Author Topic: Bees and horses (Read 5732 times)

Greenerlife · « **on:** June 28, 2011, 05:18:04 pm »

Seen this?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-13942849

Oh my word - how scary would this have been? My hives are 100 yards away from my pigs and chickens but now wondering if its far enough...

egglady · « **Reply #1 on:** June 28, 2011, 06:44:24 pm »

same here $:-\$

OhLaLa · « **Reply #2 on:** June 28, 2011, 09:43:06 pm »

A very sad story, and my thoughts go out to them.

I do not keep my bees in the same field as any livestock. If there is any danger of stock entering the field I suggest enclosing the Apiary within a suitable secondary fence. A hive strap under the brood box and over the supers / roof is a good idea too.

egglady · « **Reply #3 on:** June 28, 2011, 10:17:22 pm »

yeah i use a hive strap and also fencing and hives are OUTSIDE any animal field, but beeing flying bees i still think there is a risk..

Beewyched · « **Reply #4 on:** June 28, 2011, 10:57:35 pm »

OMG - what a tragedy - it must've been awful for the horses & I really feel for the family. I've never known bees in the UK to react so strongly - even when my father's hives used to get knocked by the neighbouring farms Houdini cattle.

I wonder if the freak weather conditions have stirred the bees up?

Anke · « **Reply #5 on:** June 28, 2011, 11:08:45 pm »

That is quite sad, but it is most likely that the horses got into the bee enclosure and damaged the hives by brushing against them - it would only be natural for the bees to attack. (Do horses like the smell/taste of honey?)

My hives are in a corner of my field and next to it is a path that is used frequently by horses (but it is not officially a bridleway so my bees will not have to be moved if anything would happen). So far never had anyone complaining. I also have sheep and cattle in the field, the bees are fenced off with netting and additional electric tape.

There is in my opinion nothing you can do with flying bees and livestock - after all can anyone have a right to ask to remove bees from a radius of 3 miles just so their livestock is safe? Where would we put the bees?

Plantoid · « **Reply #6 on:** June 29, 2011, 11:13:17 pm »

Quote from: Anke on June 28, 2011, 11:08:45 pm

That is quite sad, but it is most likely that the horses got into the bee enclosure and damaged the hives by brushing against them - it would only be natural for the bees to attack. (Do horses like the smell/taste of honey?)

My hives are in a corner of my field and next to it is a path that is used frequently by horses (but it is not officially a bridleway so my bees will not have to be moved if anything would happen). So far never had anyone complaining. I also have sheep and cattle in the field, the bees are fenced off with netting and additional electric tape.

There is in my opinion nothing you can do with flying bees and livestock - after all can anyone have a right to ask to remove bees from a radius of 3 miles just so their livestock is safe? Where would we put the bees?

You do have an ancient civil law legal obligation in England & Wales to not site your bees where they can cause an obvious nusiance or danger . This usually applies to people siting hives by gate ways buildings or foot paths or opposite a field of crop in flower where people and stock could get in the flight line .
IE.
Rape seed & borrage..bees go mad for the nectar.... get in the flight line of a couple of hives and you'll usually get badly stung.

If you take the precaution of placing the hives behind a thick hedge the bees will fly high to & from the nectar source .

That obligation for safely siting hives apparently arises because some bee keepers took delight in causing grief to neighbours by badly siting hives causing people and stock to get badly stung.

Anke · « **Reply #7 on:** June 30, 2011, 01:01:27 pm »

I am in Scotland, and yes the local farmer has regularly (every three years in fact) got a field of rapeseed next to my land - path goes slap bang in between. Obviously I cannot keep moving my bees every year just so that I fit in with his rotation! There is a hedge too, and so far no horse owner has complained. It is not an official footpath, just his access for machinery which is also used by walkers etc.

I wonder if this would have made the news if cattle or sheep were involved....

Rosemary · « **Reply #8 on:** June 30, 2011, 11:15:51 pm »

I'd also like to knwo the full facts. Millions of bees - how many hives were we talking about? Some hives were damaged - how did that happen?

Food for thought though as our potential apiary is near the horses field.

robert waddell · « **Reply #9 on:** July 01, 2011, 09:46:18 am »

bees can be a nuisance some years ago in falkirk an old man had bees in his garden (the bog area of falkirk) the flight path was over a car garage (SDM at the skew bridge)the bees were dropping there hive cleanings over the cars and causing extra cleaning
the end result court action and the bees were removed