# My CRAZY neighbor and moth balls



## dmpower (Nov 7, 2010)

You want to be careful about your neighbor. If he is starting with moth balls, who knows what he will do next and your bees are the priority. 
That said, while having bees is not illegal, I'm guessing attempted poisoning of your hive is. Make sure you document what is going on and a witness would be a great tool to have.
Some (on other threads about neighbors) have suggested moving the hives and leaving an empty hive for him to complain about - to prove a point I guess. But I would be more worried about your bees' health and what your neighbor is capable of. Maybe you can move your hive further away from him.
Sorry I can't be of any help with regards to the moth balls.
Good luck!!


----------



## mellivore (Jun 27, 2011)

Consider a security video camera, either hidden, or even a cheap fake one in plain sight.


----------



## Joseph Clemens (Feb 12, 2005)

It sounds kinda crazy to me that anyone, even your neighbor ever had the opportunity to see your hive(s). No one that isn't standing next to mine is ever going to be able to see them, not even from Google Earth.


----------



## Stephen (Mar 2, 2011)

Reverse the role. Film him throwing the moth balls under/around your hive then you call the police. I'd be worried about someone like that. I'd be willing to bet the moth balls are just the beginning. So people are just ignorant.


----------



## Katharina (May 2, 2011)

Are bees attracted to anti freeze? I would worry that he resorts to that next. Yes, I would put up a camera and call the police. Not only is he going after your bees he is also poisoning your land. I know someone whose neighbor dumped diesel fuel onto the ground when he was moving. The rain washed it onto their land, lets say that the bio hazard clean up wasn't cheap. Perhaps he likes to learn the hard way.


----------



## Beeboy01 (May 20, 2008)

I would move the hives as far away from his property line as possible and set up a dummy hive. A can of wasp spray can shoot up to 30 feet which is about as far as a moth ball can be tossed so the hives are within spray distance which is not good.Try to find out why the bees are bothering yourneighbor, maybe the police have an idea from the earlier complaints. Document as much as possible with dates and pictures of the mothballs, any sudden hive losses and talking with the police. Keep track of everything that happens incase it gets ugly.


----------



## beemanbob (May 28, 2010)

If you have a neighbor that is that wacked out, push them to the edge. Move your good hive to a safe location and replace it with 3 dummy hives. And everytime there is an incident increase the amount of dummy hives by 1 or 2.


----------



## djei5 (Apr 24, 2011)

Trail camera from Walmart, $50, slam dunk case in court!


----------



## signalten (Feb 27, 2011)

djei5 said:


> Trail camera from Walmart, $50, slam dunk case in court!


''

I agree with the trail camera. Get documentation! I'm not sure of the laws in Illinois but I'm a police officer in Indiana. The unfortunate thing I see is that for charges to be filed, damage would have to occur; dead bees or damaged hives.  That is what we want to prevent, obviously. The harassment laws in Indiana are poor and try getting one filed in my county. It may be different for you and I hope so. I suggest calling you local police department and having an officer come to the house. The officer will tell you what exactly your options are. I would stand in the yard by your hives with the officer and point towards your neighbors house. Another option is to seek a protective or no contact order through the courts against your neighbor. It would make the harassing action, individually, an arrestable offense. This takes documentation on your part, such as, video, photographs or witnesses. If damage occurs, you also have the civil courts. Hope it all works out for you.


----------



## migbait (Jun 2, 2011)

Thanks everyone for your helpful hints. I plan on moving the hive this winter, well out of his non-tresspassing range, and buying a camera then ensuring he knows I have one.


----------



## KQ6AR (May 13, 2008)

Our department of agriculture is pro active on hives being poisoned. If you're police won't help file a report with the ag department.


----------



## fish_stix (May 17, 2009)

Why wait until winter? Move it now before he goes off the deep end and does something irreversible. Moving a hive is no big deal, all of mine get moved 3-4 times/year. Just move it away from his property line and then take appropriate legal action if he persists in messing with them.


