# How to handle difficult people??



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

You are best off removing your hives. Good decision.


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## byron (May 26, 2011)

I hate that. You can't teach some people anything. Once an irrational belief gets fixed, people will die rather than admit to being wrong.


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## hpm08161947 (May 16, 2009)

Last year we were given a yard for the bees. My son and I loaded up 5 pallets and took them there. While unloading them a neighbor (at least a 1/4 mile away) shows up and says those bees will sting his horse. I tried to explain to him that this was highly unlikely and that if there was a problem we would move them out. But I could tell that this was the kind of person who just looks for a "Cause" to get irate about. So I told my son that we had best just load them up and take them back. While loading them up I could tell that the complainer was actually disappointed that he was not going to have an issue to get excited about. So whenever there is even a slight problem there really is not much choice. I could easily imagine this person spraying the hives down with Sevin or something.


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## Ozone (May 24, 2011)

byron said:


> I hate that. You can't teach some people anything. Once an irrational belief gets fixed, people will die rather than admit to being wrong.


Wow! A true genius here! :thumbsup:


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## WLC (Feb 7, 2010)

If you've made an agreement with a landowner for consideration, would you still owe them consideration if you unilaterally removed your hives?


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## hpm08161947 (May 16, 2009)

Hmmm.. good question. It would depend on the contract - I assume with remuneration a contract would be involved. When it comes to pollination a contract could be involved, and this contract would most likely include clauses that make the landowner responsible for damage to the hives. But Yards just for placement seldom involve contracts... just an occasional jar or two of honey. At least that is the way it is in this rural backwater.


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## WLC (Feb 7, 2010)

Even if it's just a handshake and a jar of honey, it couldn't hurt to show that 'you're a man of your word'. It'll get around if you don't follow through. Even in the big city, we 'gossip' to fill the hours.


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## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

There are certain people you just need to stay away from. BMAC did the right thing, just get outta there, under the best terms possible protracted arguments only make things worse. I moved a yard once in mid summer (pre forklift days for me) for a lady that was almost hysterical because a tree by her house was full of bees working it. She knew I had a yard just a couple hundred yards away and insisted I do something to get the bees out of her trees. When all logic failed I finally told her I'd move my hives she said "oh great you move your bees and leave me with this problem".


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## hpm08161947 (May 16, 2009)

WLC said:


> Even if it's just a handshake and a jar of honey, it couldn't hurt to show that 'you're a man of your word'. .


So you would have left the hives there? With an irate neighbor threatening "no telling what". This would not be the first yard to mysteriously catch fire in the middle of the night.

The land owner in these cases is really just doing you a favor in letting you park your bees there. If it does not work out it is just your call. It is not really a contract deal - he would not want to sign anything making him responsible. He would not care whether your bees are there or not. Plus.. at least in this case... he understood and agreed that his neighbor was stranger than he thought he was.


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## WLC (Feb 7, 2010)

I never said that you should leave your hives there. 

I said that you should follow through.

You can't just walk away without any discussion or explanation (or maybe even a promised jar of honey).

Would you want to deal with someone who has a reputation for making an agreement and just disappearing?


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## hpm08161947 (May 16, 2009)

WLC said:


> Would you want to deal with someone who has a reputation for making an agreement and just disappearing?


OIC.. there was discussion... the landowner offered to intercede as he felt the neighbor had no right to determine whether he had bees on his property or not. But he understood that the risk just was not worth it... an o yea - he had already gotten his honey... quite a bit if I remember correctly... write it off... right?


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## forgeblast (Feb 4, 2011)

You followed though, paid him even though you didnt use his property, and left on good terms with the land owner. I would think that is all you can do. Leaving the bees there just would have ment trouble and dead bees.


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## WLC (Feb 7, 2010)

Write off? No.

Goodwill? Yes.

Hey, if the landowner has good land for hunting... 

You did the right thing.


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## TimnEsther (May 18, 2011)

I would move the bees but leave my number with the land owner should he need somebody to come do a cutout on his rental. That would provide a quiet sense of satisfaction and they pay you to take the bees.


