# Bee keeping w/ pesky neighbor



## PrettyPaisley (May 18, 2007)

I guess the neighbor himself isn't pesky, but the fact that he has Chem Lawn show up each month is. :flame:

Would it be futile to try to keep bees if I know chemicals are sprayed next door each month? He also has his house exterminated monthly. I'm shocked he can live with all those chemicals.


----------



## beerancher (Dec 30, 2008)

If your neighbor is spraying his lawn like that i would venture to guess it has no dandelions or clover to forage on and as long as the chemicals dont drift into your hive you should be fine. the bees are busy looking for a nectar or pollen source and a good green lawn doesnt excite them until perty little flowers start showing up.


----------



## Michael Bush (Oct 26, 2008)

Yes, a "perfect" lawn looks like a desert to a bee...


----------



## springvalley (Jun 23, 2009)

Is it true that any and all chemical application companies have to let bee keepers know when they are going to spray? I know around here, if you have registered hives, that the farm spray companies have to tell you when they are going to spray a couple of days in advance. That way you can lock up your bees the night before to keep them from getting sprayed. I don't know if this applies to lawn spray companies or pest control companies within the city limits though. Something to check into perhaps? Or you might just call these companies and ask them to let you know when they're coming out. Promise them a jar of honey if they help you out. 

At least you won't have to worry about your bees going into his yard as there won't be anything of interest other than flower gardens perhaps. Without having clover on their lawn, there will be a lower probability of them getting stung by stepping on a bee, too! -Catherine


----------



## T-Bone 369 (Jan 18, 2007)

springvalley said:


> Is it true that any and all chemical application companies have to let bee keepers know when they are going to spray? I know around here, if you have registered hives, that the farm spray companies have to tell you when they are going to spray a couple of days in advance. That way you can lock up your bees the night before to keep them from getting sprayed. I don't know if this applies to lawn spray companies or pest control companies within the city limits though.


Illinois stopped updating their location database this year for the comercial applicators - no money to inter the data from the hive registration forms they send out every year. I got a call from one aerial applicator asking for outyard locations locations for their private database but only one. That being said I have never received a call prior to spraying - I assume the companies use the data to plan their spray patern and for liability reasons.


----------



## springvalley (Jun 23, 2009)

Very interesting, T-Bone!! I've been reluctant to get on anyone's 'list' as I'd rather be as far off radar as I can. My hives are in the middle of our property, so there's little chance of direct spraying, but thought others might be interested in knowing that this may exist in their state. For me, I guess I'll keep my bees out of site.

-Catherine


----------



## PrettyPaisley (May 18, 2007)

Oh - we have *all* the pretty "wildflowers" on our property! 

My bigger concern was whether the chemicals would harm the bees. I never see lightening bugs like when I was a girl and I don't see a ton of honey bees either. We have millions of bumble bees (they love my lavendar) but very few honey bees. I just didn't want to invest in hives if the chemicals would kill the bees.


----------



## beerancher (Dec 30, 2008)

there are far more important things to worry about weakening a hive than the local chem lawn guy


----------



## Home Harvest (Oct 10, 2006)

PrettyPaisley said:


> Oh - we have *all* the pretty "wildflowers" on our property!
> 
> My bigger concern was whether the chemicals would harm the bees. I never see lightening bugs like when I was a girl and I don't see a ton of honey bees either. We have millions of bumble bees (they love my lavendar) but very few honey bees. I just didn't want to invest in hives if the chemicals would kill the bees.


Install a hive and you'll see honey bees. We never used to see bees in our orchard, the we got bees and see them all over. Funny thing is that after my neighbor (hay farmer) saw my hives he commented that he has 6 or 8 just a few hundred yards away from me. He showed them to me. They are owned by another local beekeeper, but I'd have sworn that there wasn't a bee for miles, except mine. Even the clover in my "unsprayed" natural lawn didn't attract bees until I got mine. You never know.

If you decide to get bees, don't forget to give them a water source. We sit and watch the bees at our goldfish pond every day. We don't need to walk to the beeyard, the pond brings the bees to us! lol We even get more bees than birds at our concrete birdbath.


----------



## Home Harvest (Oct 10, 2006)

By the way, the hay farmer next door does not notify me when he is spraying, but he is very good about not spraying under windy conditions. I think it may be partly in consideration of the bees, but mostly he doesn't want to waste the money he spends on the sprays.


----------



## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

What about mosquito fogging? Does that harm bees?


----------



## Michael Bush (Oct 26, 2008)

>What about mosquito fogging? Does that harm bees? 

When it is done at night (as the labels says it should) I have not noticed any losses. When it's done in the afternoon (daylight) it has been devestating on my bees in the past.


----------



## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Thanks. Since I'm not allowed to keep my ducks and the state says beekeeping is legal I am checking into getting into beekeeping. The county doesn't always fog but I wanted to know what harm it might do beforehand.


----------

