Author Topic: Mowing around the hives (Read 8302 times)

LazyBkpr · « **on:** July 17, 2014, 05:44:57 pm »

I have seen a few people mention this, that they are either afraid to mow around their hives, or they DID and got a dozen stings for their efforts.. Some even wear bee suits to mow...
So, my method;
I mix round up as directed.. I buy the concentrate, usually 5 gallon pails. After dark, I don my trusty headlight and take a walk out to the hives or drive to one of the outyards..... and spray around the hives... That simple. In a few days the grass and weeds growing up will be dead.
I spray far enough out that I can mow without hitting the hives.. Having a loud mower AND hitting the hives would probably be enough to incite rioting...
At this point in time I have so far managed NOT to hit any hives..
A lot will depend on your bees as well. If I have a hive that is aggressive, and I can find no apparent reason for it, queenless, no flow etc.. I requeen them. This may have a bit to do with my ability to mow past the hives without trouble..
Home yard and 4 outyards, and I spray and mow similarly around all of them.. So, if you have about 4 minutes you need to waste watching someone mow around their beehives... Here you go!!!

Beeracuda · « **Reply #1 on:** July 17, 2014, 05:53:33 pm »

We can't get anywhere near that close to the hives without them coming out to greet us. We have never come close to hitting the hives and always blow the grass away from them. They will still cover you up if you are closer that about 6 or 8 feet from the hive.

lazy shooter · « **Reply #2 on:** July 17, 2014, 05:55:58 pm »

If there is any bees in those hives, it is impressive.

LazyBkpr · « **Reply #3 on:** July 17, 2014, 06:15:22 pm »

20 Hives and ten nuc's and they are all full.
I have a John Deere 300 I also mow around them with, but it has a flat tire at the moment.. I weed eat around the tree and the well head behind the hives as well.. In the outyards I weed eat before I spray round up. I have a "Wal-Mart special" string trimmer and a larger Poulan Pro with a metal blade for heavier weeds, and all are used around the hives regularly.. I am sure my day is coming, but the day it arrives is the day whichever hive or hives came after me will get stuffed back in the weeds somewhere until I can get (or make) a queen for them.
I know some folks like the aggressive bees, and it may be true that they are more productive, but if I do not enjoy my bees I see no point in keeping them.

barry42001 · « **Reply #4 on:** July 17, 2014, 06:43:11 pm »

I have a worx battery operated weedeater that I trim out a 6 to 8 inch wide band path around the plywood platform the hives are on, then mow as usual, once hit plywood with guard of mower with predictable results lol.

kebee · « **Reply #5 on:** July 17, 2014, 07:11:01 pm »

Maybe I am lucky but I have never been stung when I weed eat in front of the hives or mow either, I have some good bees, they do come out to investigate what is going on though.

Ken

Marion · « **Reply #6 on:** July 17, 2014, 07:51:59 pm »

My grandson mows our lawn with a rider but I have him stay about 6 feet away from the hive area. Then I mow this part with a push power mower and use a trimmer and they don't seem to be bothered with it.

Bamabww · « **Reply #7 on:** July 17, 2014, 08:22:51 pm »

That's exactly what I do when I mow around the bees. The only difference I see is I always wear my veil and whatever street clothes I'm wearing when I mow. Never had any problems in 5 years now.

Very neat yard Scott.

barry42001 · « **Reply #8 on:** July 17, 2014, 08:57:57 pm »

Scott, how to you not get bombed by returning foragers, they will take up as much flat open real estate as they can before having to fly over obstacles. Fairly certain you weren't there when made their orientation flights lol

apisbees · « **Reply #9 on:** July 17, 2014, 10:00:35 pm »

My dad tells or mowing and faking grass with the drop rake when he was a kid in the late 1930's he was on the drop rake with the team of horses and the right wheel got to close to one of the hive's and knocked it over but in trying to avoid the bee hives he turns the houses to much and caught the other rake wheel behind the apple thee. realizing the predicament he was in he quickly they'd to unhook the horses and flee the sene before the angry bees found him and the houses. He wasn't fast enough and he horses and him both got stung. the houses broke the last of the tree that wasn't unhooked and headed across the field and he headed for the house. He tells his mom what had happened and she goes out with no veil and sets them back up and doesn't get a sting.

Jen · « **Reply #10 on:** July 17, 2014, 10:52:38 pm »

I would mow everyones yard in my side of town if I had a nifty rider like that one

Seriously! That looks like fun!

By the way Scott! between you and GLOCK I think you both get the 'Tidy Outyard Award'

LazyBkpr · « **Reply #11 on:** July 17, 2014, 11:24:25 pm »

My Outyards dont look as good, but not many people visit them so I am not as particular.

Glock still outdoes me by an order of magnitude.. he uses visual aids for nicer aesthetic effect. I just keep mine in order.. wife has not begun to demand I make them pretty ... yet...

aesthetic;
concerning or characterized by an appreciation of beauty or
good taste; "the aesthetic faculties"; "an aesthetic person";
"aesthetic feeling"; "the illustrations made the book an
aesthetic success"

Jen · « **Reply #12 on:** July 17, 2014, 11:58:34 pm »

Yeah wellll, we've seen pics of your very nice and tidy hives, so credit due where credit earned..

lazy shooter · « **Reply #13 on:** July 18, 2014, 07:55:35 am »

I have on apiary that when I drive up in my Kubota ATV I have to stop a good 20 yards from it. If I drive up to the gate, about 15 feet from the hive, the bees will be buzzing around my head, and the bumping starts soon afterward. We I to drive the ATV as close as you did your tractor, I think they would eat me alive. Are your bees treatment free? You sure have nice domestic stock. Dang, it would be fun to have bees that nice.

And like Jen stated, you do keep neat apiaries. Your operation reminds me of one of my mom's old sayings. "cleanliness is next to Godliness."

tbonekel · « **Reply #14 on:** July 18, 2014, 10:31:24 am »

I'm glad you started this thread. I want to put bees at another location and I'm trying to figure out how to approach the owner about mowing and such. If the person just let's it go, then fine, but others to cultivate, now, plow, etc... I certainly don't want to have to worry about them getting bothered by the bees.

barry42001 · « **Reply #15 on:** July 18, 2014, 11:46:08 am »

Sure the grass will never grow up and block the entrances the bees will never have difficulty taking out the trash lol:D

LazyBkpr · « **Reply #16 on:** July 18, 2014, 06:46:44 pm »

A quick sweep every so often and your GOOD!
When I grow up I want to have concrete pads to put my hives on..

Slowmodem · « **Reply #17 on:** July 19, 2014, 04:07:27 pm »

Quote from: LazyBkpr on July 18, 2014, 06:46:44 pm

A quick sweep every so often and your GOOD!
When I grow up I want to have concrete pads to put my hives on..

Me, too!

apisbees · « **Reply #18 on:** July 19, 2014, 05:04:58 pm »

Quote from: LazyBkpr on July 18, 2014, 06:46:44 pm

A quick sweep every so often and your GOOD!
When I grow up I want to have concrete pads to put my hives on..

Little ants like to make nests under the cement slabs.

Jen · « **Reply #19 on:** July 19, 2014, 05:06:11 pm »

Earwigs too!