# Keeping the grass down round the hives



## GBov (May 4, 2008)

I am having the hardest time keeping the grass down round our two hives but I had a great idea and while I haven't done it yet, its on my to do list for next week.

The plan is to put a fence round my hives and put in one of my buck rabbits. Bucks dont dig but they do eat grass and being quiet animals, he shouldn't bother the bees by his actions.

That is the plan anyway.

Do any of you guys do anything similar? Or if not, how do you keep the grass mowed down around your hives?


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## AverageJo (Sep 24, 2010)

Interesting idea. Will the rabbit get curious about the bees' activities? Will it put its feet up on the hive? That will irriate the bees and they might attack him. If the hives are high enough and the rabbit doesn't get curious, I think it would be a wonderful idea and see how it goes. Watch the rabbit and the bees for a while while introducing them!!


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## Falls-Acre (May 13, 2009)

Hmm, I put on long sleeves and pants and use a pair of hedge clippers to cut the long weeds away from the hive entrance, rear, and sides. I've even removed brush from nearly of top of the hive and never had any trouble from the girls.


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## GBov (May 4, 2008)

Falls-Acre said:


> Hmm, I put on long sleeves and pants and use a pair of hedge clippers to cut the long weeds away from the hive entrance, rear, and sides. I've even removed brush from nearly of top of the hive and never had any trouble from the girls.


Its not the BEES that are the problem, its lack of time! Trying to fit the time to hand clip around the hives into all the other things we are doing right now is proving really hard.

And it would be nice to fatten a buck grower or two by keeping the grass mowed down around the hives. Two birds with one stone.


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## Queen Bee (Apr 7, 2004)

I suit up, and use the weed eater.. It works, it's quick and I have never been attacked. I mow with the riding mower.. I spray round up on the vines growing up the trees...


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## tom j (Apr 3, 2009)

''''''' Bucks dont dig ''''''''''''''
now that I know from having rabbits ,, is not true ,,, one of my bucks got lose for 3 weeks ,, he liked to be around us ,, but we could not catch it ,, we would be out side , and here he would come ,, he would hop ,,, stop ,,, dig ,, hop ,, stop .. dig ,, hop ,, stop ,,, dig ... we did catch him ,, but it was catch him or shoot and eat him , as he had part of the Yard dug up ,, his name became ,,, ''digger '''''AND I think you would need a lot more then one rabbit to keep the grass down ,, they do not eat a lot ,, I know ,,,, when your buying feed you think they eat a lot but ,, no they don't eat much .. but even 2 hives ,, you need some space around the hives ..


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## GBov (May 4, 2008)

tom j said:


> ''''''' Bucks dont dig ''''''''''''''
> now that I know from having rabbits ,, is not true ,,, one of my bucks got lose for 3 weeks ,, he liked to be around us ,, but we could not catch it ,, we would be out side , and here he would come ,, he would hop ,,, stop ,,, dig ,, hop ,, stop .. dig ,, hop ,, stop ,,, dig ... we did catch him ,, but it was catch him or shoot and eat him , as he had part of the Yard dug up ,, his name became ,,, ''digger '''''AND I think you would need a lot more then one rabbit to keep the grass down ,, they do not eat a lot ,, I know ,,,, when your buying feed you think they eat a lot but ,, no they don't eat much .. but even 2 hives ,, you need some space around the hives ..


LOL I should have said that bucks dont dig burrows. Scrapes now, thats another kettle of fish! 

Suit up and mow eh? Now thats a good idea.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I just mow around the hives with my rider when I mow the lawn. I am just carefull to not allow the exhust to blow in the hives or bang againest them.
I use the string trimmer in out yards and under the stands, they don't seem to mind as long as it is a sunny day. If you have a time problem get appliance boxes cut them to a suitable size and lay around the hives with a few rocks or bricks to hold them in place. I have a friend that never passes up old carpet out for the trash man, uses them the same way as applince boxes.

 Al


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## Michael W. Smith (Jun 2, 2002)

I've been using old carpet or 4' X 4' sheets of plywood. (I don't have to buy the plywood, the company I work for gets parts on a pallet with the plywood sheets between the parts.)


