Bees, trains, rumbling earth and noise.

[wd]

Does keeping bees near railroad tracks introduce potential problems? (e.g. agitated/stressed bees?)
We are talking within 20 feet and more than 12 earth rumbling trains per day.

I saw this question posted elsewhere. I have a single hive approx 200 ft away from tracks,
trains go through once every 2 hours or so with out any problems. what do you think?

[rdy-b]

  sounds like you need more bees-i have used railroad rite of ways for bee yards-no problem
 from trains-my bees would folow the tracks like a roadway- 8-) RDY-B

[wd]

ran into that question on Reddit .. more bees would be nice and a goal. I'm workin on it anyway. Didn't mean to make it sound like I have a total of one hive, there is a few more in another location with out a railroad.

Thanks

[BjornBee]

wd,
I kept bees along side tracks a few years back. I'm talking within twenty feet. The sound or occasional rumblings did not seem to matter to the bees.

What did matter, was the spray trains a couple times a year that went through and sprayed both sides of the tracks. I originally looked at all the flowers and weeds along the tracks as a bonus. But the train companies didn't see it that way. And all looked good until they came along and sprayed every dead for about 50 feet on both sides of the tracks. Like the highway department, weed control is simply spraying everything the hose can reach.  :roll:

Sounds to me your a smaller size operation and finding places to "dump" bees is not going to be a problem. I don't keep bees on the tracks anymore. There are too many better places to keep bees.

[wd]

What I want to say is, there really isn't room to keep much more where I have a single near r n r tracks. It's actually in someones back yard for them to enjoy, they asked. The tracks in this particular area are on rock as in the picture but much higher with creeks and sloughs running under the tracks to the Sacramento river near by. I see others moving pallets of hives in and and out to pollinate some of the crops a few miles down the road in each direction.  I've thought about maintaining a bee yard near tracks many times but this is as far as it's gone.

Spray is something to consider, Thanks,

[David McLeod]

What did matter, was the spray trains a couple times a year that went through and sprayed both sides of the tracks. I originally looked at all the flowers and weeds along the tracks as a bonus. But the train companies didn't see it that way. And all looked good until they came along and sprayed every dead for about 50 feet on both sides of the tracks. Like the highway department, weed control is simply spraying everything the hose can reach.  :roll:

I will be putting mine in the yard directly across the road from the tracks. We used to have the county do the spraying, at least on the roadside bank. We stopped that by keeping the grass cut ourselves. The neighbors do as well so I have a grassy swath about 30' wide and a half mile long right in front of the house. How do you think dutch clover will do on that?

[danno]

I have  tracks on the south side of my farm and although I dont keep many bee's there anymore it never bothered them.  What does bother me though is the rail companies spraying when they feel like it.   I am a Lic. Commercial pesticide applicator and we have rules to follow.   The first time I caught the spray train coming through on a windy day I turned them into the Dept of Agriculture.   They have the right to spray there rightaway but they have to notify land owners and they cant have spray drift.   Sorry for getting off subject abit

[rdy-b]

What I want to say is, there really isn't room to keep much more where I have a single near r n r tracks. It's actually in someones back yard for them to enjoy, they asked. The tracks in this particular area are on rock as in the picture but much higher with creeks and sloughs running under the tracks to the Sacramento river near by. I see others moving pallets of hives in and and out to pollinate some of the crops a few miles down the road in each direction.  I've thought about maintaining a bee yard near tracks many times but this is as far as it's gone.

Spray is something to consider, Thanks,

                                                                                                                                                          tracks or no tracks-if the location is by the river- by all means-pursue it -bees always do well for me next to rivers and other water sources-lots of great honey to be made-RDY-B

[wd]

Not certain I should post this but I will and I hope the person who originally asked this quest on reddit popped in for the read. The pictures are screen shots using the forage zone link provided, too bad it doesn't give bloom time and the what is. (The locals swear they don't spray)

  I use this link to figure forage zones for my locations- 8-) RDY-B
http://bees.morkland.org/coverage/

[rdy-b]

  is it set to miles or killometers-looks like killo-RDY-B

[wd]

Yes, above pics are by the kilometre / kilometer , I've walked and driven where possible in this area, I have to ask my self why there isn't anyone else keeping bees here? or at least where they can be seen.





by the mile

[rdy-b]

  i can see the hives lots of hives- :lol:-RDY-B