[robere]

I'm setting up a new bee yard. I want the rows as close as possible. In the past, the rows of hives have been far enough apart that I could mow without blowing grass on the hives. I have a 54 inch cut mower. My thought is to put the rows about 7- 8 feet apart so that 2 swipes of the mower would do it. I could face the discharge towards the hives and I'm hoping it would blow under the hives rather than on them. I've done a search and couldn't find anything on this particular subject. Before anyone suggests weed eating it all, thats not an option. I do use the weed eater right up against the hives. Thanks.

 

[calfreeman]

9 feet hoss, (54*2)/12 = 9, that will give you 54" for chute to blow. Maybe a few extra inches if you can't cut straight. If the hives are raised enough that chute will blow it under, or you have the option to bag. I would just do 54" rows and only cut one strip. How far the grass blows out chute going to depend on mower brand, motor hp, chute direction and grass thickness. IMO go smaller and use a weedwacker, how often does it really need to be done? If aesthetics are not important, cut it to the dirt with a trimmer asap in spring.

edit: depending on mower brand your deck is most likely 54" and the rear tire width will change all of that.

 

[ericweller]

Or you can position the rows closer together and put down something that prevents grass from growing. I use old shingles laid on the ground that totally prevents anything from growing. Home Depot throws away shingles that have broken packaging so you can get them very cheap.

 

[robere]

9 feet hoss, (54*2)/12 = 9, that will give you 54" for chute to blow. Maybe a few extra inches if you can't cut straight. If the hives are raised enough that chute will blow it under, or you have the option to bag. I would just do 54" rows and only cut one strip. How far the grass blows out chute going to depend on mower brand, motor hp, chute direction and grass thickness. IMO go smaller and use a weedwacker, how often does it really need to be done? If aesthetics are not important, cut it to the dirt with a trimmer asap in spring.

edit: depending on mower brand your deck is most likely 54" and the rear tire width will change all of that.

I've looked at bags,mighty pricey. Like I said,a weedwacker is not an option. The grass grows thick there,plus,I despise mowing in 90 degree heat anyway. Time spent in the heat needs to be spent taking care of the bees. There are times I have to mow every 5 or 6 days. I think 54" between rows is too close. I have the hives on cinder blocks(standing on ends).

 

[robere]

Or you can position the rows closer together and put down something that prevents grass from growing. I use old shingles laid on the ground that totally prevents anything from growing. Home Depot throws away shingles that have broken packaging so you can get them very cheap.

I have thought about doing this. I have old rubber roofing under all my hives but I ran out of it. I may go this route. I'm all for less mowing

 

[calfreeman]

I have thought about doing this. I have old rubber roofing under all my hives but I ran out of it. I may go this route. I'm all for less mowing

Most importantly do it in early spring, then it won't survive the summer heat. other than a few types of weeds. Any sort of light blocking material including a heavy layer of leaves will suffocate it. Basically anything to prevent light from reaching the ground. I use an old pool cover in my garden early in the season every year for this purpose I remove them once its all dead and the heat starts coming in.

 

[Fivej]

All mowers I have had in the last 20 years anyway offer a mulching blade kit which consists of the blades and a plug you stick in the discharge. Just take the plug out if you don't want to mulch your whole lawn. No tools required for my present mower and just a wingnut for the 2 prior ones. Better for your lawn and you don't have windrows. J

 

[robere]

All mowers I have had in the last 20 years anyway offer a mulching blade kit which consists of the blades and a plug you stick in the discharge. Just take the plug out if you don't want to mulch your whole lawn. No tools required for my present mower and just a wingnut for the 2 prior ones. Better for your lawn and you don't have windrows. J

Very interesting. I've had mulching blades before but never plugged up the shoot. I'll check into that thanks.

 

[little_john]

Plugging the chute (fully or partially) would be something I'd think worth looking at. On the rear of my self-propelled 'walk-behind' I've fixed an old pillow case with a steel bar inside (to keep it hanging-down vertically) in place of the collection box. Cuttings now drop down in a very controlled way immediately behind the mower.
LJ

 

[Jack Grimshaw]

Used carpet is free for the asking at most carpet stores.Who wants to mow?
Occasional weed wack around the bear fences to get the stragglers that a spring Roundup application doesn't control.

 

[Jarred1982]

Leave room for a fast getaway 😉

 

[Live Oak]

I use a Bad Boy AOSD 7200 to mow in between my rows. It will throw grass over 20 feet and makes a huge mess IF I don't use the Advanced Chute System. This allows me to close the ACS when the grass discharge chute faces a hive entrance and open it when it is not. This way I can make 3 passes to cut in between each row. If you place the rows too close together, they block the sunlight and make for the bees to have a steep approach to the landing board.

https://www.badboymowers.com/bad-boy-shop/zero-turn-mowers/lawn-mower-accessories

Sadly, Bad Boy has stopped making the AOSD 7200 which had a sweet Catarpillar 4 cylinder 1600cc diesel engine but you can get the latest diesel zero turn which is the Renegade which uses the former Caterpillar now rebranded to Perkins 3 cylinder 1100cc diesel. Yes you can buy a gasoline powered zero turn mower for a lot less money but once you experience the massive torque, reliability, and economy of a diesel engine, you will never go back.

https://www.badboymowers.com/bad-boy-shop/zero-turn-mowers/renegade-diesel-lawn-mower

Kubota makes a pretty nice zero turn diesel too.

I would think other mower manufacturers have copied the Advanced Chute System and could install it or retrofit one to your existing mower.

 

[1954Lincoln]

I have a piece of 3/4 in plywood cut to size and wired to the discharge chute. I have been using this technique for years.