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Author Topic: Bee's and Dogs  (Read 4447 times)

Offline slhote

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Bee's and Dogs
« on: August 26, 2009, 04:09:46 pm »
I am new to beekeeping.  I am thinking of starting a hive in the Spring 2010.  I have small dogs (chihuahua's) and I am worried about having the hive in the same back yard with the dogs.  They are inside dogs but go out the doggie door when they want to.  Do you think it would be ok if I elevated the hive and also put a wooden fence around it to keep the dogs away?

Offline BeeHopper

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Re: Bee's and Dogs
« Reply #1 on: August 26, 2009, 04:14:29 pm »
Once they get stung , they'll stay away.

Offline ziffabeek

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Re: Bee's and Dogs
« Reply #2 on: August 26, 2009, 05:32:33 pm »
Yeah, as my friend said "The dogs learn quick" and she's right.  My 9 month old mutt used to love to accompany me to the hive.  She's snap at the flying bees, and I'd tell her no, and she better watch out.  Then one day she stuck her nose right into a cluster of bees on the cover I had removed.  Woot, did she move with a quickness!  She scampered away and chased her tail all the way back to the house.  Luckily I have sweet bees and they didn't follow her.  Her nose swelled up a little, but I gave her a benedryl and she was fine by the next morning.  She stays away from the hive now, even when I'm working them.

The only thing I'd worry about is the size of your dogs.  If they got stung on the nose, not sure how much it would swell since the proportion of venom would be higher.  as long as they didn't swarm after them I'd think they'd be ok, but if your bees are touchy or your dogs rambunctious, might want to keep them inside when you're working the hives.

Hope that helps.

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Offline Shawn

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Re: Bee's and Dogs
« Reply #3 on: August 26, 2009, 06:50:49 pm »
My dogs kennel is within 10 feet of the three beehives. I keep her locked up through out the day with no problems. My other dog likes to get the bees out of the air until one day she got it in the mouth. Dont really see her doing that anymore.

Offline jaredintucson

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Re: Bee's and Dogs
« Reply #4 on: August 26, 2009, 07:48:05 pm »
I think your dogs will be fine around a the hive.  I have two large dogs that run around the back yard where I keep my bees with no problem.  When I first started, one of my dogs liked to go up to the hive and snatch bees as they came and went.  I put a rabbit fence up around the hive and that seemed to do the trick.  She will still go and lay next to the hive during the day because the hive that corner gets the best midday shade.

Offline Natalie

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Re: Bee's and Dogs
« Reply #5 on: August 27, 2009, 01:13:51 am »
I have 5 dogs and 11 hives and the hives are not fenced in.
The dogs all learned very early on to stay away.
It only took one of them to walk up and put her face right at the entrance of the hive before I could grab her and get stung, they all instinctively knew after witnessing that to give that area a wide berth.
Not sure how big your dog is but mine is a pug and she is probably like 12-14 lbs right now and she was fine.
You should never tie up an animal anywhere near hives though, if the bees ever got ticked off the dog would have no where to go.

Offline Davepeg

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Re: Bee's and Dogs
« Reply #6 on: August 27, 2009, 10:24:50 am »
I think you can see by the other postings that dogs learn pretty quick to stay away.
I have a beagle and a corgi.  The beagle will lay right aganist our fence (within a foot of the hives) when we're working on the hives.  Has she gotten stung?  Yep, a few times , but she shakes it off and just moves to the other side of the yard.

Then bees will not attack the dogs - unless they are trying to destroy the hive, which I doubt your dogs will try to do.  Let them sniff the hives when you first get them.  Stay calm and let them work it out.
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Offline riverrat

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Re: Bee's and Dogs
« Reply #7 on: August 27, 2009, 10:26:58 am »
Once they get stung , they'll stay away.

