Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: mountain-bees on March 19, 2015, 06:00:38 pm
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We have a complete kit that has arrived at local store. Italian bees arriving in last week April - First Week May. Our question: We have 1.05 acres in USDA Zone 4A. How close to the fence can the bees be because of Broadwater County mosquito spray truck which drives by on west and south property lines. Also, we have a line of Siberian Pea Tree hedges that are planted in North to South lines with 8 feet between them. I was thinking of putting the bee hive there, but that is only 178 feet from the west road that the mosquito spray truck drives on. The other choice, the north fence and the east fences on the border between a neighbor on the north that has around 1 acre and a neighbor on the east that has two acres. These two areas would be well away from mosquito spraying but there is no shelter from the wind at all. --- Also another topic, being, how much and how close can one be to a hive when cutting wood with a chain saw, cutting grass or wees with a gasoline mower or a gasoline trimmer??? ----Now another topic: Wife wants to paint the hives in pastel colors, and probably preponderance of yellow. Are colored hive boxes good, and if so, what paint can one use on them. I was thinking of using linseed oil on the bottom platform that the new hives came with since it is only bare wood and softwood at that. Any suggestions on any of these questions before our bees arrive would be appreciated.
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I use ECO wood treatment so most of my hives are seasoned wood colored. I paint my supers orange or yellow depending on if they are a shallow or deep. In hind site I would have just gone with one or the other instead of both sizes. I inherited many of my boxes from my fathers cousin and are 40 plus years old. I figure beggars can't be too choosey. I paint raisers or shims green so I can tell when they are on the hive bodies. Lastly I paint my feeders blue because I can relate to liquid syrup with blue water. lol Color coding parts make it easier for me but most folks would say it is my OCD coming out :rolleyes: Stay away from dark colors because the bees to have to work harder when the hot August temperatures arrive.
As far as spraying goes I believe the farther away your hives are the better. However, bees fly up to 3 miles so there is a limit on what you can do. Enjoy and have fun!!!
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In my opinion the mosquito spraying won't bother your bees as long as they spray after sunset and your bees are not bearding outside the hives.
--- Also another topic, being, how much and how close can one be to a hive when cutting wood with a chain saw, cutting grass or wees with a gasoline mower or a gasoline trimmer???
Many people, myself included, mow right in front of their hives. Just don't let the exhaust or grass blow toward the hives.
----Now another topic: Wife wants to paint the hives in pastel colors, and probably preponderance of yellow. Are colored hive boxes good, and if so, what paint can one use on them. I was thinking of using linseed oil on the bottom platform that the new hives came with since it is only bare wood and softwood at that. Any suggestions on any of these questions before our bees arrive would be appreciated.
Color preference doesn't matter to the bees. I have hive bodies painted white, shades of green, tan, brown red and even pink. Although with black or other dark colors tend to get hot in the middle of summer on a sunny day. Type of paint, most choose exterior latex.
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As far as painting the hives, if the hives are right next to each other, it helps to have them painted differently to keep the bees from drifting. That is going into the wrong hive. This is really important when the new queens are returning from their maiden flights. If they go in the wrong hive, they are killed. Any of the pastels will work just fine.
Jim
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First, it depends on what the mosquito trucks are spraying.. some of them spray a film that coats the water surface and kills mosquito larvae, but does not harm anything else.. If they spray insecticides, check on local laws and registrations.. In many places, it is ILLEGAL to spray anything harmful to bees within a certain distance of registered hives.. That may help... If not, then it wont matter, because your bees will forage three miles of more away from the hives...
As far as chainsaws, weed eaters etc.. it all depends on your bees, and the time of year AND the flow..
Well fed bees in a good flow can put up with a lot... well fed bees in a spring flow can put up with more.. Fall bees on NO flow can be cantankerous as heck... This is usually how close I get;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Z-R5KUQb6I