# Safe Perimeter Around Hive



## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

Welcome to Beesource! 

The fence around the hives needs to be far enough away from the hives so that you have room to work around those hives. That includes having a place to set down hive bodies that you may have removed while inspecting. And make the fence big enough so that you could add a hive or too more than your initial plans.

You didn't say how big your dog is, but chainlink sounds more than adequate. I think that some T-posts and 2"x4" mesh fencing would be fine too.

One thing to consider is the bees' flight path. If you used a 'solid' fencing material, the bees would adjust by flying 'up' to a level high enough to clear the fence, and then continuing on from there. That might be useful from a dog, or kid, or even 'non-beekeeper' adult perspective.

How close are the neighbors to the hive location? And if you might have a neighbor problem, a visual screen obscuring the hives can be useful.


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## tnmtn (May 27, 2016)

I found it's helpful to be able to drive close to the hives when loading heavy boxes so they don't have to be carried much distance.

My dogs stay away without a problem. Not sure how they know, but they do.


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## DeanCedar (Sep 28, 2017)

Dogs will learn quite quickly in my experience! Good luck!


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## Eikel (Mar 12, 2014)

Just an FYI, dogs can be given Benadryl during their learning phase. My bigger concern for any animal inside a fenced area is if the dog had sufficient space to get away if for any reason the bees were in foul humor.


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## Steve's Bees (Mar 25, 2017)

I have 3 dogs and they instinctively know to stay away as soon as they see Bees at the hives. Sounds like you're putting yourself to a lot of work for nothing.


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## bee keeper chef (Nov 1, 2015)

DeanCedar said:


> Dogs will learn quite quickly in my experience! Good luck!


:thumbsup:


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## Grady Stanley (Jul 7, 2017)

DeanCedar said:


> Dogs will learn quite quickly in my experience! Good luck!


Dogs are smarter than us. They get popped a time or two and they know to stay away. We keep going back for more!


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## beehapiary (Jan 13, 2017)

After watching my dog poke her nose in the boxes for weeks without incident, I thought I may have dodged a sting or two. As the summer went on she was stung at least 3 times but never at the hive, often 50-100 feet from the hive, without provoking them. The first thing she does once outside is look at those hives from the house, so yes she has learned to fear them. I think as late summer early fall comes the bees attitude may change a bit. I know your saying you already have the fence , just remember bees fly.


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## Oldtimer (Jul 4, 2010)

Bees don't much like the smell of dogs. If the bees are having a bad day they may have a go at the dog even quite some distance from the hive. In my view it is better to allow the dog access to the hives so it learns to associate bee stings with the hives, rather than it gets the odd sting away from the hive and never understands where they come from.

The majority of dogs are pretty tough and suffer no serious effects from bee stings other than the initial pain. Some dogs learn quickly to avoid beehives, but a few get stung many times and never figure it out. If your dog turns out to be one of those, better to fence the hives off, as the second option.


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## cbay (Mar 27, 2017)

My dog will never learn. He keeps snapping at them...


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## gcolbert (Nov 21, 2017)

Thanks for the input folks. I'll forgo adding another fence line unless and until it becomes a problem. 

Glen


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