would you be okay with the next door neighbor putting in a bee hive?

[jenn1129]

His wife made him ask us first because we have 5 kids and our backyards meet. The oldest 3 aren't allergic. The babies have never been stung. I've been stung once, and my whole knee swelled up and knotted, and was hot to the touch for almost 2 weeks. I have some concern that might mean I'm gonna be allergic.

 

Allergies aside, I said no to the neighbor. The thought of a hive right next to us freaks me out. But now that I've had time to think about it, I am wondering how bad it would actually be. Anybody have experience with bee hives? Will the bees terrorize us? How many bees can live in 1 hive? I don't think the children will play outside if we have an unusually large amount of bees.

 

Any thoughts?

 

Jennifer

[Daisy]

I'd have no problem with it and my son IS allergic to bee stings.

 

We fruit trees that are covered in bees every spring. I think it is great. Nature at work.

 

I'd want some honey though. Hee hee.

[Amy loves Bud]

I'd have no problem at all. I would definitely ask him to teach your children about it if he is willing. Cool!

[springmama]

I would love it, especially if I had a property that was suitable for growing veggies.

[Big Buckin' Longhorn]

I wouldn't have a problem with it, in fact we're thinking about getting a hive ourselves, so I guess my opinion isn't very objective. ;)

[Barry Goldwater]

His wife made him ask us first because we have 5 kids and our backyards meet. The oldest 3 aren't allergic. The babies have never been stung. I've been stung once, and my whole knee swelled up and knotted, and was hot to the touch for almost 2 weeks. I have some concern that might mean I'm gonna be allergic.

 

Allergies aside, I said no to the neighbor. The thought of a hive right next to us freaks me out. But now that I've had time to think about it, I am wondering how bad it would actually be. Anybody have experience with bee hives? Will the bees terrorize us? How many bees can live in 1 hive? I don't think the children will play outside if we have an unusually large amount of bees.

 

Any thoughts?

 

Jennifer

 

 

I've kept 10 hives in the past (we live in the country and no-one would know anyway). Bees range up to 10 miles in order to find nectar...I'm sure there is one closer than that to you now. The only really dangerous areas are right in front of the hive (where they take off and land...they defend this area) up to about 5 feet away. I used to push my lawnmower in front of the hives (quickly!) w/o being attacked.

 

Domestic bees are more docile than wasps, yellowjackets, ground hornets, bald-faced hornets, etc. as far as how agressively they defend their home. In fact, even with all my beekeeping, I've been stung dozens of times by the above, only twice by my own bees.

 

I'd have no problem with the neighbor's request. He'll want to orient the hive with a south-east-facing entrance...will this be in the direction of your yard, within 5 feet? If not, I'd say, no worries.

 

(when I had all the hives, we'd get up to 16 GALLONS of honey a year...yum!)

[Mrs Mungo]

A friend of mine has a beehive. My kids have played in her yard and everything without even seeming to be threatened by bees.

[smrtmama]

Honey bees are not aggressive, so as long as your kids stay away from the hives, there shouldn't be an issue.

[mommaduck]

It would really depend on how much space is between where he's keeping them and your house and any allergies in your family.

[JoyfulMama]

I wouldn't have a problem with it, either, especially if we got a personal tour of the operation and some honey!

[In The Great White North]

Bees fly up to 5 miles to find nectar, so they could be next door or miles away and still come to your yard.

 

If the hives were facing your yard so the bees fly in "on approach" right at your kids' height, it could possibly lead to more stings. It's really not very likely. The easiest way to avoid this is to face the hives away from your yard and put a couple of bushes or a fence right in front of the hive. Then the bees fly in higher "on approach"and go straight down to the hive.

 

I had three hives for several years and the only time any of us got stung was when I was messing with the hives (with a storm approaching - duh!) and when dh ran into a hive with the lawnmower.

 

We've had lots of unrelated stings from wasps though.

[HappyCrazyMama]

I wouldn't mind and would actually like to have a hive or two myself. One thing I thought was very interesting when I was learning about beekeeping is that each species of bee has its own unique venom so if you are allergic to wasps for example you will not necessarily be allergic to honey bees. Honey bees are generally quite mellow.

[Harriet Vane]

A friend of mine has beehives on her property. We both live in the city, and the lots are not that big. The key is to place the hive where the bees will not enter/exit where there are people. The fly very fast and very hard in that take-off/landing zone. As long as the hive is carefully placed it shouldn't present a problem.

[coffeegal]

His wife made him ask us first because we have 5 kids and our backyards meet. The oldest 3 aren't allergic. The babies have never been stung. I've been stung once, and my whole knee swelled up and knotted, and was hot to the touch for almost 2 weeks. I have some concern that might mean I'm gonna be allergic.

 

Allergies aside, I said no to the neighbor. The thought of a hive right next to us freaks me out. But now that I've had time to think about it, I am wondering how bad it would actually be. Anybody have experience with bee hives? Will the bees terrorize us? How many bees can live in 1 hive? I don't think the children will play outside if we have an unusually large amount of bees.