My great dane as a pup had a hard time figuring out what was going on when he got close to the front of the hive in my front yard. He would get it everytime he was near. After 5 or 6 times he learned to stay away from the white box. I got to say he learned that quicker than housebreaking.
never take the top off a hive on a day that you wouldn't want the roof taken off your house

Offline riverrat

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Re: Bee's and Dogs
« Reply #8 on: August 27, 2009, 10:29:04 am »


bees will not attack the dogs - unless they are trying to destroy the hive, which I doubt your dogs will try to do.  Let them sniff the hives when you first get them.  Stay calm and let them work it out.

good solid advise there :brian:
never take the top off a hive on a day that you wouldn't want the roof taken off your house

Offline slhote

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Re: Bee's and Dogs
« Reply #9 on: August 27, 2009, 02:53:37 pm »
Thanks to all of you.  Great info. :)  I am happy to have found this website.  It is very cool.

Offline lenape13

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Re: Bee's and Dogs
« Reply #10 on: August 27, 2009, 03:16:12 pm »
We have two dogs who roam around the property with us when we're out and about.  One is curious and has to investigate everything.  After getting too close on a couple of occassions, she has learned to stay away from the Techi-color beehives!  She still tags along, but observes from a safe distance.  They learn quickly!

Offline wharfrat

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Re: Bee's and Dogs
« Reply #11 on: August 27, 2009, 05:31:38 pm »
 :evil: :evil::evil:My hive is in my fenced in back yard where my 2 dogs spend a lot of time...As others said, it only takes a couple of stings and they learn to stay away most of the time...Still, my brittany can't resist the crawlers (old or deformed bees) she occasionally finds crawling away from the hive...I always get a giggle when she paws at them or eats them ...takes a sting and goes flying through the yard... grin

Offline deknow

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Re: Bee's and Dogs
« Reply #12 on: August 27, 2009, 05:59:22 pm »
the only real danger for a dog (or other animal) around bees is being confined (or running into traffic).  tied up or in a kennel near the hives is a bad idea.

normally, dogs bothering bees is what we call a "self correcting problem".

deknow

Offline mathispollenators

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Re: Bee's and Dogs
« Reply #13 on: August 27, 2009, 06:44:03 pm »
Don't worry the dog's will not hurt your bees.  They can live together in the same yard after they set the rules for each other.  And get to know each other my dog Bear gets along fine with our bees now.
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Offline bee-nuts

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Re: Bee's and Dogs
« Reply #14 on: August 27, 2009, 08:21:41 pm »
You can always take the dogs to the humane association.

Just kidding.  Bees are my favorite pets.
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Offline MustbeeNuts

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Re: Bee's and Dogs
« Reply #15 on: August 27, 2009, 08:31:12 pm »
mine stays behind the hives , learned from me that the place to stay when I'm working them. She got hit acouple times, same as all dogs, sticken the nose in the door. but now shw knows. and I only have had her for six weeks. an adult dog that just wandered in to the yard. never left so I feed her. lives under the porch. I guess I gotta get her a dog house.
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Offline NasalSponge

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Re: Bee's and Dogs
« Reply #16 on: August 27, 2009, 09:01:31 pm »
Two of my kids have Chihuahuas, both have been stung and both keep their distance from the boxes with the buzzing bugs. My pug on the other hand still gets around them alot but once she hears a buzz she is heal dust.

Offline manfre

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Re: Bee's and Dogs
« Reply #17 on: August 28, 2009, 12:56:12 am »
I put my hives behind a small (~12") garden fence so the dogs have a visual barrier. The dog that we let off leash in the yard is trained well enough that she will not cross the fence.
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Offline mick

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Re: Bee's and Dogs
« Reply #18 on: August 28, 2009, 05:57:22 am »
My first hive, I had an old dog, they were nice bees. He nudged the top off the hive one night. I dont know if he got stung, but he never went near the hive after that as fas as I know.

My two hives at ground level in my backayarda are available to my two new dogs. They crap a foot from the hives, I suspect at night. Early on they got stung when I was working the hives as they got too close. Now when I grab my bee suit, they go inside. No problem at other times either, they just keep about 6 feet from the hives and all get along fine.

Offline giant pumpkin peep

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Re: Bee's and Dogs
« Reply #19 on: August 28, 2009, 04:30:13 pm »
I got 3 dogs. There are fasinataed with the bees. 2 have been stung. The only get as close to the hive as I do when I had my patch fence down after I had to terminate my plant. I have since put the fence back up becase I enjoy being with my bees....alone  :hissyfit:
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