# Lawn maintanence around hive?



## willyC

Bricks and sand.


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## RickR

Not a dumb question at all.

My bees usually let me mow pretty close to the hives. In fact from the back of the hives I can mow right up a against them. I usually suit up and run a weedeater around the bases every few weeks, and I have gotten good results from Roundup as well. I have some old rubber mats were used in a gym that I am going to put down around some of mine this year to cut down on maintenance. Some of the other beeks around here use landscaping fabric to keep the grass/weeds down. I have heard some speculation that the fabric may make things harder on hive beetle grubs too.


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## ChickenChaser

I started out using heavy rubber stall mats available at many farm stores. They measure a little less than 5X5...cost around $40 each...will last forever. Major drawback is the weight. Being flexible instead of rigid, it almost takes two people to move to the desired location. 

Another option - go to Lowes, Home Depot, etc., and get some of the reduced ceramic floor tiles. Probably about half the cost of option #1 and easier to handle by oneself. Grass may grow between joints but a tiny bit of Roundup should take care of that. Or a few layers of newspaper before the tiles go down. 

That would be some high class girls with a tile floor! 

CC


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## Baldursson

hmmmmmmmm my plan for this is to make a large dutch white clover patch for my hives to sit in. The clover doesn't get tall enough to worry about having to cut it.


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## delber

IMHO I wouldn't use roundup around the hives, but if it's done prior to setting them down it may be fine. I'm a bit crazy perhaps, but I want to keep as much chemicals out of the hive as possible and if the bees fall on the grass that you just put roundup on then they'll cary some in. I haven't had any problem with them just mowing near the hives. They do get a bit touchy if I blow the grass into the entrance, but other than that it doesn't seem to bother them much.


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## hipbee

I am planting wildflowers in front of my hives this year, not because I couldnt mow in front of them last year, just because I dont like mowing 
I have seen hives setting in grass neck deep but the girls didnt seem to mind weaving in between the blades of grass.


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## jmgi

The area where my hives are located used to be lawn, but when I put the hives back there I just let it go natural and planted alot of native plants that the bees like, if the weeds get too high in front of their entrances I just weed whack them early in the morning before they get flying real good, just takes a couple seconds per hive. John


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## Michael B

You can use scrap carpet or old plywood on the ground in front of the hive. My mentor is a large sideliner with about 800 hives, he made a deal with the local carpet installers to get some of thier scraps. He uses them because he visits some of his beeyards only 1-2 times a year and doesn't have the time for mowing or care to bring a mower with him.

Personally, I never had a problem with string trimming at any hour of the day. They bees just go about thier business....sometimes the grass gets very high and the trimmings cover the hive eintrance. Still the bees dont care. I wear a veil just incase though.


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## delber

Michae B, How does your mentor only visit some hives 1 or 2 times a year? I understand being busy, but I'd like to know what he does with these hives. Is he making anything off of them, or does he just let them go? I have recently been talking with my wife and she is concerned about how long it takes doing inspections etc. and I'm wondering how to speed things up some. I realize that as a new beekeeper it does take longer so I hope things will go faster this summer, but having some thoughts as to what to cut-out or to look for etc. would be helpful. (Sorry for being a bit off topic.)


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## Texnana

I have two hives of feral bees I relocated from my porch roof last year. I think they are Italians, but I'm not 100% sure. The hives are in my garden, and I want them to be ornamental as well as productive. We built a platform out of some leftover pave stones, about 8 ft. square, and set the hives on a stand on there. I have no problem mowing around the platform on my riding mower. I'm just careful to approach it from the back, and go sort of fast across the front. I use grass shears to hand trim close to the edge to keep it neat, and don't even wear a veil. Some of the girls will come out to check my work, but leave me alone. At times, some of the more nervous guards will warn me when I've been there long enough and I just walk away for awhile.


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## RayMarler

I'm seriously thinking of going to get some roll roofing. I can cut off a strip to put under the hive stands to keep the grass and weeds down around them. I think that roofing is 3 1/2 feet wide? It should work well and be fairly inexpensive.


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## robherc

jmgi said:


> ...if the weeds get too high in front of their entrances I just weed whack them early in the morning before they get flying real good...


Well, John already kinda beat me to it, but I prefer to maintain the plants near my hives after dark. Once it's fairly dark out (but before it gets so dark that you have to use a light) the bees can't really see to fly, so you don't have to worry about any kind of "coordinated attack" and at worst, should only get a couple stings if you do peev 'em off but good. inch:


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## MT204

RayMarler said:


> I'm seriously thinking of going to get some roll roofing. I can cut off a strip to put under the hive stands to keep the grass and weeds down around them. I think that roofing is 3 1/2 feet wide? It should work well and be fairly inexpensive.


