My neighbor has bees, what’s this mean for me?
When we bring a hive to a backyard, neighbors often have questions. Nine out of ten times they’re excited to have new pollinators next door!
Occasionally, folks have a few concerns. It’s understandable! Despite the fact that bees are responsible for about a third of food crops, they’re often depicted as a dangerous nuisance in movies and on TV.
In this article, we answer six common questions we receive from our Host-a-Hive neighbors.
1. Are honeybees safe?
It’s common to assume if your neighbor has a beehive that you’ll notice more bees in your yard. However, this isn’t necessarily the case.
Bees can fly up to five miles away from the hive to find food so there’s a good chance they’ll fly past your yard in search of a good nectar source!
Most of our hosts’ neighbors report no difference in the number of bees in their yard after we set up a hive.
But, let’s say you do see a bee—will it sting you?
Honeybees want to find food and get home safely. They don’t want to sting. Actually, they die when they sting. It’s a last resort for them.
The golden rule for how to avoid being stung is to never swat. Just stay still. Once a bee realizes you're not a flower and have no sweet nectar or sugar water to offer, it will go peacefully on its way.
If your neighbor invites you to observe their beehive, keep a safe distance. We generally recommend standing at least ten feet away and never directly in front of the entrance.
2. What if I’m allergic to bees?
A small percentage of people are allergic to bees. According to the Journal of Asthma and Allergy, around 5% of people will experience allergic reactions to bee stings.
Regardless of whether your neighbor is a beekeeper, if you have reason to believe you’re severely allergic to bees, it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor about whether you should have an EpiPen.
Remember, bees fly up to five miles from their hive so a bee in the next city over can still visit your yard!
Even people with severe allergies are often curious about bees. However, we highly discourage anyone with allergies from being present during hive inspections—even if your neighbor has kindly invited you to observe.
3. Should I be worried about my dog?
If you have a fence and your dog can’t access the beehive, you have nothing to worry about. Your pet is safe.
Many of our beehive rental hosts have pets, even with a beehive in their backyard!
Most dogs ignore bees but some intrepid dogs are curious about these “spicy flies.” We find after one sting they’ll leave the hive alone and go right back to playing as normal after a few minutes.
That said, if your dog is ever stung by a bee and you think they’re having an allergic reaction, contact a veterinarian right away.
4. I spray for mosquitos. Will this affect them?
It can. As we mentioned, bees may fly right past your yard.
However, bifenthrin, the active ingredient in most mosquito spray, is classified as highly toxic to bees.
If you decide to spray it's best to avoid any flowering parts of plants because that is where the bees go. Spraying before sunrise or after sunset, when bees aren’t foraging, also keeps colonies safe.
Mosquitos reproduce in areas where this is stagnant water. There is a bacterium called BTi (Bacillus thuringiensis) which can be added to areas where water accumulates.
This bacterium is deadly to mosquito larvae but harmless to bees. A convenient source of BTi is a product called Mosquito Bits which is available at Home Depot or Lowes.
You can sprinkle it right into stagnant water or on depressions on the ground that hold rainwater.
We have an entire article with tips for bee-safe mosquito control.
5. Will my garden benefit from bees?
It may! When bees collect nectar, pollen collects on their legs and they carry it from one flower to another.
This cross-pollination is essential for flowers to produce seeds. More pollination means more flowers.
If you’d like to attract more pollinators to your garden (both native pollinators and honeybees) we have a short article that goes over seven flowers honeybees like. The key is to plant flowers in bunches that can be easily seen by bees.
It’s better to grow a large patch of one kind of flower rather than a handful of different plants scattered across the yard.
4. Is it legal to have bees?
The answer to this question varies from state to state and city to city.
The North Carolina Honey Bee and Honey Act of 1977 prohibits cities and counties from enforcing any ordinance or resolution that prohibits people from owning or operating five or fewer hives.
Durham is a bee-friendly city that does not require residents to register their hives.
In the town of Cary, before setting up a hive, residents must submit a plot plan which details exactly where the hive will be located in relation to the home’s property lines.
We work with our hosts to ensure they follow the beekeeping regulations specific to their town.
5. Will I get honey?
This is up to your neighbor! There are a few other factors at play, too.
Whether or not a hive produces honey depends on the weather and the health of the bees.
A typical colony takes a full year to build up enough population to produce surplus honey that can safely be harvested.
We share half the honey from our colonies with our hosts. This is usually about a gallon. Our half is redistributed to folks whose colonies did not produce honey.
Final thoughts on beekeeping and neighbors
At Buddha Bee Apiary, we believe beekeeping can bring communities together. We’ve even seen neighbors chip in to cover the cost of hosting a hive together.
We encourage our hosts to invite their neighbors, friends, or family to observe when we perform our monthly hive inspections.
When you see how gentle bees can be, you may even consider getting a hive of your own!