----------



## Live Oak (Oct 11, 2008)

Throwing moth balls over the fence is not only a form of criminal aggravated tresspass, it is also an illegal and off label use of a toxic compound. You can bring criminal charges against your neighbor for criminal aggravated tresspass, vandalism, and maybe even aggravated assault depending up your local prosecutor. I suggest you contact you local public prosecutor and run this issue by them and find out what charges they would support you on by prosecuting any criminal warrants you file against your neighbor. They will VERY likely get off with a barely a slap on the wrist HOWEVER.........the cost of retaining an attorney, time off work, general hassle, the stress of being charges and possibly indicted will DEFINITELY get their attention. At the very least, they will spend $2500 in General Sessions Court. If the judge remands the case to the grand jury and they are indicted, figure another minimum $10,000. 

I would STRONGLY advise you NOT go the above route until you have exhausted EVERY possible avenue to resolve this in an amicable and neighborly manner with your neighbor. If they are that obstinate and nutty........then let them learn the hard way. Just be forewaned once you go this route, you can expect UNLIMITED nuclear war with your neighbor as long as you or they live there.


----------



## WLC (Feb 7, 2010)

Get the trail cams/security cams up and running.

Once you have evidence, bring it to the local prosecutor. They'll know what to do.


----------



## Katharina (May 2, 2011)

Moving them may protect your bees, but it also assures the neighbor that he is on the right track. Not sure, if I let him win/get away with it.


----------



## WLC (Feb 7, 2010)

Here's some light reading on Criminal Poisonig.

http://files.rushim.ru/books/Books2/Toxicology/criminal-poisoning.pdf

You need to be worried about your neighbor switching to antifreeze.

Also, do not consume any honey from your hives!


----------



## Katharina (May 2, 2011)

Perhaps dropping the line that you do bake with and consume the honey they produce. Poisoning them will poison your food, and you will file the largest law suite they can imagine if you or your family gets sick. Plus it is easy to prove poison in the honey and make the connection with video surveillance. Perhaps that scares them enough to stop it.


----------



## snapper1d (Apr 8, 2011)

I know it is frustrating for you with a neighbor like that.I had a captured swarm here at my house a few years ago that I was watching before deciding to move our into one of the out yards.It was hot summer,the bees bearding and I came home and saw a few bees flying around the hive and something didnt look just right.I went over and someone has sprayed the hive and killed almost all of the bees!!! I think my problems are over now since they have past on and his evil wife got caught burglarizing the other neighbors.Then her husbands sister came up with a deed to the property and she got ran off!!!! Crazy woman came over once when I left and killed a turkey and took it home with her!!! Crazy neighbors are a real pain!!!!


----------



## pascopol (Apr 23, 2009)

Most of the advice here is on defensive side and would not be effective dealing with an obvious a*shole your neighboor is.

All depending on your willingless to fight and defeat him.

Myself I'd seriously warn him verbally first, and if he continues I'd pump few hundred gallons of contains of my septic tank over the fence, but that would be just for starters.

What I'd do next I can not tell without getting in trouble here.


----------



## WLC (Feb 7, 2010)

This person has already called the police, and when that didn't work, they decided to try and poison the bees. 

I think that it's safe to say that it's gone past the warning stage. They've taken the law into their own hands. I would advise against doing the same.

There's no telling what they will try next, especially since the moth balls didn't kill the bees.

My concern would be that the OP, and their family, ends up consuming poisoned honey.

So, I wouldn't say 'crazy neighbor', I would say 'the sociopath next door'.


----------



## snapper1d (Apr 8, 2011)

Pursue the legal route!!! If they get off with a slap the first time and then the show back up in front of the judge the second time about the same problem it will really start to get tough on that neighbor.Judges dont like to see someone the second time around for the same situation!!!!


----------



## dingo983 (Feb 10, 2011)

With people like this, you need to play by the rules of law. Like the other said, set up hunting trail cameras or web cams that you can record directly to you hard drive. The technology is fairly inexpensive now and any kid from an electronics store can help you set it up. Document, Document, Document. "On the above date and approximate time, I witnessed my neighbor, Mr. Nutjob, etc,etc,etc...The more you document in video and writing, the more solid of a case you make, which makes it easier for law enforcement personnel, making them more willing to help you prosecute this crook.


----------



## greif (Nov 9, 2010)

my coworker has a "stealth" brand trail cam, does very high quality video and not to expensive


----------

