[MacNobody]

I have a very small back yard, and with my bees coming next month, I am really starting to second guess keeping them here in my backyard.

They will be about 35 feet away in the corner of my yard, facing a privacy fence to get them flying up a little before heading out.


What is the closest you have bees to your house?

 

[MichaBees]

4 right next to the front entry door.
18 or so about 35 to 75 feet away; they make excellent guards, just place a bucket of sugar-water by the door before you go away for the weekend, and no one will dare to approach your place.

 

[mathesonequip]

35 feet across the driveway from my kitchen door faceing it . 15 feet closer would be ok I think. my work van is parked about 18 feet from them all the time...7 hives last summer.

 

[Vance G]

Mine are 10 miles away because I have apartments on one side and my lot is only 50'wide and I don't want trouble. Don't be conspicuous with them keep them out of sight. Anytime neighbors know you have bees in your yard, you now own every wasp, hornet or biting horsefly within miles!

 

[WBVC]

I keep one on my patio so it is easy for everyone to see...oddly they are my hottest hive
Plus 7 others are right against the house, 7 are between my house and my daughters...perhaps 10 ft clearance between her house and hives and about the same four us. Four others are about 10 ft from the house in front of those right against the house. It is easy to check on them when they are near by
My daughter no long gardens between two and four...but then she is usually at work.

 

[MarkSaratoga]

2 hives right outside my bedroom window, on a much used balcony. Wonderful to watch them.

 

[A'sPOPPY]

At the most 17 colonies 35 feet from back door. Also had a swarm land 10 feet from back door on a rose arbor.

 

[KQ6AR]

I know several urban beekeepers who's hives are 20-30' from the house.

 

[MarkSaratoga]

Now I'm worried

Mine are 2 feet from my windows, albeit 14 ft up from the ground!

 

[MacNobody]

I appreciate everyone's responses.

I know they talked about it at the beekeeping class I went to, but I couldn't remember anyone asking about a small backyard apiary.

 

[Moots]

Not counting the one's in my study in my Observation Hive, I keep one other hive at my house on the backside of my storage room attached to my carport. I park my work vehicle right on the side of it....Close enough that I have to make sure my car door does't hit it when I get in and out of my vehicle. It's never been an issue. As a matter of fact, I usually stop whenever I'm coming or going to watch them for a few minutes, that's pretty much the reason I keep them so close, I can go check them out without having to step off my cement drive.

Can anyone guarantee you that no one will ever get stung....NO! But I think you'll be fine!

Good luck to you and your bees!

 

[ksirovy]

Just depends how far you want to walk to get to them and stand there two feet from the hive and watch them for the next two hours.

 

[delber]

last year I had 6 hives here on my property. Just under 1/2 acre. 4 hives were behind the shed 2 hives were on the driveway. My kids yard toys are stored under the shed inbetween the hives. My son got stung by literally everything this past year accept a honeybee. He got stung by a bumble bee when he swatted at it on a bush, a yellow jacket, a hornet, and another kind of crawling bug I'm not sure what it was, but he picked it up (being a curious 6 yr. old boy) and it bit him. He didn't like that at all!!! The Honeybees are totally fine. I have 2 children that will play around them. They just know not to go in front of the entrance of the hives. (and not to touch the hives). I caught a swarm 2 years ago here at the house from one of my hives and the neighbors loved it. I caught them in my shorts and T-shirt w/ no protection. I know my bees that they are very calm so I wasn't concerned. I hope this helps.

 

[CessnaGirl]

Between 15 to 20 feet for7 hives. The feral swarms we caught were on top of screened porch, so they were really close. We have a small urban yard, too.

 

[Colleen O.]

I have a nuc about 8 feet from my patio door. I think it just depends on the bees. Some are gentler than others.

 

[tacomabees]

8 feet' from house/deck and hot-tub, 2 hives, thousands and thousands of bee's...never an issue, BBQ's, hot-tubbing, 10' from my wife's square foot garden area...she works in it all summer and never bothered....

 

[odfrank]

Four feet in front of my office desk.

 

[rwurster]

6" from the foundation, 8' from the back door

 

[Comper100]

Less than 3ft from our living room window. i took some precautionary measures like putting mosquito mesh on some of the vents in the brickwork for swarm season but that's about it

Love watching them in the morning before work

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[Cris]

Mine are in a corner of my backyard. I enjoy watching them and they've never bothered anyone.