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## Tom G. Laury (May 24, 2008)

TimnEsther that is good thinking.

Plus there is still one location with the same land owner, isn't there? After a while, the hired hand trouble maker will move.


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## gregstahlman (Oct 7, 2009)

welcome to commercial beekeeping!!!! sounds like a broken record that we been hearing for years and years. we have bees in some of the most isolated areas and still hear complaints that they are attacking the kids, flying in their mouths, stinging the livestock, etc. it is quite common for us when we are in Texas to lose a location because deer and hog hunters complain to the land owner. ignorant people in Texas frequently accuse us that the bees eat the "deer corn" out of the deer feeders. didn't know bees had such a healthy appetite lol!!!!! on the other hand you will occasionally meet the nicest person in the world and almost beg you to put bees on their property. have a yard of 144 hives maybe 500 feet from a guys house and says he doesn't even notice them haha. best advice i could give is to move the bees out of the "problem" location. it isn't worth having your bees poisoned, burned, or bucked up in a pile with a tractor. have seen all sorts of creative solutions people have when they have a problem with bees. just too bad that you and i both know that the bees are not creating any problems and everything is being blown WAY out of proportion.


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## Tom G. Laury (May 24, 2008)

Out of sight, out of mind; but in full view you meet the horses' behind.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

WLC said:


> Even if it's just a handshake and a jar of honey, it couldn't hurt to show that 'you're a man of your word'.


What was his "word"? That he would put bees on someones land? 

If someone comes to me and asks me to put bees on their property and I say, "Okay. It would be nice to have another yd." I am under no obligation to use that property. Especially if, when delivering the bees, I ran into some trouble from neighbors which made me think having them there wasn't a good idea.

Beyond that, if someone asked me to put bees on their land, I feel no obligation to pay yd rent. I have three such situations this year. People want me to put bees on their property to benefit them and their property. That benefit is there payment for having the bees there.


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## WLC (Feb 7, 2010)

Only a 'flake' makes an agreement for consideration (you know, honey or money), places hives on the property, and then removes the hives and disappears.

The original poster should follow through and not simply take the hives off of the property without discussing things with the person they made the agreement with.


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## BMAC (Jun 23, 2009)

You find it bad business to remove the bees without giving anything in return. I believe its being prudent. If the landowner wanted to discuss anything he would have taken care of the issue vice handing my phone number over to hired hands wife. As far as leaving on good terms. I left on great terms. I had a nice conversation with the hired hand on my way out as he was returning from work. We talked about how busy we both been, yapped quick about working on some tractors and that was done. 

Landowner will still NOT see a drop of honey from me. I hardly find 1 weeks worth of plopping my bees on someones property worthy of paying anything for land use. Landowner is more than welcome to stop by or call as he knows where I live and obviously has my phone number. I will be more than happy to discuss the unprofessional behavior of just handing out my number to folks. 

As far as follow thru, the bees are on the back of my truck as I type this ready to go to pollination in the morning to a local veg producer.


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## WLC (Feb 7, 2010)

Yes, but you didn't make the deal with the hired hand or his wife.

I would say that giving your phone number to an employee's spouse who has a complaint about 'bees in the house' isn't really unprofessional. It makes sense.

Frankly, letting an employee's spouse chase you and your hives off of the landowners property says it all.

You should have called the guy.


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## BMAC (Jun 23, 2009)

I am simply showing him the same courtesy as he showed me. I don't need hunting property. You say the employees wife run me off. I'm telling you that is bad business practice to keep bees where they are unwanted. Law enforcement generally gets involved and you my friend live in the largest SUE happy city in this state. 2 reason that assures me I am being prudent.


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## WLC (Feb 7, 2010)

You should have checked to see if the house needed a cutout, or if your bees had swarmed. Then you call the guy to let him know what you're going to do.

There's nothing sacred about your phone number in a case like that.

Beekeping is your 'profession', not theirs.

This also illustrates why carrying liability insurance is a good idea, or at least being sure that you're covered under the landowner's policy.


