# Placing hive in open field with horses



## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

*Re: Has anyone tried this?....did it work?*

See _Lauri_'s (she is in Roy WA and a climate similar to Vancouver BC) comments and photos, post#22:
http://www.beesource.com/forums/sho...ound&p=867138&highlight=greenhouse#post867138


----------



## Randy south MS (Aug 7, 2013)

*Re: Has anyone tried this?....did it work?*

You mentioned horses, I have had horses for the last 50 years and can tell you they wont leave them alone. 
Bees and horses don't mix, for some reason bees hate horses, all the horse has to do is walk by and they are on him like nobodys business.
I guess its a horses nature to mess with stuff. He will knock them over without a doubt. No way would I put bees in with the horse or even to where the horse can reach them over the fence.

Just my experience and 2 cents worth
Randy


----------



## Marcin (Jun 15, 2011)

*Re: Has anyone tried this?....did it work?*

Off topic, but Randy,
I'm mulling over an offer to place bees at a horse farm. The hives would be placed about 200 yrds away from the horses. The horses wouldn't be able to get close to the bees unless they got loose. Other than bees possibly getting water from horses' water founta, there wouldn't be any close interaction between them. I'm a little bit concerned about placing bees there though, just because of the issue of bees and horses not mixing well. What do you think?


----------



## philip.devos (Aug 10, 2013)

*Re: Has anyone tried this?....did it work?*



Marcin said:


> Off topic, but Randy,
> I'm mulling over an offer to place bees at a horse farm. The hives would be placed about 200 yrds away from the horses. The horses wouldn't be able to get close to the bees unless they got loose. Other than bees possibly getting water from horses' water founta, there wouldn't be any close interaction between them. I'm a little bit concerned about placing bees there though, just because of the issue of bees and horses not mixing well. What do you think?


I say NEIGH! :lookout:


----------



## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

*Re: Has anyone tried this?....did it work?*

Having bees and horse/cows separated by 200 yards is quite a long distance. My bees are within 600 feet of my neighbors' livestock pastures, and no one has ever suggested there is an issue.


----------



## CajunBee (May 15, 2013)

*Re: Has anyone tried this?....did it work?*

Nevermind


----------



## WBVC (Apr 25, 2013)

*Re: Has anyone tried this?....did it work?*

Thanks...I wondered about that...there would 7 in the immediate area I had hoped to put the bee tent



Randy south MS said:


> You mentioned horses, I have had horses for the last 50 years and can tell you they wont leave them alone.
> Bees and horses don't mix, for some reason bees hate horses, all the horse has to do is walk by and they are on him like nobodys business.
> I guess its a horses nature to mess with stuff. He will knock them over without a doubt. No way would I put bees in with the horse or even to where the horse can reach them over the fence.
> 
> ...


----------



## WBVC (Apr 25, 2013)

*Re: Has anyone tried this?....did it work?*

Last year my bees were 50 ft from the horses with a fence in between. The horses, and bees, behaviour seemed normal however a mare we have had for years developed ongoing urticaria that required ongoing medication. The issued stopped when the bees stopped flying in the fall.


Marcin said:


> Off topic, but Randy,
> I'm mulling over an offer to place bees at a horse farm. The hives would be placed about 200 yrds away from the horses. The horses wouldn't be able to get close to the bees unless they got loose. Other than bees possibly getting water from horses' water founta, there wouldn't be any close interaction between them. I'm a little bit concerned about placing bees there though, just because of the issue of bees and horses not mixing well. What do you think?


----------



## WBVC (Apr 25, 2013)

*Re: Has anyone tried this?....did it work?*

That is a good post by Laurie. I do think it could work if put up in the fall and not too high above the wintered boxes with the lower entrance uncovered.


----------



## cdevier (Jul 17, 2010)

*Re: Has anyone tried this?....did it work?*

WBVC -I also have my bee yard 50 feet from my horse fence. No problem. The bees spend a good part of the summer collecting nectar from the white clover in the horse lots with no interaction with the horses. However, I could not possibably put a hive, tent , flytrap (tried that) or anything else with the horses - they chew, rub and kick everything.
Charlie


----------



## WBVC (Apr 25, 2013)

*Re: Has anyone tried this?....did it work?*

I have a round pen that I use only infrequently...I had thought to put the bee set up inside the round pen
However I just brought home a yearling so may be needing to keep the round pen free for horse use after all.


----------



## Randy south MS (Aug 7, 2013)

*Re: Has anyone tried this?....did it work?*

My take on the original post was that the hives would be in the pasture with the horses. I feel that any distance 50 feet or more from the fence would be good and no problems.
Sorry if I mis read.

Randy


----------



## wildbranch2007 (Dec 3, 2008)

*Re: Has anyone tried this?....did it work?*

a young lady that has hives near one of my apiaries uses old totes turned upside down and one side cut out of it, looks like it works fine, the skid is on top so they don't get rain or snow on them, the sides block the wind, they are heavy enough not to move, and I would guess the temp. goes up on a sunny day. she has done this the last two years, next time I see here I'll ask how they survive the winter. would be to expensive for a lot of hives unless someone was getting rid of the totes for free.


----------



## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

*Re: Has anyone tried this?....did it work?*

>I plan to have some hives in an open field (hope the horses leave them alone). 

They will not. I usually have the hives fenced off from the horses. The horses often graze right in front of the hives (their noses six from the entrance when they are trying to reach through the fence) and they do fine with that. If they get stung they run to the other end of the pasture. When the horses have gotten into the bees they have oftenknocked down several at one time as once they get stung they buck and kick and run over more hives... I've also had them eat the hives, the frames etc. I dont think the nails were very good for them...

Indoor wintering is much tricker than outdoor. I would study all the threads on the topic thoroughly and listen to the problems and sucesses people have had.


