Cats near beehives

[LizzieBee]

I have two older barn cats that follow me around the property. If I?m walking by the beehive and my cat is following me, are the bees going to come out and attack her? I don?t want her to get stung. I?m a beginner and I don?t have my bees yet. I?ve heard that bees attack skunks.

LizzieBee

[moebees]

I don't have personal experience with cats around beehives but have seen a number of youtube videos of beekeepers and cats following them around the hives.  Doesn't seem to be a problem.  Now a dog is a different matter. If they haven't been around a hive they run up and stick their nose in the entrance.  Blammo!

[BeeMaster2]

Welcome to Beemaster Lizzie.
Unless your bees are under attack, as in having skunks scratching at the hive all night and eating the bees, you bees will not pay any attention to your cats. The cats will quickly learn not to stick their noses into the entrance.
My sons service dog runs all around the hives without being bothered.
Jim

[Bush_84]

My barn cats do the same thing. There?s one that is like a friggin dog. He follows me everywhere. They have never had an issue getting stung.  Part of me wishes they would learn a minor lesson and stop using the hive bodies as a thing to rub up against. The bees don?t seem to care.

[Brigantin]

I think your cat is safe as long as it doesn't interfere with the hive. Bees do not attack animals only if they sense danger. Older cats, as a rule, are not so active and try to devote more time to sleep and rest, I'm not sure that an old cat will climb a tree behind a hive.

[Bob Wilson]

The cats will be fine. I have two, and I have seen one on top of a hive swatting at the bees when I first started beekeeping. Maybe the bees will give a sting and the cat will learn a lesson, but generally, the bees are too busy minding their own business to care about cats walking by.

[Hops Brewster]

pets in general are not an issue with the hives, as long as they leave the hive alone.  Simply being in proximity of a calm hive is not enough to set them against a cat or dog..  However,  IME, the bees can sometimes key in on an innocent pet if I tick them off while working with them.  My dog used to enjoy snapping bees out of the air for a sweet snack.  But he has learned the hard way to not only stay away from the hives at any time, but has also learned to fear them when I do go anywhere near the hives.  Poor shivering beast.

[beesnweeds]

I was helping a woman inspect her hives when along came her cat who kept doing the figure 8 dance around her ankles for attention.  The woman gently placed the inner cover against the hive and the cat did the happy nose dive and rubbed into the cover.  That triggered an instant defensive response and the cat was chased to the barn.  The cat was fine after being stung once or twice.  While its unlikely that a pet is going to get stung by hanging near a hive, its wise to be cautious during inspections. 

[Brigantin]

I think your cat is safe as long as it doesn't interfere with the hive. Bees do not attack animals only if they sense danger. Older cats, as a rule, are not so active and try to devote more time to sleep and rest, I'm not sure that an old cat will climb a tree behind a hive. I also have a few old cats at home that sleep or eat all day. To keep their bodies in top condition, I feed them balanced food as recommended by catlycat.com so that they don't have digestive problems and increase their energy. I love my pets very much and try to do my best to keep their health and mood. I think every one of you is doing the same!

[FloridaGardener]

My active and mischievous cat is not supposed to go outside, but sometimes manages the latch on the screen room.

And he beelines for the bees! Cats have such a strong sense of smell that they are drawn to the hives.   Mine are high enough up that he can walk under the stand, and whiff the hives from the screened bottom boards.

But then, people do this too, right? - Pictured: Russian beehive-air spa

[FloridaGardener]

All we need is an IKEA Poang chair...

[Bob Wilson]

Florida. You are killing me.
Beeks sell honey, pollen, packages, propolis, and now hive air?