next to the hive so I do not have to get next to it with a mower or weed eater.

Moonshae · « **Reply #3 on:** June 04, 2007, 04:57:35 pm »

I spread my grass clippings from the rest of the yard in my (small) bee yard, which keeps down the weeds and grass. It also provides me with smoker fuel whenever I need it. :)

buzzbee · « **Reply #4 on:** June 04, 2007, 07:41:05 pm »

Mici,
My hives sit on cement blocks also. I mow next to them every week and never seem to be noticed.

beemaster · « **Reply #5 on:** June 04, 2007, 09:42:13 pm »

A clue I find.....

You should cut the grass nearest the hive FIRST after starting the mower. By waiting you (in the bees prospective) constantly moving this giant growling beast closer and closer to the hive until you finally get there - by then they are on alert.

Get them out of the way first and you are always moving away from them. Hope that makes sense.

Understudy · « **Reply #6 on:** June 05, 2007, 01:41:04 am »

The first time you do that in front of some mean bees you will understand why it can be a bad thing.

Sincerely,
Brendhan

Mici · « **Reply #7 on:** June 05, 2007, 04:10:33 am »

Buzbee, do you have the directly on those cement block?
i figured vibrations pass through solid concrete much better than some wooden poles, actually i know this, that's why it seems reasonable to be the cause.

John, i doubt it would help, since the moment i get within 5m of this hive, they start crawling out like mad. i don't wanna test their limits, i'll place the hive on some wooden legs since many bad things can happen when bees get upset.

Michael Bush · « **Reply #8 on:** June 05, 2007, 07:16:34 am »

Mowing? Why would you do that again? I never mow in front of the hives.

beemaster · « **Reply #9 on:** June 09, 2007, 11:51:32 am »

Some of us don't have that Bush Farm's magic grass seed that stops at 3 inches and never grows another hair - I think you are in the wrong business Michael. Bush Grass Seed Farm, yeah... that's the ticket :-D

My grass grows to weed whacker height if I don't get the mower at it once a week. Again, for us less fortunate - I mow AT THE HIVES first to get the "Ever approaching growling machine out of the way fast, thus always leaving the rest of the yard last and no stress to the hive.

PS... electric and battery operated weed whackers are a great investment for doing near the hive - just keep the string from getting the hive bases from getting the sound tranferring into the hives.

I know this is a fear to many beekeepers - but calm approaches on nice days will really help prepare you and the bees for that weekly redevous you will have. Worse case, long sleeve shirt, long pants and a vail for the few seconds until you are clear of the hives - then strip back. I guess it comes down to the two main issues that all things come down to: how safe you feel around your bees and their aggressiveness.

Michael Bush · « **Reply #10 on:** June 09, 2007, 12:00:15 pm »

>Some of us don't have that Bush Farm's magic grass seed that stops at 3 inches and never grows another hair

No, I have that three foot tall stuff that provides nice shade in the summer. :)

Brian D. Bray · « **Reply #11 on:** June 09, 2007, 06:54:20 pm »

I use top entrances, if it weren't for the wife there would be no need to mow at all. The entrances soon are above the grass. Also the more of the hive is hidden by the grass the less noticable a target there is for passing kids to throw rocks at. I now have a place where the bees are far enough from every property line to make bombardment by rocks a thing of the past.

Doorman · « **Reply #12 on:** June 09, 2007, 11:11:34 pm »

I do just the opposite of Beemaster. I mow the yard first up to about 2 feet from the back of the hive. That doesn't seem to bother them. then when I'm done I run the weedeater around them real quick. The front of the hives are about 2 feet from the fence and I don't have much grass growing there. If I mow around the hives first, their defensive perimeter seems much larger.

Mici · « **Reply #13 on:** June 11, 2007, 04:10:05 pm »

with low gas on the mower it kind of...goes, only one sting, but how in the world did she find the corner of my eye!!!!