----------



## dawsong (Jun 9, 2013)

*Re: Has anyone tried this?....did it work?*

Bees and horses , cattle any livestock don't mix. The bees will sting them every time they pass the hives. and then after a week of that you wont be to work in your bee hives.


----------



## WBVC (Apr 25, 2013)

*Re: Has anyone tried this?....did it work?*

You did not misread. The original post was..have any of you tried this...I have no idea how it morphed into a title of bees in horse pasture.

I asked primarily about the tent. Then queried the placement of the tent. Outside the horse area, within the horse area, within the horse area but confined by the round pen.

The round pen is likely the best option but I think I will need it for horses again this summer. Another option is to keep one paddock just for bees

Or to group them in a pasture and put fencing around them.

After reading Lauri's post I think the tent may be too high and a plastic lean to out of dark plastic may be best.


Randy south MS said:


> My take on the original post was that the hives would be in the pasture with the horses. I feel that any distance 50 feet or more from the fence would be good and no problems.
> Sorry if I mis read.
> 
> Randy


----------



## WBVC (Apr 25, 2013)

*Re: Has anyone tried this?....did it work?*



wildbranch2007 said:


> a young lady that has hives near one of my apiaries uses old totes turned upside down and one side cut out of it, looks like it works fine, the skid is on top so they don't get rain or snow on them, the sides block the wind, they are heavy enough not to move, and I would guess the temp. goes up on a sunny day. she has done this the last two years, next time I see here I'll ask how they survive the winter. would be to expensive for a lot of hives unless someone was getting rid of the totes for free.


What is a "tote"?


----------



## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

*Re: Has anyone tried this?....did it work?*

Totes come in a variety of forms, but basically they are similar to pallets with sides, and perhaps a top. Here is one style:









Some totes are suitable to use as syrup tanks ...


----------



## WBVC (Apr 25, 2013)

*Re: Has anyone tried this?....did it work?*

WOW...they don't look something one would throw away!


----------



## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

*Re: Has anyone tried this?....did it work?*

It is probably best to separate horses from hives. However, there are many horse farms in Alachua and Marion counties that have no fence or separation with herds worth close to half a million dollars. I actually had to back one herd of 8 horses up so I could work the 16 hives unimpeded. I also ride regularly and do not want any stinging incidents. None of the horses live stabled including those I ride so they may have different behaviors, I am not saying smarter though in nature they avoid hazardous situations unlike the concerns listed above. I have seen older horses get right over the beekeepers shoulder during hive inspections.


----------



## Bmcq (May 29, 2013)

*Re: Has anyone tried this?....did it work?*

I'm in the proses of fencing of my hives so the horse cant get at them, One of our horses has a sweet tooth and keeps taking the top of the feeder to get at the sirup.
The hives are now strapped down but she still nudges the hive. Just this week she nudged the hive so hard the baggie of sirup started to leek all though the hive. I put the horses in another field. I then talk of the feeder and set it out on the ground away from the hive, so the bees could clean it up (open feed). I then when inside had some coffee came back to the yard to find that Nancy some how got back in the field again, The feeder was just covered with bees and Nancy the sweet tooth horse with her nose in the feeder supping up the sirup , she would lift her head shake off the bees and go down for more, she was not at worried about by the bees. Tried to get her to move but she was not having it she put her nose in those bees several times, finally she came up with the baggie in her mouth, I tried to pull it from her but she just ate the baggie, called the vet and he said just keep an eye on her and the bag should just pass though with time. Working hard to fence of the bee yard, love the horses not the extra work


----------



## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

*Re: Has anyone tried this?....did it work?*

Wow! A feeder of syrup might cause her to founder...


----------



## Rusty Hills Farm (Mar 24, 2010)

*Re: Has anyone tried this?....did it work?*



dawsong said:


> Bees and horses , cattle any livestock don't mix. The bees will sting them every time they pass the hives. and then after a week of that you wont be to work in your bee hives.


I've had horses for over 40 years and bees for over 20. The bees have always been in the pasture or right beside it. I have never had a problem from this. As others have noted, it is important for the hives to be fenced off from the horses or the horses will rub on them, chew them, etc. But as long as there is a fence between them, I've never had a problem with my honeybees following, stinging, or otherwise bothering my horses. Nor have they become hard to work or anything close to it. I have Cordovans.

JMO

Rusty


----------



## wildbranch2007 (Dec 3, 2008)

*Re: Has anyone tried this?....did it work?*



Rader Sidetrack said:


> Some totes are suitable to use as syrup tanks


these are the ones she's using, when I see her I'll ask here where she got them.


----------



## Birdman (May 8, 2009)

*Re: Has anyone tried this?....did it work?*



wildbranch2007 said:


> these are the ones she's using, when I see her I'll ask here where she got them.


Try Craig's list they are on there all the time around my area, like $80.00. Finger lake's in your area has them on Craig's list.


----------



## lute1812 (Mar 1, 2014)

*Re: Has anyone tried this?....did it work?*

A number of years ago I bought a 20 colony apiary behind an auction house, where the neighbor had a small animal ranch on 2-acres. The reason the beekeeper was selling the yard was because the bees, located about 35 yards from the grazing horse, actually killed the neighbor's horse. The owner of the horse had left it tied up and that beekeeper was tired of the abuse and hassles. I must admit it was a band of hives like dynamite, where there were some questionable times that caused me to retreat, but I ended up doing allot of re-queening after I had split a number of hives and that seemed to quiet that yard's personality. 

I would think a horse or any grazing animal would soon learn to stay away from the bee-hive, if they had immediate access, similar to discovering the need of staying clear of an eclectic fences. 200 yards is quite a distance from the beehive, I wouldn't even consider it an issue, as others have noted -- so no need to lose any sleep over it.


----------