 

Any thoughts?

 

Jennifer

 

A friend talked dh into allowing him to put a couple bee hives in our yard in exchange for honey. I was worried because the oldest 3 were fairly little. The hive was put in a secluded area of the yard, and the children were informed of a 'boundary' a few feet away. There were no problems, and no stings. :001_smile: I'd do it again in a heartbeat now.

[jenn1129]

thanks to everyone. I guess I'll get over my little girl fears, and go back over and tell him we are okay with it.

 

As for the entrance needing to face south east, that would put it exactly on our fence line. But I think the yard is big enough, he could move it over and it'll be far enough away to make me more comfortable.

 

and ya, honey would be good. :)

[Tree House Academy]

My husband's uncle has a bee hive (three of them, actually) and his property attaches to ours (of course, we are on a 60 acre farm and not an acre in the suburbs, though). Anyway, we never even see the bees. You can get within 10 feet of the hive and they never bother you. Bees are very busy little creatures and they really don't have time to go bothering folks when they have so much work to do for the queen. The main thing is just to not go extremely close to the hive unless you are wearing protective gear or know how to handle bees. Otherwise, I bet you won't notice much more than the extra buzzing noise over at your place.

[LauraGB]

Do you garden? Because I do and I would be doing a happy dance if my neighbor put one in. I'd trade my veggie and floral abundance for honey :). In fact, we've tossed the idea around a bit ourselves, but I would need to do a whole lot more research before I would agree to do it myself (because I just really, really don't like to get stung).

[nmoira]

I'd better be OK with it, as four neighbors have them. :001_smile: Even with that many within a block's radius, we haven't had a problem.

[duckens]

If one is planning hives in town (or with near neighbors), I would recommend a little fence around the hives with a locked gate. A childhood friend's dad had a setup like that. The fence was tall enough that one couldn't jump over it easily, and it was solid; not picket.

 

As my mom says: all it takes is one little boy with a stick......[to make the bees mad].

 

(This is not to imply that your kids would do such a thing or be unattended, but I'm sure we all know kids that don't think things through. Is there one in your neighborhood?)

[NanceXToo]

I don't think that would bother me. It was nice of them to ask first!

 

Now, on the other hand, if somebody could get rid of the wasps that always seem to find their way into my backyard, I'd appreciate it!

[Spy Car]

I would whole-heartedly support the neighbor having a bee hive.

 

Bill

[Aggie]

I've kept 10 hives in the past (we live in the country and no-one would know anyway). Bees range up to 10 miles in order to find nectar...I'm sure there is one closer than that to you now. The only really dangerous areas are right in front of the hive (where they take off and land...they defend this area) up to about 5 feet away. I used to push my lawnmower in front of the hives (quickly!) w/o being attacked.

 

Domestic bees are more docile than wasps, yellowjackets, ground hornets, bald-faced hornets, etc. as far as how agressively they defend their home. In fact, even with all my beekeeping, I've been stung dozens of times by the above, only twice by my own bees.

 

I'd have no problem with the neighbor's request. He'll want to orient the hive with a south-east-facing entrance...will this be in the direction of your yard, within 5 feet? If not, I'd say, no worries.

 

(when I had all the hives, we'd get up to 16 GALLONS of honey a year...yum!)

 

We have hives, too. My dd and dh work the hives without gloves and are rarely stung.

[dangermom]

I would think it was great!

 

We have friends in the country who invited us to help them get some honey once. It was a great experience. Since my kids were the ones helping, they were wearing the suits. I stood next to two hives for quite some time and had no trouble whatsoever. You really don't need to worry.

[KingM]

If it were me, I'd tell the neighbor, "To be honest, I have some grave concerns about all those bees. They're going to be flying into my yard and stealing my pollen. Now, to be fair, they'll be doing all the work, but still, I'll be providing some of the raw materials. I think a small jar of honey once a year should about cover it."

 

Other than that, no worries whatsoever. ;)

[mycalling]

We have hives, too. My dd and dh work the hives without gloves and are rarely stung.

Same here! My DsD thinks she's the only girl who bee-keeps. We have one hive and our neighbor has two hives.

 

My DS5 is allergic, slightly, but has only been stung by a yellow jacket on our property. A friend's son was stung by three YJs at once the last time he was here...still not one honey bee sting though!

[Paige]

I would be very happy if my neighbor's were raising bees!

[justamouse]

I would love it and buy my own. :D

 

I plan on buying my own perhaps next year. But if I weren't I would bake them treats and make them food and hope to god they reciprocated in honey.

[jenn1129]

i went over earlier and let them know we are totally okay with it. thanks everyone for putting me at ease! :)

[mo2]

His wife made him ask us first because we have 5 kids and our backyards meet. The oldest 3 aren't allergic. The babies have never been stung. I've been stung once, and my whole knee swelled up and knotted, and was hot to the touch for almost 2 weeks. I have some concern that might mean I'm gonna be allergic.

