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Bees & Beekeeping

Mowing & weed eating around hives?

16 years ago

I do not have bees...yet...but I was wondering how you mow and weed eat around the hives without the bees going nuts? I see a lot of pictures of everyones bee hives in nice cut yards without all the weeds etc around. Do you mow in your bee keeping suit?

Thanks,

Brian

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Comments (13)

txbeeguy
16 years ago
Mowing in a bee suit is probably the safest thing to do but your neighbors (if they're close by) probably won't take too kindly to it.

Some people think it's the vibration that upsets them but my experience tells me, it's more the gasoline fumes. I've mowed close to my hives with my diesel tractor and a mowing deck and that doesn't upset them near as much as when I mow next to them with the gasoline push mower (same with a gas powered string trimmer).

Some people also use liquid weed/grass killers around their hives. But if you're not into the chemical thing, then probably the best thing is to try a put down a barrier such as a platform of old ashalt roof shinges as an example. Something to keep the grass from growing up close to the hives. And lastly, you can always pull out the old handheld clippers and cut the grass by hand around the front of the hive.

At one time or the other, I think I've done all of these things.
tonybeeguy
16 years ago
I've never had the bees be bothered by mowing I get pretty close with mower or a weedwacker, but avoid kicking stuff into the hives and make sure the exhaust isn't directed toward the hives. We also use a hand held grass cutter that you swing back and forth. I usually just pull up the grass that grows close to the hive entrances. It also helps to lay something down in front of the hive to help keep the grass from growing. I've used a pc of plywood or old sheetmetal or whatever is handy and free
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buckeye_brian
Original Author
16 years ago
Thank you fella's...

I am getting ready to remodel / expand my barn so I will have plenty of old metal barn siding / roofing to lay down as a floor. That is an awesome idea.

When is the latest date to set up a hive and introduce bees? I have been researching bee keeping for about 6-months now and have located at least one person in my area keeping them (15-minutes from me). I work overseas and will not finish this contract and be home until 8-April. When do the bee supplier's quit selling the starter bees?

Would it be feasible to have enough time to hook up with the other beekeeper...learn the basics "first hand" and get my 3-hives set up before it was too late in the season?

I can order a lot of my equipment and have it waiting on me...but I would prefer to wait on buying hive bodies / supers etc until I "train" with the bee keeper in my area. I would like to have a set-up like the one I am training on. Does that make any sense or am I "over thinking" this?

I would really like to get my hives going this year...but I also want to do it properly. If it would be best to wait...that is what I want to hear. Let the bee experts speak!

Thanks for your help...

Brian
honeyman46408
16 years ago

"I am getting ready to remodel / expand my barn so I will have plenty of old metal barn siding / roofing to lay down as a floor. That is an awesome idea."

One thing to keep in mind when useing "tin" roofing to put under the hives-Do you have SNAKES around your aera??

I never thought about this till I was talking to a guy in an area that has copper heads and he said the little ones like to hide under the tin or things like that. Just another thought and my .02Â¢
buckeye_brian
Original Author
16 years ago
Honeyman that never crossed my mind...the tin is out!

People will tell you that there are not any copperheads or rattle snakes in Ohio...but they are wrong. I have personally killed both species. The copperheads I killed 25 years ago were within 100-feet of where I plan on putting the bee hives.

So...not tin. I will just "suit up" and weed eat around the hives.

Thanks again,

Brian
honeyman46408
16 years ago
OK you have the same openion of snakes as I do!!

You must be in southern Ohio, I was raised on the Ohio River in southern Illinois and we had plenty of snakes (to many for me) and when people ask why I dont move back after retirement I just tell the TO MANY SNAKES, here along the southern shore of lake Michigan all I see is an ocaisonal garder snake and that is to many for me!!
billb_2008
16 years ago
For many years I have used a piece of carpet in front of my hives to keep weeds down. If you want to improve appearance, put some wood chip mulch on top of the piece of carpet. For close trimming around the hive I use a cordless electric weed wacker. The bees do not pay any attention to the weed wacker unless you throw grass clippings into the entrance.
hotzcatz
16 years ago
It might depend on the particular hive of bees you are working around as to if you can weed around it without a suit. My uncle had bee hives right next to his front porch but they were the "tame" bees and he could weed and walk right next to the hives. In the orchard were the "black" bees and those were ferocious. Couldn't get near the hive at all which is why it was the first hive in the grove since the fruit trees were near a public road.

I trim around my hive with a scythe. It is nice and quiet and the bees don't mind. I can get pretty close with a mower or string trimmer but for right up next to the hives it is either weeding by hand or with a scythe.
texwolverine
16 years ago
I don't know anything about bees, but it seems to me me that an old fashioned barrel-type sickle mower would be perfect for mowing around hives. They have no motor, but they are pretty easy to push.

Just a thought. Hope it helps.
txbeeguy
16 years ago
I didn't mention the old style cylinder mowers in my original response but I looked into those. They actually still make them but I was quite surprised at how much they cost (at least, new...ouch!). If you could maybe find one at a junk yard (that wasn't completely junk), it might be worthwhile. But I'm guessing you'd still have to get out the old hand clippers to get rid of the weeds (errr... I mean, "grass") directly at the front hive entrance.

Here is a link that might be useful: TGB's photo page
honeyman46408
16 years ago
""I don't know anything about bees, but it seems to me me that an old fashioned barrel-type sickle mower would be perfect for mowing around hives. They have no motor, but they are pretty easy to push.""

Well the ones my Dad had when I was a kid were HARD to push and I swore that when I got old enough to buy a gas powered mower I would NEVER push one again.

I have made a couple coments about this subject but didnt say how I mow. I keep 15 to 20 hives in my back yard (200 yards from the house) when it comes time (passed time mostly) I put on my full suit fire up the tractor (18 HP Case) and mow the bee yard then use the weed wacker and geterdone and I DO NOT go back to the bee yard that day!!
barbara_muret
15 years ago
my bees are very "cautious", and will buzz you pretty quickly... but mowing and weed eating isn't a problem. I think because I mow for awhile so they can hear me coming, then I mow by them, then back off and mow nearby, then comeback. Do the same thing with the string trimmer. Both are gas powered, but I just don't stay intensely in their area. It works great, they just ignore me when I come by close. And I never "start up" anything in the hive area. No smells, no sudden changes.

Another big difference is that I put my hives up on two levels of concrete blocks. It makes the top a little high and inconvenient - but its wonderful for the bees because their entrance is much safer.

Copperheads and Rattlesnakes are a big problem here - definitely would recommend avoiding nest areas under things. Rattlesnakes are very polite, copperheads are just plain aggressive (and sneaky).
xmundt
15 years ago
Greetings and Salutations

I only have four hives, but, so far have had no problems running the string trimmer right up to them. I do start clearing a distance away, and work my way up to them, and, I DO have the hives up on concrete blocks, so the action is well away from the entrance. However, other than a few coming over to investigate what is going on, the bees tend to ignore me. Even a hot hive I had last year was not a problem, although if I knocked it, they would come boiling out.

regards
dave mundt

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