Bees tend to be defensive and not aggressive. Their stinging reaction is intended for when they feel threatened. You may get stung if you’re intruding into their hive territory. If you have a safe place to put them in and value their space, a peaceful coexistence with honeybees is possible.
Non-foraging bee activity appears to be confined within the hive, and there’s no need to fret about a yard full of bees.
Keeping the bees at home is a smart idea. Doing so implies that you are helping the bees to pollinate the flowers and trees in your area. It will keep these pollinators alive and well under care, especially during increasingly challenging conditions.
Backyard Beekeeping Risks
From adequately located beehives or hives, there is little risk for anyone. You want to be sure that they are neither too close to your neighbor’s property nor that the foraging bees’ natural flight paths are likely to affect someone who is walking by. Therefore, ensure that you place the hive a few feet away facing a sidewalk or public location.
Bees usually fly upward shortly after leaving the hive. Still, there is an area a few feet in front of the hive where bees arriving or departing may unintentionally hit a person walking by and sting.
You may also want to put up a sign that alerts the passersby to your hive and maybe put a fence or wall around the bee yard to keep young people from getting too close. Bees usually fly in the air at three to six feet, so a six-feet high prevents anyone from entering the flight path.
Ideal Number of Bees to Keep in a Backyard
Two hives are likely to be as many as you would like to have in an urban environment unless you have a large property.
Many beekeepers in their backyards have beehives, as well as some bees that are even stored on the rooftops. Bees will fly a few miles to gather nectar and pollen, so they don’t need nearby flowering plants. Most suburban areas have plenty of flowers, and healthy local honey crops can be produced from bees.
Beekeepers have to take extraordinary care to prevent their bees from becoming a nuisance to neighbors, or even seemingly a problem. Bee stings tend to be the worry of neighbors. Beekeepers can usually take care of their bees to allow neighbors to feel safe and comfortable in their yards.
Keeping them in a warm, peaceful area separated from areas of the yard that are still occupied by humans and pets is always wise. Effectively putting a hive near a fence, wall, or hedgerow will serve as a visual barrier to jumping neighbors. If the entrance faces a wall, the bee flight path will be pushed up and down human walkways.
Common question about keeping bees in backyard
What are the dangers of a yard beehive?
You’re bound to feel threatened when a colony of bees lives in your backyard. Dangers include bee stings, allergies, or aggression.
Beekeeping is possible in an urban or suburban environment. Still, it is also risky if you do not recognize how to prevent your bees from being a nuisance and could be stinging your neighbors. Proper beekeeping tools and components involve tall fences to divert bee flight paths across people’s heads. A source of clean, freshwater is also necessary, so bees don’t hydrate anywhere else. It would help if you also had a trap hive that prevents bees from swarming by giving them a place to live outside their typical hive.
If you have a dog, is it safe to have a beehive?
Having dogs and beehives in the same yard is certainly safe except that you should not have a hive in the backyard if your dog is allergic to bees.
Keeping your dogs in an outdoor kennel while you’re not at home could pose a danger to your pet. Too many stings will cause any creature to die. Such beings would run from stinging bees, but they are particularly susceptible without that option. When you have a well-secured hive, this danger is generally remote but should be taken seriously.
How to keep bees in residential areas?
Keeping bees consistently in your yard requires more than just physical space for hives. Having bees close to humans has its own set of rules to observe. It’s necessary to be a good neighbor if you are going to have bees in your backyard. If you’re on good terms with your neighbors until you get bees, then they will be as excited about your new hobby as you are. You should also think constructively about what could go wrong and be ready to deal with it instantly.
Conclusion
Beekeeping in the backyard is a fun and gratifying pastime. There are a few criteria for keeping bees in your yard and ensuring bees don’t become a nuisance to neighbors. The golden rule of backyard beekeeping is to respect your neighbors, your bees, and your environment.