# Beehive clearance and distance to neighbors



## mike haney

The only reflection the thickness of vegetation has on keeping the bees from your neighbor is to be dense enough that the bees fly over it to forage, instead of low enough to crash into a person by accident .
If the bees are aggressive or get defensive a fence or bush will be no obstacle they just go over and back down.
The space between the bees and bush or fence can be six inches or six feet as long as its wide enough to make it easier to go up and over than to go around.
Your set up sounds great just remember the bees are living creatures and one can NEVER be absolutely sure or guarantee what they will do
Good Luck, Mike


----------



## rniles

Thank you for the information. Quite helpful.

Michael Bush says,


> " It's essential to have the hive where they are not a threat to animals who are chained or penned up and can't flee if they are attacked, or where they are likely to be a threat to passerbys who don't know there are hives there."


How do you know if the place you're going to put your hive will be a threat or not? Is 50 ft away with some vegetation (can see through it but it does obscure the view) sufficient?

Also do bees tend to harass someone who is mowing the lawn 35 feet away when they can hear the mower but not see the mower?


----------



## heaflaw

rniles said:


> Also do bees tend to harass someone who is mowing the lawn 35 feet away when they can hear the mower but not see the mower?


It varies a lot with the agressiveness of the individual hive, time of year, whether or not anything has been disturbing them and other factors. I can mow with a riding mower within 6" of mine and they haven't stung me yet-but you never know, next time I may get popped. If you keep gentle bees, you shouldn't have to worry.


----------



## alblancher

I am providing a link to Louisiana's Model Beekeeping Ordinance that may be helpful. Check your local and state government apriary laws, they may be different but this one seems to be pretty close to a standard

http://www.lsuagcenter.com/NR/rdonl.../61883/pub2524modelbeekeepingAug09HIGHRES.pdf


----------



## billybwf

Without something to force them higher at 35 feet they will still be flying at people height. I do not think they go higher until something is in front of them.


----------



## psfred

I would say you are fine. The direction the hive faces is not critical (mine face dead south, my brother's face mostly east), they will do fine.

If you are 200 ft from the neighbors house I would not worry, any bees that far away are foraging. Mine are beside the neighbor's compost pile alongside a 4 ft fence, and they are up above the trees long before they get to the house since the usual nectar sources are quite a distance away. Only time the neighbors have seen them away from the hive in any number is when they decided the leak on the hose reel on the front of the house in a graveled area was a wonderful water source. A hundred or so at a time were picking up water off the stones. Otherwise, they are never around.

I regularly get hit by bees when I cross the flight path in front of the hives when I'm watching them. They just fly off and go into the hive or off to wherever they were going. Occasionally when it's cold one will land on me for a bit and rest up before flying off, never had a problem with them, even when the hives are full of honey. Different story if you thump the hive a couple times and then pop the top off though.

Peter


----------

