Hello there, I'm Krissy Watts. I live in Cincinnati, Ohio. I have been a member for a while, but I do not get on here often enough. I hope everyone is doing well. I have had my bees in my back yard for 4 years now. I have never had any problems with my bees with my neighbors until now. Most are happy to see someone taking a positive approach into helping the bee population. Most are happy to get free honey as well. I usually give most of it away, heaven knows, I don't make any money on this hobby. I do it for Mother Nature.
I have a neighbor 4 houses down from me. An older couple. They have a nicely landscape back yard with a "flowing" pond. We'll one day (LAST SUMMER) my children were down visiting with their grandchildren. I went down to say hello to them as well. I was invited to the backyard. I was amazed at how nicely landscaped it was for such a small backyard. Mr. Schwartz then showed me where "MY" bees rest on a trickling ridge in his pond to get a drink of water. I did see a large group there, but PEACEFUL!!!!! No swarming about, no bees popping off your head or anything to that manner.
A few weeks later, Mr. Schwartz told me that one of "MY" bees killed one of the mother fish that just had babies. (No, it couldn't have been anything else, like maybe stress of having a huge lot of baby goldfish!) So I apologized profusely, I told them I wasn't sure why that would happen and that I do not mean any harm. Mrs Schwartz told me not to worry it would be okay. So the rest of the season I did not hear anything.
This year comes along. It's a great year for my bees, I hope everyone else is doing well as I am. My bee inspector was very impressed with the brood yield and honey yield I am having. "Very Healthy Bees" So after my harvest earlier in July, I took some down to all my neighbors. Mrs. Schwartz told me that "MY" bees are swarming around them when they change the pond's water filter. She stated that her and Mr. Schwartz were going out of town and that they were concerned about the young man who would be changing the filters while they were gone. I told them I would be happy to change it for them. They told me "No" I said to them just let me know, I'll be happy to help, it's the least I could do. No word for weeks, then I receive a call from Mr. Schwartz stating that the filters cannot be changed and to get with my other neighbors who were the ones trying to take care of his pond and fish. So when I called Laurie, she stated it's not that bad and that she had not really put 2 and 2 together that they were even my bees. She and her son had learned to go slow and work cautiously around them. No one has been stung. So I begged her to please tell me if it does become a problem, I would come down to do it myself, as I told Mr. Schwartz I would. Or that I could give Zach, her son, a helmet to wear if it made him feel better. She reassured me she would. Our children play together everyday.
Mr. Schwartz called 3 times yesterday trying to reach me. I wasn't home. The last message I received from him was "They are everywhere, they are all people, they are all over my fish, MOVE THEM!!!"
I did at one point have a place to move my hives. The property has since sold. I am not really wanting to move them, I am a full time college student, married with 3 kids. I am so busy. When they are in my back yard I can tend to them easier. I am afraid of out of sight out of mind.
I am going to walk down there this morning when the sun comes up more to watch them in his backyard. I need to know from everyone how to deal with this situation. I have a city ordinance that states I can keep bees until someone complains. I have 5 huge hives. It would be backbreaking and heartbreaking to have to move them. Please help....sorry this was so long. Just wanted you to know the whole scenario.
Thanks,
Krissy