[Bees&Trees]

Looking for some new places to place the hives this year, found some good organic farmers that are willing. One is close to the house and very promising but they are worried about the neighbors horses. Sounds like they have tried to have some hives before but the neighbors are adamant that the bees will swarm the horses. Have read this a couple times but seems to be chalked up to old wives tale kind of thing. Any truth to this? Would like some facts to back up either way if possible. Thanks

 

[Brenda]

I have had a bee tree right next to my horse pasture for 12 years now. I also set up a hive about 1 foot away from the pasture fence. They haven't bothered the horses. As long as they aren't in the pasture where the horses can tip, rub or chew on the hives, they should be ok.

 

[Beeslave]

I have a 2 acre pasture that I put my 4 horses in throughout the summer on and off depending on the forage available. I had over 100 hives at one time with the horses in there at the same time for over 2 wks straight. I didn't have a problem. There are a few bee yards in the amish neighborhoods and they don't have any problem. Some of the amish have there own bees around here and I frequently see their horses by the bees too.

 

[fish_stix]

Up until Saturday when we moved all our bees to the citrus groves, we had them in a pasture with horses and cattle. Not a single problem and I've actually had the horses sniffing at the hives when we were working the bees.

 

[Onehorse]

I wouldn't put hives in the pasture, but then again, I don't have the smartest of horses, but the horses don't bother the bees and the bees don't bother the horses, but I do keep the watering holes separated or there are a lot of swimming bees in the horses trough.

 

[KQ6AR]

I've read bees will attack sweaty horses. I guess the smell can set them off.
Don't know how close the hives would have to be to the horses to cause a problem. Or if other night visitors might already have the bees in a defensive mood.

 

[alpha6]

I run two yards that have horses in the same pasture. One is a boarding facility and the other actually runs English riding lessons complete with jumps and racing events. Never had a problem. I think the only problem you would have is if a horse rubbed up and knocked over a hive. I have electric fences around mine and the horses graze right up to the fences. Never heard of the bees just attacking anything that wasn't trying to get into the hive.

 

[beekeeper1]

It has been explained to me that some horses may have a reaction to bee stings like some humans do and if for some reason a great number of bee stung a horse up in its nasal passages, if the horse had a reaction, the horse could have severe swelling of the nasal passages thus effecting the horses breathing.

 

[wfuavenger]

I've read bees will attack sweaty horses. I guess the smell can set them off.
Don't know how close the hives would have to be to the horses to cause a problem. Or if other night visitors might already have the bees in a defensive mood.

that might have been a condition of the bees trying to lick the salty sweat off of the horse...

 

[indypartridge]

I have bees in the backyard, a roundpen for my horses in the front yard. My horses have problems with horseflys, not bees.

 

[mike haney]

i think the reason for fear stems from memory or hear-say of several cases of penned/stabled horses being killed by AHB's a few years back. people always remember the negative. good luck,mike

 

[Bees&Trees]

Thanks for all the info guys and gals.

 

[Chick]

haha. I had to get rid of my bees 20 years ago, because they were causing trouble with my horses. Everytime my daughter would try to ride, they were getting after her and the horse. I think the horses were grazing too close to the hives, and would bump them. the bees thought the horses were trying to rob them, and began to get after them. After awhile, it became an automatic response to a horse being too close.

 

[jimg]

A fence seperates my four hives from the horses, but I have stood and watched the horses graze within six feet of the front entrances and never once seen them get stung. I don't really understand why they are not getting stung, but so far no problems.

 

[MJC417]

My horses cant touch the hives but they can get about three feet from them. They couldnt care less about each other and Ive never had a problem even if they were sweaty.(the horses of course)

 

[Michael Bush]

I have 40 hives or so in the middle of my horse pasture. As long as there is plenty of room for the horse to run away when bothered by the bees, they will. I occasionally see one get stung, but usually it's because they are hanging out by the hives because I'm there working the bees and they love people. I would not put hives where any animal can't run away 100 yards or so.

 

[Batman]

I saw we change this around. Horses don't have a bee problem, our bees have a horse problem.

I have heard of 'documented' cases of the AHB killing horses, but I have heard about other livestock as well. I don't think that AHB specifically target one animal and not another.

 

[Michael Bush]

My horses knock over hives if they can get to them. They also eat hives if they can get to them. Frames and all...

 

[Ben Brewcat]

Michael you might want to requeen your horses, they sound Africanized! Or at least try to breed out the TSH trait (Termite-Style Hunger).

 

[knpeterson]

I've kept my hives next to my horse pasture and there has never been a problem. I have however noticed that the bees can become somewhat interested in the horses when they are sweaty. I don't know if its because they want to lick the sweat or if its the same reason our body odor bothers them.