Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: duck on October 13, 2012, 10:42:46 pm

Title: always hide your bees..
Post by: duck on October 13, 2012, 10:42:46 pm
Never let anyone know you keep bees, especially your neighbors.  I moved my hives to avoid an ordinance being drafted because of her complaints.  I live next door to the one lady that has a problem with bees.  Ill try to get some footage tomorrow of the bizarre woman playing bee tennis with an electric fly swatter.
Title: Re: always hide your bees..
Post by: Vance G on October 13, 2012, 10:50:43 pm
If it is any consolation, she will wear out before she does you any real damage.  She is probably getting mostly wasps this time of year anyway.  I know it is aggravating.  I don't keep my bees in  town but my pickup always ends up with some syrup or honey on the bed and I attract wasps and am becoming a seasonal pariah.  I wash it off religiously but once the wasps zero in, you are the first place they look.  Minimize your grief by not leaving anything attractive to wasps out.
Title: Re: always hide your bees..
Post by: AllenF on October 13, 2012, 10:59:30 pm
My neighbors are my best customers, in both honey and vegetables. 
Title: Re: always hide your bees..
Post by: Hyper.Intelligent.Fish on October 14, 2012, 07:04:33 am
Grandad and I had to move a hive after the neighbours built a pool and started complaining about the drowning bees.

They then had the nerve to complain that they didn't like pure honey; it was too sweet and it crystalised.
Title: Re: always hide your bees..
Post by: Joe D on October 14, 2012, 02:07:33 pm
One of my neighbors found out I had bees and ask if I would have any with comb, this was before I ever got any honey, and went ahead and paid for 1/2 gal with comb so he would be the first to have some.  I made appr. 17 gal of honey this year and only got to keep 2 quarts for myself.  Still have people wanting more.  Good luck with your bees.



Joe
Title: Re: always hide your bees..
Post by: jmblakeney on October 14, 2012, 08:47:15 pm
I agree w/ duck here.  I had nearly the same situation but they were getting stung b/c their little rugrat kids kept climbing the fence and squirting the hives with super soakers. 
If I had to do it over again I would hide my hives and not let anyone know I kept bees at my residence.  I would sell my honey and let everyone know I was a beek but not let them know where I kept them at.

James
Title: Re: always hide your bees..
Post by: D Coates on October 16, 2012, 05:49:31 pm
They then had the nerve to complain that they didn't like pure honey; it was too sweet and it crystalised.

Dang, and I thought all the screwballs were here in the states.
Title: Re: always hide your bees..
Post by: samsungpizza on October 16, 2012, 09:52:05 pm
I put a couple hives on the roof of my restaurant, in the heart of town, and the local paper did an article about it. I was waiting for the fallout, but it never happened. Maybe because I cook their food!  :-D
Title: Re: always hide your bees..
Post by: Bees In Miami on October 17, 2012, 01:40:37 am
I sure don't flaunt them, but my neighbors LOVE my bees!!!  Bumper crops for ALL of them with mango, avacado, papaya, bananas, etc!  They may not want to 'play' with my bees, but are appreciative they are here!  I even have a next door neighbor selling her house...she makes sure she shows them my Apiary!  She says she wants them to know they are here... It's been interesting to hear the replys!!  Everything from PERFECT!!!  to Oh Hell no!!!  Helps keep the Rif Raff out... :-D
Title: Re: always hide your bees..
Post by: johnnybigfish on October 17, 2012, 09:27:20 pm
Where I live, My bees are my first line of defense from intruders!..Even the dogs now realize they are out of a job!..(its great bein in the country not having to deal with nabors tho!)
your friend,
john
Title: Re: always hide your bees..
Post by: David McLeod on October 17, 2012, 09:47:40 pm
Mine are twenty feet out my front door all in a line right by the road. I refuse to hide them and if anyone has a problem then it all on them. I recently had an idiot code enforcement deputy in the yard bitching and moaning and I backed him down real quick like reminding him that I'm in the county and not the city and if he was to contest my argricultural zoning I'll see him at the next meeting with an attorney.
I'm a funny old backwoods Alabama cuss. I've bought and paid for every square inch I'm living on and I'll be darned if some ahole will tell me what I can and can do on my own property, I'll burn it to the ground before I let that happen.
Title: Re: always hide your bees..
Post by: BlueBee on October 17, 2012, 11:09:21 pm
I keep most of my bees on a farm in the country, zoned ag, and nobody bothers me.  For all the complaining people do about the Feds encroaching upon our freedoms, it’s really an eye opener to read the local ordinances that the Cities come up with!  In my local little town, just about everything a normal person would think of doing violates some ordinance.  In my town, you need a permit to have a garage sale and a license for your bicycle!  Don’t even think about burning anything or repairing anything  ;)
Title: Re: always hide your bees..
Post by: paindragon1 on October 17, 2012, 11:14:49 pm
My city limits are so screw ball, I don't think the cops even understand where they are.  I haven't been able to find any ordinance against beekeeping in my area and there is just no way I can hide my hives where I live.  I doubt I have too much trouble though, I might just have to pay off my neighbors with honey.

