# Placing hive in a small yard



## DCook (Jan 3, 2010)

I am planning on getting started this spring. Question is: How close to normal yard activity ( cutting grass, kids playing on swingset, swimming pool, etc.) can I place the hive? This is both for the peace of mind of the bees as well as mine for the grandkids safety. Sorry if this sounds simple to some.


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## SwedeBee1970 (Oct 26, 2008)

Small yards do fine if located in the correct (less traveled) areas. Keep the hives surrounded by a 6' wooden fence that's hard to see. The bees will elevate over the fence and stay out of "Head heights" reach. From other threads, find out if the neighbors are allergic to bee stings before getting your hives. Remember not to bargain with them over the honey. Just tell them if you get any extra, you'll keep them in mind.


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## chevydmax04 (May 11, 2009)

I spoke to my neighbors before getting mine. Told them I was getting bees, this is where I am going to put them, they should not present any problems to them but if there is a problem please let me know so I can fix the issue. After talking with the neighbors this fall, they all said they did not notice any increase in bee activity. Also you might want to let them know that the "bee's" that bother them at picnic's and outdoor events are wasps, not bee's. That is a very unfortunate misconception.

Good luck!

BTW my neighbors bought honey from me this year!


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## BeeCurious (Aug 7, 2007)

DCook,

read this:
http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?t=234527*

There is a wide range of suggestions. :lpf:


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## DCook (Jan 3, 2010)

thanks for the reply, but I'm not really concerned about the neighbors. I am asking about normal yard activity. Does cutting the grass around the hive bother the bees. Does the kids playing on a swingset 25 yards away bother the bees and vice versa.


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## SwedeBee1970 (Oct 26, 2008)

25 yards is quite the distance and should suffice. Mowing may or may not be an issue provided the hives are not near a mowable surface say, 10-15 feet. I'll keep my hives in a mulched area that never needs cutting.


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## beedeetee (Nov 27, 2004)

There isn't going to be an exact answer since all hives are different. The time of year makes a bigger difference. Normally I can mow up to about 10-15' before the head butting starts in the mid-summer, although during our honey flow I can mow right up to them. In the fall it starts farther away.

I have had hives that would send out guard bees while I was working in the garden 40' away. For a day after you work your hives they will also be more defensive.

The best answer, in my opinion, is the small fence in front of the entrance. I can work right next to my hives all year long as long as I am to the side or the rear. So you can face the hive away from the yard and you will find very little defensive behavior in normal situations. Or you can put a 3-6 foot fence in front of the entrance to make them fly up rather than across your yard.


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## cow pollinater (Dec 5, 2007)

Buy gentle stock. I only use Koehnen stock or stuff I raise from breeder queens at my home location. My kids run all over, I work right up to the entrances, and all kinds of livestock bump into them... To date no real problems.


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## frysl (Mar 31, 2009)

I had my bees in my side yard for two years in Savannah. Had to cut and weedeat 9 month out of the year and did so right up to, under and around the hives. Never an issue.
With the bees in the side yard, just around the corner of the house, it kept us social drinkers and kids that play in the back yard out of the 'flightpath' of bees coming and going from the hives.
:banana::banana:


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## NasalSponge (Jul 22, 2008)

well..that all depends on the mood of the ladies.....most of the time I can mow and weedeat with out an issue but there are other times....well they take offense, so you see, there is not a simple answer to your question since bees don't follow the rules!


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## devdog108 (May 7, 2009)

as long as my exhaust blows away from the hives, they are ok with me mowing in from. I will get a head but from time to time, but not most of the time. I use a kubota tractor and mow RIGHT in from of the hive......long as the diesel exhaust goes the other way...no problems......yet.....


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## SwedeBee1970 (Oct 26, 2008)

I'll save the mowing til early morning about sunrise. The neighbors may not like the sound at 5:30 am, however, you could mow a small area around it while they're drinking their morning coffee.


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## honeyman46408 (Feb 14, 2003)

I suit up when I mow because there is always one of two hives that don`t like my mower and the weed eater is another subject 

Last summer after getting a new 0 turn mower that is *LOUD* none of them like it :lookout:


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## BigDru (Aug 4, 2009)

Have my bees in my backyard. They do just fine. I have even worked around them without problems. As for neighbors, well a little honey at harvest time goes a long ways and it always eases concerns if they know the bees prefer to work rather then harass. Its also a good time to instruct or teach about bees, what they do, how they do it and the difference between them and wasps or yellow jackets. I think the only real thing to keep in mind esp with neighbors is having a water source near by.


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## NewbeeNnc (May 21, 2009)

Got mine in my back yard. I just blow right by them on one pass and never have had many problems. Mine are pretty gentle up until late fall when they are guarding their stores heavily.


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## StevenG (Mar 27, 2009)

After having an eye swollen shut because I weed whacked in front of two hives, I always put a veil on, even if in t shirt (or shirtless) and shorts, which i usually am when mowing. I'll weed whack about 5 - 6' out in front, then mow everywhere else... no problem.


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## chevydmax04 (May 11, 2009)

I like to give my bee's a wide berth, I have been 15-20 yards shoveling mulch from my pile and they have come after me. And it seems that once they come after me they are not happy till I get stung at least once! If there are kids around, that play in that area I would be sure I had a good tall locked stockade fence. I would exercise caution if you are in a small area with kids playing nearby.


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## Bens-Bees (Sep 18, 2008)

Right up front and clearly marked. It's worked out fine for us, nobody's ever been stung by them, neighbors don't mind, and as a bonus we get a few less door to door salesmen.


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## NasalSponge (Jul 22, 2008)

I have been begging my wife to let me put a hive on the front porch but so far it is a no go! May slip a nuc or swarm capture up there this spring!


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## chandler (May 28, 2009)

I have Italians and have yet to have an issue mowing in front of the hive. I make sure not to bump the hive though. I can see this may piss them off. Lawn mower or weed eater didn't seem to bother them. They always seemed like they had more important things to worry about. I also never did it when they were bearding in front of the hive.


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## nuke (Mar 12, 2008)

Like everybody says, flight path is probably your biggest thing. We don't even notice extra bees in the yard and they are only 10-15' from garden, inside a privacy fence. Temperment is huge too. My TBH is 5' from where I park my car and I mowed around and under it all summer long with no problems, but out at my dad's where I have 6 langs set up I have to put the veil and long sleev shirt on or 2 of them would for sure try to get me. I'd pinch an aggressive hives queen if they were in my yard but so far I've only gotten good temperments on my yard hives.
Nuke


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