[Arkansas Beekeeper]

I started my 1st hive April 15th. Everything going great until I cranked up Kubota tractor (25 horse diesel). The 1st time I was 15 feet from hive. Stung twice (deserved that one). Now, every time I start tractor, bees get cranky. I was stung yesterday 75 feet from hive. Today, bees excited when tractor 200 feet from hive with house between tractor and hive. I am concerned about neighbors mowing their yard. I am going to have to mow with bee gear on? Aggressive bees or normal behavior?

 

[alpha6]

Not normal. Try this. Next time you go to use your tractor mist your hive right before with sugar water. That should clam them down. I mow the grass in my yards with no problems. Maybe your tractor is giving off a certain frequency that is particularly annoying to the bees. Not really sure what you can do about that.

 

[johng]

I would think about requeening. I use a weed eater in front of my hives and have not been stung yet. So I would not think being stung 200 ft away from a hive would be normal.

 

[CRL]

Similar situation here, they ignore my regular walk behind mower but come boiling out of the hive when I use the riding mower (22 hp gas) anywhere within about 100 ft of the hive, last time it took them around 45 minutes to calm down after I shut off the mower.
I assumed it was the vibration as well.

 

[bmcmahon]

I mow around the apiary with my Kubota BX2660 (25.5 hp) and have no problems. At the closest point the mower is probably 10 ft from the hives. I haven't weed whacked inside the fence yet but so far the girls seem very calm.

 

[marksmith]

I use my rider and actually mow UNDER the leading edge of the hives by 6" or so... not even a headbutt from the girls.

We'll see how they do during dearth.

 

[StevenG]

I don't dare weed whack around the hives without veil... but I can mow with the John Deere rider with no problems... go figure.

 

[Ravenseye]

I mow with my old Cub Cadet right in front of the hives. BUT...I don't exactly go slow! They don't like it but I rarely get stung. When I do, it's usually in the fall.

 

[honeyman46408]

Last year I bought a 25HP 48" cut "0" turn and my bees do not like it but I can mow within 30` before they start after me. If you are getting stung 75 ft away I would think you have a different problem like skunks or coons bothering them at night.

 

[Virginia Bee]

When I was young my dad had me trim around the hives to control the weeds. Back in those days you had to use mechanical hand squeeze trimmers with the two sissor blades. One day I got the "bright" idea to grab an old sickle out of the barn to try to cut the tall weeks down quicker. One of my swings with the sickle went wrong and things got interesting.

To this day, I still do not know who was more furious...my dad or the hive that got dumped when I knocked the foundation out from under it:waiting:

 

[Jay T]

I know what you mean about got stung 200 feet away from my hives, I have a Kubota 3400 that was in the shop and I was just thinking about getting it out and I got stung…my bees have ESP
Anyone else every have that happen

 

[mdaniels]

Would it have anything to do with the fumes/smoke a tractor can make at start up?