I do have a friend who is absolutely terrified of bees though, she's agreed to let me use her property for up to 6 hives though.... Weird.
Title: Re: always hide your bees..
Post by: David McLeod on October 18, 2012, 02:19:04 am
Back home in Alabama I had neighbor complain once, by the end of that summer her place had a for sale sign on it.
Title: Re: always hide your bees..
Post by: Nature Coast Beek on October 18, 2012, 01:44:22 pm
I keep bees in Florida and new state laws supersede local laws codes and what not for registered beeks. With all that being said, I keep bees and don't tell my neighbors and keep the hives out of sight. I have plenty of room (greenbelts and tons of empty lots) and make sure the hives aren't seen from the front yard. I've seen plenty of articles about bee vandalism with everything from stolen hives to poison sprayed hives, not in a hurry to give locations of out-yards to anyone. I keep the hives around my house to nucs, queen building and such, but again, I'm not in any hurry to let my neighbors in on my secret anytime soon. In my experience, interested nosy and noisy neighbors simply make life harder.
Title: Re: always hide your bees..
Post by: AllenF on October 18, 2012, 03:40:48 pm
I have never had a problem.   During the summer we have people come pick blueberries (pick your own farm)  and they all want honey also.  Those white hives are the best advertising one can have. 
Title: Re: always hide your bees..
Post by: codeboy on October 19, 2012, 01:11:16 pm
Here is what just happened in our area:

Original Story:
http://www.mlive.com/news/bay-city/index.ssf/2012/09/auburn_beekeeper.html (http://www.mlive.com/news/bay-city/index.ssf/2012/09/auburn_beekeeper.html)

Result:
http://www.mlive.com/news/bay-city/index.ssf/2012/09/auburn_beekeepers_hives_are_sa.html (http://www.mlive.com/news/bay-city/index.ssf/2012/09/auburn_beekeepers_hives_are_sa.html)

Title: Re: always hide your bees..
Post by: David McLeod on October 19, 2012, 03:10:31 pm
Personally I think the complainers need to be given something to really complain about, like a good old fashioned horse whipping.
Title: Re: always hide your bees..
Post by: AllenF on October 19, 2012, 05:19:45 pm
Here in Georgia, we have a nice little law that protects us and lets up keep our bees anywhere. 
Title: Re: always hide your bees..
Post by: kingbee on October 19, 2012, 08:30:51 pm
Personally I think the complainers need to be given something to really complain about...

David, remember some people would be unhappy if you was to hang um with a new rope. :-D :-D
Title: Re: always hide your bees..
Post by: bilder on October 20, 2012, 12:00:40 am
The complainers have it mostly in their heads that something is wrong.

If you have a hive, any buzzing sound near them is your fault.

I am a pipe smoker and have conducted a couple social experiments over the years.  I have boarded a city bus with my pipe in my mouth (unlit and with no tobacco in it).   I have been yelled at by the drivers who threaten to kick me off till I informed them that the pipe was not lit and no smoke was coming from it.   The best part is from fellow passengers.  I have had more than one lady get on the bus, look at me and then for the rest of the ride, they cough and wave their hand in front of their face as if smoke were really there.   Had one lady get in my face and such about the evils of tobacco.  She went on and on non-stop for several minutes till she paused to take a breath at which point I calmly explained that the pipe was empty and that if she were to use her eyes rather than her imagination, she would see that there was not a wisp of smoke on the bus.   I was called some words that would get me banned here and she promptly sat back down and glared at me for the rest of the ride.

