Beehive in Neighbour's Garden

kinger101

Grenage wrote: »

The bottom line is that regardless of a neighbouring hive, you're no more nor less likely to be stung.

If the rate a which bees or wasp sting were random as you suggest, living near a hive would put one at greater risk. It increases the rate at which one encounters bees.

Keep_pedalling

The OP describes this as a swarm of bees. Bees do not swarm in their day to day activities only when searching for a new home or when they are threatened in some way.

It is possible that a portion of the hive departed with a new queen or even that the hive was abandoned, so why not ask the neighbour if they have lost any bees.

xylophone

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/news/get-buzz-backyard-beekeeping/

But do consider the neighbours, suggests Emma Ford, Strutt & Parker’s Salisbury-based beekeeping specialist, especially as young children can be allergic to bee stings. “Try to locate your bees so that the fastest path from a hive to flowers is away from playing and living areas, other gardens or access paths,” she says. “Place hives near a solid wall, fence or hedge, around two metres (61/2ft) high. Damp conditions close to the ground are not ideal.”

martindow

As has been said I doubt if it was a swarm. If a bee does sting someone, after getting caught in their hair maybe, they release a pheremone which attracts other bees.

A swarm is dramatic to see but the bees are generally very docile as they are eager to protect the queen and find a new home asap. Usually they hang in a large group from a branch of a tree or bush while scouts go off to find somewhere new to live. Beekeepers will happily collect swarms to make a new colony.

When I kept bees I was called out once to collect a swarm to find a few dozen bees foraging on flowers. And on another occasion it was a few dozen bumble bees going to and from their nest.

I had a hive in the garden which I ended up moving to a more rural site after a new neighbour started complaining not very reasonably. You need to check hives weekly in the spring and summer which I tried to do when they were out as that is the most likely time that bees as disturbed and flying around the hive in numbers. Bees are regarded as wild animals so there is no legal requirement to move hives, but I didn't want to fall out with a neighbour, even an unreasonable one. It was a shame as suburban or city gardens are very productive for bees.

If they can liaise with the beekeeeper to open the hives when they are not in the garden that would be a good solution. If they dress in a veil to see the bees close up with the beekeeeper they may be more comfortable with the situation. Seeing frames covered in bees is quite an experience.

If the OP doesn't want to confront the neighbour they can google the local beekeepers' association who will help as they don't want local antagonism towards bees or beekeepers. They can also ask the national organisation
https://www.bbka.org.uk/
for a local contact.

Niv

This is unlikely to be a swarm. As others have said, swarms are normally pretty calm, this is in part due to the bees being loaded up with nectar / honey as swarming is only done when looking for a new home.


It is also pretty much past swarming season (although it is still possible).


What I suspect is that the beekeeper was undertaking / had recently undertaken a though inspection which had got the bees going. This is something that the beekeeper could discuss with your MIL to inspect his hive at a more suitable time.


I have three hives in my garden and once you are more than about 3 metres away from them you wouldn't even know they were there.


There are a number of things that could be done to mitigate the chances of a mass of bees being in you MILs garden and any reasonable beekeeper would be able to suggest / discuss this with her. These include:
A higher fence between the gardens
moving the direction of the hive entrance
moving it further from the boundary line
a fence or netting close to hive entrance to force the bees to fly up higher in the first place


Hope that helps.

Adereterial

Bees very rarely sting unless they are provoked, as a sting is usually fatal to the bee. If they were stung multiple times, they were either very unlucky and got in the way of a provoked swarm or did the usual flailing and wafting to such an extent, the bees felt threatened and therefore stung them. The latter seems more likely. Bees don’t ‘viciously attack’ in the majority of cases and domestic bees are generally very placid and hard to provoke.

If they encounter the bees again, the best thing to do is to remain still or move slowly, remain calm, don’t swat or try to wave the bees away, and they will move on of their own accord in time.

Given the declining numbers of bees, and their absolute necessity for maintaining the food chain, removing them should be the absolute last resort.

aliby21

When I was a child I lived on a farm, where a chap kept beehives on one area. One evening I went for a walk with my dad and the dog, the bee keeper was working on the hives doing whatever bee keepers do, dressed in all his protective gear. The bees were not in a happy mood, and made a beeline for me and the dog, we both got stung multiple times and were both really quite poorly. So this is not to be taken lightly. You need to either talk to your MiL's neighbour and insist they notify her if they are doing work on the hives, or contact whichever department is most appropriate in the council. Emphasize that your MiL is elderly and not in good health, and that she has children visiting. Bees are fine if left alone, but there is a reason beekeepers wear protective gear when they are opening the hives to steal the honey!

phill99

fiisch wrote: »

viciously attacked

Baseball bats, knuckle dusters, everything was involved!!

Niv

aliby21 wrote: »

When I was a child I lived on a farm, where a chap kept beehives on one area. One evening I went for a walk with my dad and the dog, the bee keeper was working on the hives doing whatever bee keepers do, dressed in all his protective gear. The bees were not in a happy mood, and made a beeline for me and the dog, we both got stung multiple times and were both really quite poorly. So this is not to be taken lightly. You need to either talk to your MiL's neighbour and insist they notify her if they are doing work on the hives, or contact whichever department is most appropriate in the council. Emphasize that your MiL is elderly and not in good health, and that she has children visiting. Bees are fine if left alone, but there is a reason beekeepers wear protective gear when they are opening the hives to steal the honey!

Which is a good example of what I said. There is a good chance the beekeeper was undertaking an inspection.


I shall not respond to the comment regarding honey.

onwards&upwards

davidmcn wrote: »

Those with known allergies are most likely to have EpiPens to hand

What about unknown allergies? Probably far more of them about. Bees don’t sting much, I’ve never been stung by one, have you? If not either one of us could be deathly allergic and blissfully unaware!