BBHJ · « **Reply #14 on:** June 24, 2007, 08:02:43 am »

Hey Mici, I would think vibrations and noise are transfered through wood better than they are concrete. I'm not positive about this though but it makes sense to me. I'm a musician and musical instruments poped in my head when I started read your post. Most all musical instruments that I know of are wood or some type of metal. Though it could be that the reason none are made out of concrete is ONLY because of the weight issues. Like I said IDK for shure, but if you hold a piece of wood and hit it with something your going to feel the vibrations in your hand thats holding it. If you had a piece of concrete the same size & done the same test I dont think you'ld feel the same vibrations. Is your hive thats on blocks the same height off the ground as your others. If not that may be the reason for the upset bees. If its not, I bet if that hive was the same height (but still on concrete blocks of course) that they wouldn't be so quick to bother you. Or it could always be that the bees in that certain hive are more agressive than the others, even if they didnt use to be. Hope you figure out the reasons what ever they may be, and can continue mowing without having to go through drastic measures.

Mici · « **Reply #15 on:** June 24, 2007, 08:19:46 am »

BBHJ i'm almost sure you are wrong. the thicker the substance, the better transmition.
it's very simple, water transmits sound far much better than air, because it's thicker. so...concrete transmits more vibrations than wood. plus in my case, there's more weight on the wood-legged table, four wooden legs togethe have the conducting surface of that one concrete block so..i guess it all just adds to it.

[qoute="BBHJ"]but if you hold a piece of wood and hit it with something your going to feel the vibrations in your hand thats holding it. If you had a piece of concrete the same size & done the same test I dont think you'ld feel the same vibrations.[/quote] exactly you would not feel vibrations, you'd feel direct force, which means it doesn't absorb any. the same think with buildings foundations. it does seem rubber vibrates more but the truth is..it absorbs. so..wood absorbs more/conducts less force/vibrations.

i'm hoping to build a bee-house this year-time perimting, so there'll be bigger foundations that hopefully won't conduct vibrations:D

Dr/B · « **Reply #16 on:** June 30, 2007, 02:18:39 pm »

Hey guys!

I just took some old carpet my friend was ripping out of her house remodeling job, and layed it all over my beeyard. Now I don't mow. Oddly enough now with a carpeted beeyard, I can see how many dead bees they clean out of their hives. I will occasionally cautiously spray some weed killer along the fences........

I've hung some carpet rugs up on a fence and when it rains, the bees cover it up........retrieving the water from these rugs........

:)

qa33010 · « **Reply #17 on:** July 01, 2007, 01:39:39 am »

We mow all the way up to the hives and then get under (with gloves) and pull what's underneath. Just got some rock salt and plan on salting the area under and immediately around the hives. Hopefully this will help the SBB's do their job better and keep the grass out of the hives. Grows up past three feet, more than enough to get up past two deep cinder blocks. Not used veil...yet.

fredtioga · « **Reply #18 on:** July 12, 2007, 10:17:49 pm »

I use chimney blocks and SBB, set on an old rug. This year weeds started growing thru the rug, not under the hive I'm adding the old kitchen vinyl flooring, but I don't like the rain puddles on it.

BTW when I was sixteen my first Hive was disassembled by a far neighbor boy, we lived on a small farm so the size of the property doesnâ€™t stop all unwanted attraction. They were Dark bees, next to the woods, He did not get stung! I did chew him out.

Much later, near Newburgh, a swarm settled on a neighbors rose bush. They knew I was building a hive for use back on the family farm, they came and got me. Gentlest bees I ever had. We lived in a trailer park on a large lot next to the woods. The Bees thrived. Once, kids in the park threw a blanket over the hive and beat it with a stick, I came running. Again no stings and a gentler lecture.

Misko · « **Reply #19 on:** July 14, 2007, 12:05:31 pm »

I just don't get it why are you having problems mowing the lawn around the hives!?
I have bees in a bee-house and on wood but i don't se the diference when i'm mowing the lawn.
It seams that my bees are calmer than your ;)