Yes, complainers are everywhere and they usually imagine stuff up to complain about.
Title: Re: always hide your bees..
Post by: johnnybigfish on October 21, 2012, 01:59:38 am
I think I'll take up Piping!
your friend,
john
Title: Re: always hide your bees..
Post by: jaseemtp on October 21, 2012, 11:13:29 am
Duck,
I am sorry to hear about the trouble you have had with her.  I keep my hives hidden on my property, even though I am in the county and on 5 acres.  I have neighboors around me and if they knew I am sure they would complain about it to some one or try to take matters into their own hands. 
So I go against what we are told bees need.  My hives are in the shade, just sitting inside the tree line and I ightly burn my hive bodies and the apply a clear coat so that they blend in with the woods.  I have my property fenced and no trespassing signs up on all sides,  so if any one gets onto my property and gets stung its their own fault.
Title: Re: always hide your bees..
Post by: duck on October 21, 2012, 06:06:59 pm
well had to move all my hives to avoid the animal services director from recommending an ordinance be written.. He gave me a heads up and I decided to not effect all the other beeks within the city limits because I live next to the one person with a problem.. she claimed I was trying to KILL her.  Ironically, the branches on her orange tree in her backyard are touching the ground because of the weight of the fruit.  howardaj31 let me move hives to his property outside of town, and I am about to pickup 2 other yards at 20 acres each.  Im saturating the area and think I have to many hives in one spot now.. lol let her biatch.. she cant stop my plans for world domination! muhahhahahah
Title: Re: always hide your bees..
Post by: kingbee on October 28, 2012, 01:52:43 pm
... I'm a funny old backwoods Alabama cuss. I've bought and paid for every square inch I'm living on and I'll be darned if some ahole will tell me what I can and can do on my own property, I'll burn it to the ground before I let that happen.

I don't find anything strange about it Dave.  That is supposedly what Colonial General Thomas Sumter from South Carolina did when he torched his own home in the face of the Red Coats as they were occupying Charleston, South Carolina.  He is supposed to have remarked that he was saving the British the trouble and the expense of burning it to the ground themselves.  Bless men and women like him!!! We need more of them.
Title: Re: always hide your bees..
Post by: BlueBee on October 28, 2012, 03:12:16 pm
That isn’t how the federal government seems to remember Thomas Sumter……
http://www.fs.usda.gov (http://www.fs.usda.gov)

Oppps full link wasn't getting parsed correctly.  You'll have to google this one yourself :)

People don’t even notice the bees living in the trees in populated area.  If they don’t have something to worry about, they don’t worry  ;)
Title: Re: always hide your bees..
Post by: Maryland Beekeeper on October 28, 2012, 06:43:18 pm
Wow, reading all that really makes me appreciate the enlightened area in which I live, that I probably take for granted. Our county recently passed codes that respect the right of Beek's. My neighbors are all great but in Howard county MD if someone has a problem with your B's and refuses to listen to reason, (That honeybees are harmless, a great help to the environment, and in trouble) you can tell them to take a long walk off a short pier.
Cheers
Drew
Title: Re: always hide your bees..
Post by: johnauck on October 28, 2012, 08:59:06 pm
We have had our problem neighbours here in Melbourne.

At first they were really happy accepting our honey gifts and a frame or two of comb for their kids. Then someone got stung, of course it was one of 'our' bees. There are lots of hobby beekeepers in the area. The lady next door swatted with her hand a bee that landed in her hair. Hmmm, it stung her.

They even downloaded and printed our Apiarists Code Of Conduct, which I have read a few times. Dutifuly highlighted all the thingss we 'allegedly' were not doing right. They did pick me up on one point though, I had not labelled my hives with my registration number. Easily fixed. They were nitpicking and trying to find a reason to declare our apiary 'illegal' no doubt.

They complained to the local council. However, in this case they council was 100% on our side and said we could keep our beehives.

I don't think hiding our hives would have worked, they are very nosy, and the lady often enters our backyard permaculture garden to help herself to lettuce and show the kids our chooks. I did not mind at all except it is usually followed by some complaint or another, a tree growing too close, a rooster too loud, something wrong with the fence, the bees are attacking, there is too much of 'your' water flowing onto our place.... So I agree that if people cannot see or hear something they won't complain. I hate to say it, but I think we Australians are turning into a nation of whingers.

Now I am concerned that one of their kids might stub their toe or step on a bee and we will get sued, so we have politely asked them not to trespass. Which is a shame, kids should be educated about gardening and bees and chooks etc.

I did move our hive about 20 feet away from their fence, at their request. But I doubt it will make a lot of difference to the amount of bees flying in their general direction. Anyway, we have not heard about any bee incidents for about 6 months, so all good for now.



john
Title: Re: always hide your bees..
Post by: Javin on October 31, 2012, 03:18:10 pm
If it is any consolation, she will wear out before she does you any real damage.  She is probably getting mostly wasps this time of year anyway.  I know it is aggravating.  I don't keep my bees in  town but my pickup always ends up with some syrup or honey on the bed and I attract wasps and am becoming a seasonal pariah.  I wash it off religiously but once the wasps zero in, you are the first place they look.  Minimize your grief by not leaving anything attractive to wasps out.

Have you tried making a wasp trap?  It's about half cup sugar, one cup apple cider vinegar, two cups of water, and a banana peel in a 2 liter that's had the top cut off and flipped.  From what I understand, they work remarkably well, and hopefully can weaken the wasps enough to kill off the hives wherever they are.  (My love for bees is only matched by my hatred for yellowjackets.)