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## Elizabeth (Jun 4, 2002)

I think the bees would sting the buck; the buck will dig out of the enclosure; and dealing with the fence will be more of a hassle than just trimming around the hives.

I do what Al does, with cardboard, and what Michael does, with wood, not carpet. I put cardboard under my stands, then lay 2' wide pieces of (free-from-the-construction-dumpsters) plywood or particle board in front of the stands.


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## johng (Feb 14, 2009)

Its never a good idea to keep penned animals close to bees. The bees only have to be in a bad mood one time for the poor rabbit to become a pin cushion. I use the riding mower within 2-3 feet of the hives with no problem. Then put on my veil and use the weedeater to finish the job. Most of the time I would not even get stung without the veil.


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## southerngurl (May 11, 2003)

Get a rabbit bee suit...


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## kens (Aug 25, 2007)

I've used carpet and cardboard both works so does a weedeater.


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## old school (Aug 26, 2012)

kens said:


> I've used carpet and cardboard both works so does a weed eater.


Do bees attack you like wasps do when you run a lawn mower or weed eater?


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## AJohnston (Aug 17, 2012)

I'm not sure about raising bees, but I can kill some grass if you want me too! lol You could lay some plastic sheets around the base of the hive and kill the grass off that way. I don't know how angry your bees will be about the crackling though. You can remove the plastic later once the grass is truly dead. Then just keep the area tilled so that it doesn't grow back. Or suit up and weed eat that grass away!


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## scrapiron (Jul 23, 2011)

I think cutting grass and weedeating around the hives is the only thing left where I HAVENT been stung.


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## GBov (May 4, 2008)

scrapiron said:


> I think cutting grass and weedeating around the hives is the only thing left where I HAVENT been stung.


LOL! 

I never did get around to making a pen round my hives but the grass grew really tall and then fell over in a rain storm so its nice and short round the hives right now. See, if I wait long enough, some one else does the job for me :happy2:


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## Zeet_Cranberry (Jan 11, 2011)

We set our hives on a sheet of plywood which keeps the weeds down right at the hives...but it grows just outside the wood. The leader of our kids 4-H Beekeeper Club had a bad experience using a weedwhip at his hives (they didn't like it!) so we've avoided that. Just mow as close as you are comfortable and trim the rest by hand (hedge trimmer, scythe, clipper). Or take your chances and run your push mower right in front as close as you can....maybe your girls won't mind.

A rabbit is not a sheep and won't necessarily keep a grass area cut down.


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## G3farms (Dec 18, 2009)

I use old rubber roofing under the hives. If you can find a roofing contractor that is replacing a roof they will usually give you all you can haul off.


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## peri_simmons (Apr 9, 2005)

I put my beehives in the chicken area. It is bout 1/3 of an acre. The chickens forage all around the hives which are under a big maple tree.

The hens are not afraid to eat bugs, worms, grass, under and around the hives and tree. They even eat the dead bees on the ground around the bee area.:happy2:


It keeps the weeds and grass and weed seeds way down. The only real shade is under that tree. So they spend a lot of time there, hawks, coolness, lots of bugs etc. keep them on that area.

They have lots more room to range and they do, but they keep it foraged down around the bees.

The bees seem not to mind the chickens @ all.


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## pheasantplucker (Feb 20, 2007)

I too, suit up and use a weed eater, but I had several rubber floor mats from an old truck and I put those around my hives. It helps.


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## cnsper (Sep 6, 2012)

Water the grass with vinegar and the acid will kill the grass. You can also use pine needles as mulch for the same thing only it takes longer.


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## fireweed farm (Dec 31, 2010)

I threw a nasty drake in to do the same, and he ended up stung horribly, and blind. Lesson learned- no animals to be mixed with the bees.
Weedwacker, or spray vinegar mixed with a glug of dishsoap 2-3 times per year will do the trick.


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## Candace (Jan 14, 2008)

We were thinking of putting down black plastic with pea gravel on top but I really like the plywood and carpet suggestions. I would be worried about "trapping" an animal in such close proximity too. It might not do anything but if the bees get aggitated for some reason, they have a ready "victim".


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