 

Allergies aside, I said no to the neighbor. The thought of a hive right next to us freaks me out. But now that I've had time to think about it, I am wondering how bad it would actually be. Anybody have experience with bee hives? Will the bees terrorize us? How many bees can live in 1 hive? I don't think the children will play outside if we have an unusually large amount of bees.

 

Any thoughts?

 

Jennifer

 

 

I would think it was awesome and would be asking if we could take a "field trip" there to see how it all works!

[KingM]

Does anyone else get pleasure by standing for a few minutes next to a patch of flowers and watching the honey bees work? Bumble bees, too.

[Harriet Vane]

i went over earlier and let them know we are totally okay with it. thanks everyone for putting me at ease! :)

 

:thumbup1:

[Heatherwith4]

Our neighbors have a hive! :). Nobody's been stung so far. We've been given one container of honey, and it is really awesome!

[SonshineLearner]

I would HATE to have more bees! They seek me out, I swear!!

[danivdp]

My kids would not approve. :lol:

 

We just watched "Killer Bees" on Nat Geo and they are paranoid about all bees now :P It's on free on demand on U-verse until the end of the month.

[Granny_Weatherwax]

I would be okay with it. I like bees.

[Ellyndria]

Does anyone else get pleasure by standing for a few minutes next to a patch of flowers and watching the honey bees work? Bumble bees, too.

 

When I was in Disney earlier this month, I was in Epcot and sat down in France (I think it was France) next to some flowers for a while and watched the bees work. There were mostly honey bees, a few bumble bees, and I saw my very first green bee. SO PRETTY. It was so bright, almost teal.

[Night Elf]

Well I'll be the lone dissenter. When we were house hunting, we found a house with bees. I immediately turned around and got back into the car. The bees were a definite deal breaker. No way Jose. I don't care how docile they are. I do think it's cool he asked you. I would expect most people would just do what they want to do as it's their property.

[Quiver0f10]

I have a huge bee phobia :blushing: but as long as the hive wasn't close to my house, I wouldn't have a problem. I'd ask him to teach the kids if he was willing and of course I'd want some honey!

[HRAAB]

We've had bee hives in the past. We asked our closest neighbors, and they didn't mind. We do 1.5 acres so maybe have a little more room between houses - don't know how you're set up. Honey bees are not aggressive. Maybe he could let your children watch when he harvests the honey. It's a great educational activity.

[nono]

Considering the colony collapse problem, I think it is great that you decided to say yes!

 

:thumbup:

[jenniferlee]

My kids would love it! They actually let the bees in our yard crawl on their hands, and call them "cute":scared: This stresses me out a lot, but they have never been stung. They have been stung by yellow jackets just randomly out and about.

 

Jen

[zaichiki]

I'd have no problem with it and my son IS allergic to bee stings.

 

We fruit trees that are covered in bees every spring. I think it is great. Nature at work.

 

I'd want some honey though. Hee hee.

 

Ditto. Dd is the one who is allergic. We've even kicked around the idea of keeping our own. We have bees all over our property already, so we might as well make good use of them.

[Merry]

goldfish in her backyard until her neighbor got bees. She had to get it drained because the pond was attracting too many bees. She was so disappointed.

[kristavws]

I think it would depend on whether or not I was going to get any of the honey :tongue_smilie:

 

Seriously though, I am allerigc to bees, and I would be okay with it - more bees to pollinate my garden and fruit trees!

 

Krista

[tex-mex]

I'd have no problem at all. I would definitely ask him to teach your children about it if he is willing. Cool!

:iagree: I'd love to learn beekeeping skills! What a great lesson!

[teamturner]

My dad kept bees in our backyard and it was a smallish yard probably a third of an acre. The only time they bothered us was when they came near our pool and were near the ground (attracted by the water I think) and we stepped on them while we were swimming. So if you don't have a pool, I think you would be fine.

 

Maybe you can get some free honey! :D

[amy g.]

I would LOVE IT!

[OrganicAnn]

You probably have some natural bee hives around your area and don't even know if - if you have bees around there are beehives around.

 

I would probably read up on beehives and then make a more informed decision.

 

I would think they are very few issues with beehives.

[Hen]

my husband was all set up to do this- we live in so. ca and have a normal sized yard- it's probably less than a 1/4 acre...he got all into it, went to some bee-keeper meetings. He also said, like other posters have mentioned, that the bees take off and go straight up from the hive, so they wouldn't bother anyone near. My only 2 problems were that we have a small yard, it would be hard to not be near the hive, and we have lots of little kids over playing- we might be ok with the logic of it, but other parents might not. And- this was the biggie, our sweet, wonderful next door neighbor is allergic to bees, I don't know if even using logic, if she would feel like we were being insensitive to her life threatening allergy. So, no bees. yet.

I wish we had an acre of land, then for sure..even a 1/2 acre we would.

 

let us know how it goes!

[Peela]

I would LOVE to have our own beehive, and I imagine I will one day. DH doesn't want one (he wants to get rid of our chickens too!) but I am sure I will win one day :)

Ds is allergic but there are bees all over the place around here. The only times he has been stung are when he is being silly trying to kill them.