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Bee hives


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I once set up a hide just off the side of a flightline, tucked neatly into a cosy spot under a tree backed against a hedge and I got 2 shots off before I had to clear out. I must have been pretty close to a wasps nest and they weren't one bit happy about it. Hateful bloody things.

I don't see much of honeybees around my way, plenty of big placid bumble bees though.

 

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I regularly shoot in the corner of a field we call "bee hive field". In the corner are several hives well looked after. Above are several sitty trees. Huge expanse of crops in front differant each year.

I always wear long sleeves and a proper head net just in case.

The only problem I've ever had was when the bee keepers turned up unannounced one Saturday afternoon to collect honey. They began smoking out the bees as I was rapidly trying to pack up.

I was swarmed and stung 9 times, bees can get into cuffs and right up your armpits.

Fortunately I also carry anti sting in my first aid kit so dealt with them back at the car.

A lot of bees needlessly died that day due to the thoughtlessness of the keepers.

No keepers about no problems with hives in my experience. 

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Interesting thank you. This is a fair sized pea field and he let some bee keeper put hives there to help pollinate which is win win really. But I thought it would be one or two but there is a good ten or more hives and the air was full of them zooming back and forward. Hopefully the far side will be ok but I had visions of getting swarmed. There is a nice hide position in about 30 yards of them but I don't think I will bothering there lol

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3 hours ago, Centrepin said:

I regularly shoot in the corner of a field we call "bee hive field". In the corner are several hives well looked after. Above are several sitty trees. Huge expanse of crops in front differant each year.

I always wear long sleeves and a proper head net just in case.

The only problem I've ever had was when the bee keepers turned up unannounced one Saturday afternoon to collect honey. They began smoking out the bees as I was rapidly trying to pack up.

I was swarmed and stung 9 times, bees can get into cuffs and right up your armpits.

Fortunately I also carry anti sting in my first aid kit so dealt with them back at the car.

A lot of bees needlessly died that day due to the thoughtlessness of the keepers.

No keepers about no problems with hives in my experience. 

What do you mean by a lot of bees needlesly killed ?   I have kept bees and have four hives on my property at this moment. I can go within 2yards of them and they take no notice.

Bees should be checked fairly frequently when supers will be removed if full of honey and bees gently brushed off. Bees are very valuable and no bee keeper is going to 'needlessly' destroy them.  Any bees which leave the hive at such times will make every effort to defend their home and if not wearing proper gear you can get stung although I know of a number of beekeepers who normally don't wear anything.  I drive my mower past the hives every week within a yard or so and they take no notice.  If they have been opened and checked then we stay clear for a day or so to let them settle down.    Shooting within a few yards of hives as long as you are not directly infront or in their flight path would cause no problem to the bees.

Edited by Walker570
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2 hours ago, Walker570 said:

What do you mean by a lot of bees needlesly killed ?   I have kept bees and have four hives on my property at this moment. I can go within 2yards of them and they take no notice.

Bees should be checked fairly frequently when supers will be removed if full of honey and bees gently brushed off. Bees are very valuable and no bee keeper is going to 'needlessly' destroy them.  Any bees which leave the hive at such times will make every effort to defend their home and if not wearing proper gear you can get stung although I know of a number of beekeepers who normally don't wear anything.  I drive my mower past the hives every week within a yard or so and they take no notice.  If they have been opened and checked then we stay clear for a day or so to let them settle down.    Shooting within a few yards of hives as long as you are not directly infront or in their flight path would cause no problem to the bees.

I often decoy by the hives without problem. Regularly walk past also. Often shoot by the hides as lot of pigeon, corvid and squirrels in that area. I have an old seat left near the hives as I often sit there un hidden quietly as its a flight line. 

Never ever had a problem even with them flying untill the keepers started to smoke them out.

They swarmed on me and my hide, I swatted many as they attempted to sting me, how many I have no idea but the keepers came at me with smoke and said it was my fault I should have packed up quicker. I make no excuses as anything that attacks me stands a good chance of death. 

Since then the keepers have given me honey and bees wax and bear no ill will. They apparently thought I would not have packed up, just gone away till they had left. Maybe 40 mins. 

If I see them now I wave and move away sharpish before they begin work. Lesson learnt. 

I still decoy and shoot in same place without problem.

I maintain it was the keepers smoking them out before I had packed up that was the problem, the bees obviously saw me as a threat.

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You use smoke on bees to calm them. Opening up a hive can make bees defensive (quite understandably) and in many cases the bees will then attack people close to a hive.

The thing to note is not all bees are the same. Some colonies can be opened up and inspected with no protection, other colonies will attack anyone within 50m or more of their hive. It could also depend on many other things such as weather, time of year etc. I can mow near some of my colonies and not others.

I would have thought you would be fine shooting 30 yards from most bees but you could ask the keeper if you see them. As has already been mentioned just be careful you're not standing in their flightpath, when they find something to forage there can be a large number flying too and fro and they may bump into you.

Edited by Windswept
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1 hour ago, Centrepin said:

I often decoy by the hives without problem. Regularly walk past also. Often shoot by the hides as lot of pigeon, corvid and squirrels in that area. I have an old seat left near the hives as I often sit there un hidden quietly as its a flight line. 

Never ever had a problem even with them flying untill the keepers started to smoke them out.

They swarmed on me and my hide, I swatted many as they attempted to sting me, how many I have no idea but the keepers came at me with smoke and said it was my fault I should have packed up quicker. I make no excuses as anything that attacks me stands a good chance of death. 

Since then the keepers have given me honey and bees wax and bear no ill will. They apparently thought I would not have packed up, just gone away till they had left. Maybe 40 mins. 

If I see them now I wave and move away sharpish before they begin work. Lesson learnt. 

I still decoy and shoot in same place without problem.

I maintain it was the keepers smoking them out before I had packed up that was the problem, the bees obviously saw me as a threat.

As said lesson learned. I would have backed off smartish with gun and left the rest in place.  Let them do what needed doing then after an hour or so afterwards quietly sneak in and retrieve items even leaving posts and camo till following morning.  Apparently bee stings are good for arthriris....don'r believe it.  Been dabbed a few times over the years and still can't bend three of my fingers due to.  Trigger finger is ok so far.

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Between myself and my dad we have 11 hives.All bar 1 are pretty quiet if you act properly ie.no sudden movements or un-necessary disturbance.We can open them and inspect them with a bit of smoke and they do not get excited.I have a hive that has no queen at the minute and they are cross.They were grand until they lost the queen but since that happened they have got grumpy and are liable to sting you for no reason and you don't have to be that close either.All the others you can walk past or around especially when they are busy without any worries.

Have been trying to get a new queen cell drawn out but it is not going well.Hopefully when I am successful they will settle.

I have never decoyed near bee hives but once set up near a wasps nest which was in the ground.I moved and had no issues.

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