Exactly what I used and works great. Another idea would be some asphalt shingles.


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## Davebcrzy

I have bees out back of the house. Lawn service has never had a problem mowing with riding mowers around the hives, of which there are two. That is, as long as the blower is turned AWAY from the hive entrance. One of their helpers didn't know to pass by with the blower away from the entrance and the ladies let him know it.


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## BGhoney

The biggest downside with laying anything down around here is mice will move in quick. I weed-eat the grass low, the spray spray round up in the evening.


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## Mbeck

Is it an option to but them where you won't have to mow?
I put most of mine in the pine trees and very little grows though the pine straw


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## Gypsi

I put pond liner 45 mil epdm under my hive stand. If I go to the pipe stand, I will still do this. I planted wildflowers in front of the hives last year, and try to keep mowing to a minimum. I find a suit a big plus if they are testy. Last year's hive staged a concerted attack when I got within 8 feet. 

Bad news about pond liner, fire ants like to get under it. Warm and dry. Hence, my nematodes. I don't like fire ants anymore than the bees do.


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## beekeeper120

I can get pretty close to the hives with my mower, and even the weed wacker, but DO NOT let the string from the weed wacker touch the stand or box. I made the mistake by accident and got tore up by stings...Ran like a little sissy girl to my garage.  ..Now I just clear it by hand when I do my inspections. Also made a 1 foot white gravel mote around the hives..also keeps track of the dead bees that always end up in front of the hive...pretty cool to watch them clean the hive and carry dead bees away from the hive.


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## PeteSJCA

I've got lawn on 3 sides (within a couple of inches) of my hive, and I mow and weed wack in front, back and one side. It doesn't seem to bother them at all. I do try to do the yard work early evening, when there is less activity.


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## StephenL

I use top entrances and that way I don't have to worry about lawn or weed care at all...just let the flowers grow and save time too.


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## gregsky88

I am a newbee in Amarillo, TX getting my bees in about two weeks. I have a couple of patches of white clover about 100 feet from where my hive will be. I just notices some areas of the clover infested with aphids. Any suggestions on how to eliminate this peat and not harm the bees with any residual or systemic insecticide spray?


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## robherc

Tobacco tea....the nicotine is organic, will kill the aphids quickly, but breaks down slowly in UV light & shouldn't leave ANY residue in 2 weeks. (click on the link for a recipe from eHow.com)
...just please do it in the evening, so no ferals & no other beekeepers' bees get poisoned while you're spraying it.


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## Intheswamp

Soaps may be gentler than tobacco tea...nicotine is highly toxic but in a tobacco tea it is supposedly very shortlived (a few hours). Sprayed *late* in the evening it should(?) be inert by the next morning from what I've read. Be aware of tobacco mosaic virus in the event you may be gardening in the area. Inspect the area for natural aphid predators before spraying soap, tobacco tea, or anything else...the predators may already be working on the aphids.

Colorado State University...
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/insect/05547.html

GardenWeb suggests: _Only use natural soaps or Murphy oil soap or mild liquid dishwashing soaps like Ivory. Soap help make teas stick better to plants and pests, and they also paralyze many insects in direct contact. Use no more than 1-2 tablespoons of soap per gallon of water. Do not use much on flowering fruit or vegetable plants. Can hinder fruit production._

Don't use detergents...only soap.

Best wishes,
Ed


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## Sherillynn

I don't have an area where I can put my bees where I wouldn't have to mo just do it really early in the morning, either mower or weed whip, and wear my veil. It doesn't seem to bother them. Its all finished so fast.


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## Mrobisr

Round up and/or stock salt. Stock salt is about 4.50/50lbs and will not hurt anything except the vegetation.


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## jupiterx

I use rock salt. The kind you put in a water softener. 40 lbs twice a year scattered around 2 hives. It costs me about 8 dollars a year. It kills almost most all of the vegitation.


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## willyC

jupiterx said:


> I use rock salt. The kind you put in a water softener. 40 lbs twice a year scattered around 2 hives. It costs me about 8 dollars a year. It kills almost most all of the vegitation.


Now thats a tip!


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## ChickenChaser

Per jupiter and willy's mention of salt - something just clicked.
I'm a poultry farmer and with the annual cleanout of my houses, the company I contract with provides bagged stock salt, which is broadcast on the bare dirt pads. I understand this is a treatment for parasites/larvae left behind. 
As far as around/under the hives, weed control and maybe the added benefit of some measure of non-chem pest control could result. 

CC


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## Intheswamp

Beware...you may attract the local deer herd to your yard with the salt.

Ed


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## Aerindel

I mowed right up to the entrance of my hive (italians) and didn't have any problems. The didn't even seem to notice the mower. The weed wacker on the other hand did kind of piss them off, probably because the string was hitting the hive itself.


