Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

ALMOST BEEKEEPING - RELATED TOPICS => GARDENING AROUND THE HOUSE => Topic started by: bwallace23350 on February 17, 2017, 05:06:12 pm

Title: Natural Fence
Post by: bwallace23350 on February 17, 2017, 05:06:12 pm
I got my 5 strand barb wire fence up. I was thinking of planting a natural fence right beside it to help keep the cows out. I was leaning towards holly bushes because they are evergreen and stick you. But my question is how much do honeybees like them. Surprisingly Google was not that helpful.
Title: Re: Natural Fence
Post by: BeeMaster2 on February 18, 2017, 09:26:20 am
Wallace,
I don't have holly bushes but is have several species of holly trees and in the spring the bees cover the trees. I can hear the bees on the trees from a long ways off. What is nice is that they bloom on different weeks, not all at the same time.
Jim
Title: Re: Natural Fence
Post by: GeezLouise on February 18, 2017, 02:06:32 pm
Holly spines probably won't phase cattle (if that's what you were thinking); they have thick skin. I don't remember if it's poisonous to them.

Also if you'll be in the area in sandals, hand weeding, or mulching with grass clippings from there, you may want to avoid spiny plants.

Says the person who planted about 75 feet of Oregon grape along a fence in a suburban backyard. The Oregon grape did keep humans from climbing over the fence.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Natural Fence
Post by: bwallace23350 on February 18, 2017, 03:34:51 pm
Holly was a thought but I would really like something that blooms in the July/August time frame. I have more research to do.
Title: Re: Natural Fence
Post by: bwallace23350 on February 18, 2017, 07:21:09 pm
Holly spines probably won't phase cattle (if that's what you were thinking); they have thick skin. I don't remember if it's poisonous to them.

Also if you'll be in the area in sandals, hand weeding, or mulching with grass clippings from there, you may want to avoid spiny plants.

Says the person who planted about 75 feet of Oregon grape along a fence in a suburban backyard. The Oregon grape did keep humans from climbing over the fence.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

Poisonous to the bees or cattle?
Title: Re: Natural Fence
Post by: GeezLouise on February 18, 2017, 07:49:56 pm
LOL, the cattle.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Natural Fence
Post by: bwallace23350 on February 20, 2017, 11:50:56 am
I have gave up on the actual natural fence idea and instead am just going to plant random herbs, lavender plants, butterfly bushes, lantana, and other such plants sporadically along the fence row.
Title: Re: Natural Fence
Post by: Acebird on February 21, 2017, 08:45:56 am
Just curious, what is the fence for?
Title: Re: Natural Fence
Post by: bwallace23350 on February 21, 2017, 11:13:57 am
Just curious, what is the fence for?

I put up a 5 wire barb wire fence and expanded my fruit orchard garden. I thought about including a natural fence inside the barb wire to help keep the cows out and also as a way to give my bees something to feed on during a dearth.
Title: Re: Natural Fence
Post by: Acebird on February 21, 2017, 08:43:38 pm
So the fence is to keep the cows out.  Got it.
Title: Re: Natural Fence
Post by: herbhome on February 21, 2017, 09:31:32 pm
The pioneers here used wild roses as a natural fence. Bees don't care for it much. Once started they are near impossible to kill out without herbicide. Osage-orange, also known as Bois D'arc, is a good one I think the bees would like.
Title: Re: Natural Fence
Post by: bwallace23350 on February 22, 2017, 02:55:36 pm
I am thinking that I might just do a variety of herbs and perennial bushes. Target things that bloom in the dearth season.
Title: Re: Natural Fence
Post by: Nico on February 22, 2017, 05:21:37 pm
Bwallace in Aust. lantana is declared a invasive pest, some species is definitely poisonous to cattle.
Nico
Title: Re: Natural Fence
Post by: bwallace23350 on February 23, 2017, 09:41:55 am
Bwallace in Aust. lantana is declared a invasive pest, some species is definitely poisonous to cattle.
Nico

Thanks. I will skip the lantana because of the poison part. I might stick to lavender then.
Title: Re: Natural Fence
Post by: Jim134 on March 19, 2017, 04:08:29 pm
       I know where I'm located at you need electric fence. Bears !!!!!  :shocked:


                   BEE HAPPY Jim 134.  :smile:
Title: Re: Natural Fence
Post by: bwallace23350 on March 19, 2017, 08:00:20 pm
       I know where I'm located at you need electric fence. Bears !!!!!  :shocked:


                   BEE HAPPY Jim 134.  :smile:

Does an electric fence even keep bears out?
Title: Re: Natural Fence
Post by: herbhome on March 19, 2017, 08:04:37 pm

[/quote]

Does an electric fence even keep bears out?
[/quote]

a good one does
Title: Re: Natural Fence
Post by: Dallasbeek on March 19, 2017, 08:32:53 pm
Slows them down, anyway, and makes tem reconsider the plan.
Title: Re: Natural Fence
Post by: Jim134 on March 19, 2017, 11:04:24 pm
       When you live in Bear Country and get serious about keeping Bears out. This is something you may do. No bear has gotten in the past 15 years. Of course you need to maintain the grass growing against the fence.
        As you can see this is a chain link fence that is solar electrified

(http://i66.tinypic.com/os5obt.jpg)



                   BEE HAPPY Jim 134  :smile:
Title: Re: Natural Fence
Post by: herbhome on March 19, 2017, 11:58:06 pm
Jim 134,

That'll do it!
Title: Re: Natural Fence
Post by: bwallace23350 on March 20, 2017, 07:46:00 am
Wow that is pretty serious stuff. Glad I don't live in bear country
Title: Re: Natural Fence
Post by: cao on March 20, 2017, 07:34:47 pm
ditto,  bwallace23350 and herbhome.