Author Topic: Bees - and bee stings  (Read 6342 times)

lavenderlux

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Bees - and bee stings
« on: September 08, 2014, 10:28:11 »
A plot holder on our site has around 15 hives and these are very near our community area (and car park) and buildings.  We are having a problem with a lot of plot holders getting stung, sometimes several times and bee stings are extremely painful.  Some people have been getting stung just after they get out of their cars and were unloading their tools.  My husband was stung four times on Friday afternoon, one sting was on his ear which swelled and the swelling spread to his face and eye and its still considerably swollen this morning. 
Is there anything we can do to prevent getting stung?  Would using lighted 'joss sticks' (or cigarettes, although we don't smoke and never have done) around us keep the bees away?
The owners of the bees says 'well how do you know they are our bees' - and of course we don't but it seems likely they are given the proximity of the hives to people getting stung

petengade

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Re: Bees - and bee stings
« Reply #1 on: September 08, 2014, 10:47:19 »
Buy some wasp spray, if challenged say how was I to know it was one of yours   :happy7:

MervF

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Re: Bees - and bee stings
« Reply #2 on: September 08, 2014, 10:58:23 »
A number of years ago when I had a plot on a council owned site, I got a nasty bee sting which affected me for a couple of weeks.   Our association chairman reported it to the council and the plotholder who had the hive was told to remove the hive from the site.   If it was me I would report the aggressive bees to the site owners.

Flighty

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Re: Bees - and bee stings
« Reply #3 on: September 08, 2014, 18:01:42 »
I agree that you should take the matter up with whoever owns the site. Most council ones have a limit to the number of hives that a plotholder can have, generally around six.

I would also contact the British Beekeepers Association - http://www.bbka.org.uk/ -  who should be able to offer advice on this problem.
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GrannieAnnie

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Re: Bees - and bee stings
« Reply #4 on: September 09, 2014, 05:24:35 »
It seems strange to me that the bees are aggressive. Perhaps I'm incorrect in thinking honeybees are docile unless you grab them or step on them in bare feet, but that has been my experience here. In fact I can walk through tall flowers covered with honey bees and bumble bees and brush against them and the bees don't seem to mind at all. However what we call yellow jackets and wasps (in the USA) now those can be very aggressive and just walking close to them might get somebody attacked.
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BarriedaleNick

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Re: Bees - and bee stings
« Reply #5 on: September 09, 2014, 07:23:55 »
It does seem unusual that they are that aggressive.  We have a few hives in the woods next to our site and the bees are pretty docile as long as you don't threaten them or the hives.  Smoke does calm them in the hive but not sure how effective it would be in the open.  I agree with Flighty - call the British Beekeepers Association..
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pumkinlover

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Re: Bees - and bee stings
« Reply #6 on: September 09, 2014, 08:22:33 »
Bees do not like smells . So hard working gardeners with sweaty armpits  are a possible target as is anyone wearing cosmetics and deodorant as they don't like artificial smells either.
A compromise with less hives and  a barrier around the hives might help. If the bees have to fly up to get out of the barrier they apparently stay at that height.  Raising the flight path will help and I suspect that less competition for food might make happier calmer bees.

goodlife

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Re: Bees - and bee stings
« Reply #7 on: September 09, 2014, 09:35:39 »
Umm..I would put it this way... hives that are well managed, their bees are calm and usually don't cause any problems....HOWEVER!!!!...any colony can get 'edgy' at times and that can be caused by various reasons. After all bees are 'wild' insect and we beekeeper only manage them..or try to...and they just carry on how they see is best for them.
If this has been carrying on for some time...as it sounds to me...that beekeeper is irresponsible if he doesn't tackle the problem. Each colony has their own 'personality' and that is determined by the queen and her genetics.
Of course it is true 'how do you know that is his bees'....but having 15 hives in such a populated area is down right irresponsible from the beekeeper ...adding to that, while bees are away from the hives foraging, they don't tend to get stingy, unless seriously provoked, ...it is quite reasonable to presume it is at least one of his hives that is culprit. Not only that...bee stings will excite other bees  with their stings smells..so in worst case scenario there could be potential 'riot' and multiple stings being given by several bees, people being chased and followed some time by angry bees. (please don't picture swarm scenario!...swarms are mostly very safe and calm although it looks really 'bad') There is actions that beekeeper can take to correct 'over protective' behaviour of the colony, but it will take for while to come into action. In mean while he should find out what hive(s) is the culprit and take it away for another location for 'treatment'...there is no need to aggravate other people and he is just causing problems to himself in long rung.
I would also ask him a question...is he covered by any insurance should there be serious incident with the bees? Is the proof of insurance required by your site?
On our site we (I) only allow few hives per allotment and even then their proposed location have to be well planned to avoid possible 'issues' with neighbours and houses nearby. 15 hives is LOT of bees when it only takes odd few bees to cause problems!
I wonder if he is growing anything on his plot? Is he cultivating the land or is it just for the hives?
Our rule is that any other activity...chickens, bees etc...are treated  'as bonus/extra' , but it must not be the main reason for having allotment plot... allotments on our site are still released mainly for growing fruit, veg and flowers!
« Last Edit: September 09, 2014, 09:39:38 by goodlife »

goodlife

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Re: Bees - and bee stings
« Reply #8 on: September 09, 2014, 09:50:22 »
Oh..and to add..