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## beeware10 (Jul 25, 2010)

maybe I missed a post. but I would have gone back to the farmer and asked him if he was running the farm or his hired mans wife. (maybe a little more diplomatic)


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## BMAC (Jun 23, 2009)

Yes so it is tempting to ask the farmer who is running the show. I did not bother. The hired hand seemed content with me moving the bees out. Being that particular hired hand is his right hand man I am confident the landowner is fully aware Im pulling the bees from the location. I would be certain that has been discussed.

Not really that big of a deal as I said I am getting ready to run them to a local veg producer for pollination after I have my cup of coffee this morning.

WLC you are correct. Carrying liability insurance is a good idea. There was no reason to tell the owner I do cutouts or to even check the house for cutout. She has it in her mind she is going to poison said bees in the house so they dont kill her entire family. It truly was an enlightening conversation I had with her that day. I tried to explain to her its not a good idea to just kill the bees in her walls. She has it in her mind I am stupid and dont know what I am doing or talking about and she is handling the situation. So no I will not advertise I could cut it out for them and rid the house of the bees. I will let her live and learn by the means she is meant to learn.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

WLC said:


> You should have checked to see if the house needed a cutout, or if your bees had swarmed. Then you call the guy to let him know what you're going to do.


I don't know about BMAC, but we run similar numbers of hives and I have no time, nor desire to do cut outs. Nor do I have contact info for people who do. This is a nonissue. BMAC acted in his best interest and that is what is important to his business. There are many "should haves" that can be pointed out from other perspectives, but none of us were on the ground when the decisions had to be made. Anybody want to second guess WMD in Iraq?


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## WLC (Feb 7, 2010)

Well, regardless, you should give the hired hand a jar of honey for having a wife like that.


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## BMAC (Jun 23, 2009)

I have to tell you my charity starts at home. However I would be more than welcome to start a 1/5th of Scotch with the hired hand so he can reflect on his decision to get married.


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## Beeslave (Feb 6, 2009)

Moving them was the right thing. I recently found out a nearby neighbor to one of my yards was poisoning my bees 2 yrs in a row. I wondered why this one yard would do so well till it got hot out then they would start declining. This person was friends with my grandmother before she passed away and her next door neighbor. They have a dog kennel that they sprayed with water to cool the dogs. The water was attracting the bees. Instead of calling me to tell me of the problem they were continuously spraying the kennel water down with Wasp and Hornet killer. These people recently purchased this property from my family. When I went to discuss with them about putting bees there this year the husband was kind enough to walk me into his garage, showed me the 2 cases worth of empty bee killer aerosal cans, then proceeded to tell me the story of how his wife sprayed the kennel down with it every day.


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## delber (Dec 26, 2010)

I recently encountered someone similar to this. I was called out (by a wife of a man) for a swarm. When I got there her husband came out to meet me and was just a little testy to say the least. I was reminded "a soft answer turns away wrath" so I proceeded to do just that. I figured that if it was my reputation or a swarm I'd chose my reputation. I simply told him that I'm up for whatever he wanted. I wasn't trying to push him / them into anything, but was there simply to help. In about 3-5 minutes he calmed down and showed me the swarm. I left on great terms. It ended up being a very cordial and enjoyable time. Ultimately you need to do what you need to do!! If that means "losing" something well then fine. In all honesty I think you went above and beyond in this case. I would have offered some of the honey that the bees gathered from his property. I wouldn't have given him some up front. Just my thoughts.


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## Skinner Apiaries (Sep 1, 2009)

I like yards off the road where people can't see them, gated is nice too. Most of mine are. Deer cameras are nice. Had a boy burn a pallet of bees on me last year for a similar situation. Between his old trailer house I cut into pieces and a of his car I scrapped I think he paid me about 200 a piece, not too shabby. I guess I could hang right in there with some of those Florida nuts!


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## Elwood (Apr 8, 2009)

I also decided to not use this farmers land at all due to the fact he freely handed her my phone number instead of handling the business himself. I know we are all busy but I believe he should have talked to her and then talked to me about the issue instead of just handing her my phone number being the deal was between him and I.[/QUOTE]


He gave her your number because he _knows_ her. :lpf:


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