Just something I'd like to try someday. Love to hear about folk's "do's adn don'ts"...

spcifically - could a hive set up work on 1/2 acre given that the neighboors are not an issue?

-- otter (kitchen@eng.fsu.edu), January 31, 2002

Answers

sure can,,I used ot keep bees in Detroit,, in my backyard. Half acre is plenty for the hive,, just remeber that bees fly up tp 5 miles looking for flowers

-- Stan (sopal@net-port.com), January 31, 2002.

I'd sure be interestd in any gems of knowledge too. I just ordered two nuc's. I did have bees last year but it was a wild swarm I caught. Screwed up that but have a lot more reading done and two local keepers who will give me a hand this year.

-- Ross` (amulet@istar.ca), January 31, 2002.

You might want to find out (for liability reasons) if any of your neighbors on all sides are allergic to bees. I have heard of schools telling parents not to send peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in school lunches due to possible child allergies (and kids always trade lunches), so would not be surprised if someone sued over a bee sting....

Any way to tell if you're allergic if you've never been stung?

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), January 31, 2002.

cant get sued over a bee sting,,UNLESS that sting happened on your property, and your didnt have your yard marked as having bees. Otherwise,, there is NOWAY of knowing if the bee that stung , was yours or not. ANd yes you can tell wihtout getting stung,,its called a blood test

-- Stan (sopal@net-port.com), January 31, 2002.

Thanks Stan, for info on the blood test available. I bet a lot of people don't know they can be tested.

As to the lawsuit thing, depending upon where the bees are in the yard (what if they decide to swarm elsewhere, for instance), they could be in close proximity to the neighbors as in a "flying path", so to speak.

And in civil court you don't need proof "beyond a reasonable doubt", just a preponderance of the evidence (you can see the bees in the neighbor's yard just 10-20 feet away looking out the window for example and no one else in the immediate area owns bees) is often enough to win a case.

People sue over everything these days, just bringing it up because Otter said there was ONLY half an acre available. 5 acres, probably wouldn't be an issue.

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), January 31, 2002.

There is a guy who keeps bees on his roof in NYC. He gets $5.00 a half pound for it. There are hundreds of suburban and city beekeepers out there so do not worry. A great site to ask questions is.

www.beesource.com

I have neighbors across the road that are alergic but they love my honey and buy it every month.

-- (raines@rainesridgefarm.com), January 31, 2002.

GT,, oncce bees swarm,, they arent yours anymore,,this goes way back to common law,, if you see a swarm in a tree, ,in a beekeepers yard,, you CAN g and get it,, only thing he could get you for is tresspassing,, not theft.,, so if a swarm goes into the neirbors window,, it isnt yours anymore,, and you can charge them for the removal.

-- Stan (sopal@net-port.com), January 31, 2002.

One other thing that you have to think about is what state you live in. if it's anywhere near mexico(texas) be careful! Killer bees are here and can convert a calm hive into a killer swarm in less than a year! They are moving farther north every year so make sure your not near the killer bee zone.

-- buffy (buffyannjones@hotmail.com), January 31, 2002.

So say if your dog (which has never shown any violent tendencies before, and let's say you never bothered to license him, so except for witness testimony, there is no written proof that he's yours) gets loose and bites a neighbor in his yard, you're going to charge the neighbor to remove the dog and say it was his (the neighbor's) fault for living next door to you?

I might add the bee sting issue is probably more of a parents with children issue, not adults who know better issue. I still am of the opinion that depending upon how close your neighbors are, and how nice they are, with only 1/2 an acre, it might NOT be a good idea to keep bees. Case law, and common law, is being rewritten all the time in the courts. That's why also there are in many areas such things as "setbacks" where you can't put buildings and so forth within a certain distance of fence boundaries and such.

Can you DNA test beesting material to see if the stinging bee was from your hive? I should think that would be plenty of proof as well. You can't expect someone to always stay cooped up in their house or have to cover up in the height of summer just because their neighbor has bees.

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), January 31, 2002.

GT- there is a legal precedent concerning swarms which have issued from hives, as was stated above- regardless of where the swarm comes from, once it leaves the hive it is considered a feral hive. There are wild bees EVERYWHERE, so there really is no way to know what hive a swarm came from. Not sure about dna testing, but doubt that it would be applicable or admissible. You also have to remember that when bees are swarming they are extremely gentle and not likely to sting at all. They have no hive to defend at that point; they are full of honey; and they are intent on finding a new hive. Also, in general, bees out foraging (which is what they would be doing if they were on a neighbor's property), are unlikely to sting anyway, UNLESS provoked (stepped on, squashed, etc). Bees do not go out aggresively looking for victims to sting. They "know" that they will die if they sting, so their instinct is to NOT sting except in the act of defense.The dog analogy is inappropriate- a dog is a domestic animal, and is the property of it's owner, who is responsible for controlling it. Bees are NOT domesticated, and a completely different set of laws apply.

-- Elizabeth (ekfla@aol.com), January 31, 2002.

otter, a few tips for a beginner: buddy up with an experienced bee keeper, go out & get stung before you invest $ & time in equipment. maybe only 2% of the population is allergic to bee stings. i think those are people who have allergies, because venom is made from pollen. as a cheap test for being allergic, try taking a bee stinger & rub it enough to have good contact with the venom on the soft part of your arm. check your arm for rash or reaction. keep water near bee hives with gunny sack, etc for bees a landing platform, dripping faucet. that way bees may not wonder into neighbor's swimming pool. net work with other bees keepers, hands on is best teacher. beeware of africanized bees & have fun ! larry

-- larry in OK (Nuts4bees@aol.com), January 31, 2002.

A hive would be great on 1/2 acre, just set up so their route on leaving the hive isn't directly into the neighboring yards. If the neighbors garden they get an added bonus of your hive pollinating. Also a concern is if your neighbors use any pesticides, the field next to us is sprayed for everything for crops, but my bees are faced toward our land. Location, location, location.....best to ya..

-- Suzanne (weir@frontiernet.net), January 31, 2002.

Otter, you would do quite well on 1/2 acre with bees as long as there is good pesticide-free forage in the area (within 5 miles) and a good source of water (that isn't the neighbors patio pond). Keep in mind that keeping bees is not like keeping any other type of livestock. Bees are not domesticated. We simply provide them with proper conditions to keep house and they hang around and do so as long as they feel those conditions are right. If they decide the conditions aren't right, they'll take their show on the road. They do not read books and therefore don't always know what they are supposed to be doing. It makes beekeeping a very interesting hobby or sideline.

Incidentally, being allergic to yellow jacket or wasp or hornet stings does not mean you will be allergic to honeybee stings. All so- called bees (actually, honeybees are the only true bees, but that's another story) have slightly different make-up to their venom. I have a friend who is a beekeeper and has been all his life with no problems. We worked together on a farm and he was stung by a hornet one day and we nearly lost him. He went into a severe allergic reaction. He has never, before or after, reacted to a honeybee sting. He does have to carry a bee kit now in case he is stung by a hornet.

-- Sheryl in ME (radams@sacoriver.net), January 31, 2002.