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## delber

I also use the weed wacker. My hives are on a stand so I do hit the stand, but didn't hit the hive. This has worked well so far. I don't use a vail or anything, just do what I need to and move on. On another note. . . I'd be surprised if the deer would actually hit this salt. The salt that you get for a softener will go into the soil fairly quickly. One rain and it'll be almost all gone from the surface. Also I think that deer go for salt more in the winter. Is this correct? Regardless the salt bricks for deer seem to hold up much better than what's used on a softener.


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## LadySteelsheen

I dug down about 8 inches, poured in some gravel we had sitting off to the side of the driveway, and set big flat rocks down, kind of looks like a rustic patio. I've got butterfly bush and bee balm as a wind break/screen beside it, and the lawn on the other side. the other advantage of this, is because I'm foundationless, I was able to really level the hives nicely. Also, I was worried about frost heaving, which we get a lot of around here. And it just looks nice and tidy with the hives and the flowers  So far no problems, although I'm new to all this.


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## kallen

I have been mowing right up to mine for years, as long as you don't throw the clippings against the hive you won't have any problems.


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## Intheswamp

Deer will eat salted dirt, it doesn't have to be a brick...they're animals looking for something they need and want and that isn't available in abundant quantity in most places...that's why they go for it so eagerly. But, they may not even give it a second thought, depends on the deer I guess.

Ed


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## chicklet

I am also doing a sort of rustic patio. I'm making stepping stones, using cake pans I got at goodwill as the molds. Some of the stones are decorated with family members handprints, others have impressions of leaves. I'm planting creeping thyme between the stones. A lot of trouble, yes, but my hive is fairly close to the house and I wanted it to look nice (and i hate mowing and weed eating too!!).


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## brushmouth

Vinegar, cheapest you can find at your grocers applied with in a garden sprayer.(without rain) 
I create an area of soil near the hives/stand so I can mow close without a problem.
Spray with straight vinegar to kill vegetation anywhere/safely.
Early in the morning the girls don't even know your there.

BM


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## tomohern

Two layers of cardboard, one layer of burlap coffee bean bags and 3 inches of cedar wood chips. No mowing, weed whacking or spraying needed.


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## cjisler

The cheapest weed killer I've found is the saved brine water you get from making churning homemade ice cream. I save it in plastic milk jugs. I use it around the hives, on the fence lines and cracks in concrete. Of course, you can just make it with rock salt without the churning. I got the idea years ago when I read in the Bible about Joshua salting the ground after conquering some city. And the girls like the saltiness occasionally.
And instead of buying insecticidal soap, I just dissolve plain old homemade lye soap, which is natural and pure, not a detergent, in some water to spray. It's good for treating ant mounds, just keep it away from the girls. 
Layers of cardboard and a winter's worth of shredded junk mail make good mulch around the hives as well. It mats together like paper mache after a while, impervious to weeds. 
Carol


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## notaclue

Mine are on cider blocks two high, not a lot of attention needed, for my ease. about three times a summer I weedeat or mow and if I have upper ebtrance I usually don't have to do that until just before first frost, snow or ice.


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## westernbeekeeper

I weedeat about four feet all around the hives.


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## Samaria Honey

i use Raw Agriculture lime mites don't like crawling over it


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## ArkansasBK

MT204 said:


> Exactly what I used and works great. Another idea would be some asphalt shingles.



Ever been on an asphalt or tar roof in the summertime?


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## delber

ArkansasBK said:


> Ever been on an asphalt or tar roof in the summertime?


When I saw this I didn't think of that. My word that's a great point!!! It's WAY HOT up there. (and that's with the wind blowing)


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## mike haney

salt will poison the earth -permanantly if you use enough. scrap sheets/pieces of drywall from a builder/remodeler or dammaged from a supply house works great and the PH level kills SHB larvae. if you dont like the white color throw some mulch on it. if SHB are not a problem scrap carpet works very well to kill vegetation.


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## robherc

ArkansasBK said:


> Ever been on an asphalt or tar roof in the summertime?


Actually, I think that might be a _good_ thing for our purposes...as long as the hive is high enough over the hot asphalt/tar surface to not receive the damaging heat, that heat will actually work FOR us by killing the weeds under it, and the mites/shb larvae that land on it...at least IMO


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## danmcm

I keep mine on a slab of concrete this time around surrounded by four types of low growing mint further out I have spread wild flower seeds. I do use a weed eater but as these are in a side yard near my home i allow it to get much taller than the rest of the property. In time I hope to have a maze of raised herb flower beds around them but have just started with that project this year. So many herbs are good for the bees and have led to the medications we use that I figured if something it going to grow up around the hives what better than a massive herb maze/garden.

Daniel
Maryville, Tn


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