Beekeeper is ultimately responsible for his bees...if he thinks his bees could cause unreasonable disturbance to people nearby, his bees are not suitable for that location! As far as I'm aware..there is no legislation regarding to bees, they are classified as 'wild', but the beekeeper and his activities can be prosecuted putting public to 'danger' and causing harm.
Of course there is various insects that sting/bite and this is 'normal'...we cannot avoid that...it is not that difficult to prove his 'wrong doing' as beekeeper and I suspect it doesn't have be proven it is 'his bee' that 'did it'...it only takes to show he has colony that is not safe to approach before they attack.
What a stupid man....

lavenderlux

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Re: Bees - and bee stings
« Reply #9 on: September 09, 2014, 20:58:37 »
These bees are still very aggressive.  I went over to our allotment site this morning and got stung twice, once as I got out of the car - this sting was on the corner of my eye and its very painful even now with my face and eye very swollen, someone got the sting out for me and I applied a stick sting relief which I got from the chemist last week after getting a couple of stings from the bees on one visit then.  The second sting was on my neck and about half an hour later.  Another plot holder, who had gone to the site around 8am this morning hoping to avoid the bees also got stung as he got out of his car.
I have contacted the Council who own the site but the person I need to speak to wasn't in today but I spoke to someone else who said there are rules and told me what they are but none of these appears to being adhered to, so I will contact them again tomorrow and hope a solution can be found. 

winecap

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Re: Bees - and bee stings
« Reply #10 on: September 09, 2014, 22:19:45 »
Just out of interest, how near are these hives? I'm also wondering how long the hives have been there, and for how long they have been a problem. I get the feeling they may have been there a while, but have recently become a problem. ???
If these bees have such a bad temperament, I can't imagine they are much fun for the beekeeper either. Surely he would want to sort them out.
Glad to say my bees are mostly friendly and I've not been stung this year yet. I do wear protection when I open the hives, but I regularly sit near the hives when I stop for a drink and watch their comings and goings and they rarely take any notice.

lavenderlux

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Re: Bees - and bee stings
« Reply #11 on: September 10, 2014, 07:55:42 »
The hives are about six metres from our machinery store shed and less than ten metres to the car park, they are on higher ground than the machinery store and car park and for the bees its a 'downward flight' from where they leave the hives to where people are.  The bees have been here four years but its only this year, since May, that they have been a problem, there's also a lot more hives this year.  At one time there was a tall weed / blackthorn / bramble barrier between the hives and these areas but the bee keepers removed this about 18 months ago when they extended the area to fit in more hives. The bee keepers have also had problems with getting stung when they get out of their car so they now come up with their bee protection already on.
Bees are important for pollination and we don't want them to be removed, just find a way that eliminates getting stung!

winecap

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Re: Bees - and bee stings
« Reply #12 on: September 10, 2014, 22:30:18 »
The more you tell us, the more outrageous this situation sounds. Bee protection on before they get out of their cars, but no regard for the threat to others? I can't help thinking that their actions in this regard are an admission of liability. They should want to sort this out before somebody else does.

Melbourne12

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Re: Bees - and bee stings
« Reply #13 on: September 10, 2014, 23:01:10 »
It's not that unusual for a hive to become aggressive or ill-tempered, usually after a swarm has left and a new queen has taken over.  It's probably all down to a single hive out of all of them.  The beekeeper will know perfectly well which hive it is.  He needs to re-queen the offending hive.

Robert_Brenchley

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Re: Bees - and bee stings
« Reply #14 on: September 11, 2014, 15:03:23 »
You do get the odd colony which is extremely defensive; it usually is just the odd one. There are two traits involved; stinging, which is obvious, and 'following', which is when they buzz around you. People get scared, react, and then get stung. Colonies like that are seriously unpleasant to handle, plus of course it causes problems with other people, so I don't see why the beekeeper hasn't sorted it long since. When I've had the odd swarm like that, I've requeened them; a new queen raised from a docile stock sorts the problem. It's too late in the season for that, so he needs to squash the queen and combine them with another stock, which is the second solution. The third is extermination, if they're just too nasty to handle at all. Petrol or detergent will do that without poisoning his hive. Someone needs to talk to them.

goodlife

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Re: Bees - and bee stings
« Reply #15 on: September 11, 2014, 16:18:25 »
Quote
Someone needs to talk to them

Umm.."leave those poor people alone or else!!!!"....is that what you mean?...do you happen to know anybody who talk fluent 'bees buzz'...? :tongue3: :glasses9:
..

lavenderlux

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Re: Bees - and bee stings
« Reply #16 on: September 12, 2014, 20:16:21 »
I am hoping the situation is now resolved as screening to a height of about six feet was put up by our field committee yesterday.  It doesn't go round all the hives but its on the side where the bees 'had a clear run' from coming out of their hives down to where people were.
About six weeks ago my husband had a bee incident on our site (of the type  Robert B describes), he got stung and then got buzzed by what seemed a lot of very angry bees, in trying to get away from them he tripped and fell, twisting his knee which is still very painful, and also got another three stings! 
Bees are important for pollination and its to be hoped this screening works.

 

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