woodenware is stuck together with propolis, don’t snap it apart with a loud “crack.” The bees go on full alert when they feel sudden vibrations. Gentle and slow is the way to go.
Bees don’t like loud noises and vibrations, so don’t locate your city bees near noisy compressors, air conditioners, or anything else that might make them cranky.
Never leave sugar syrup or honey in open containers near the hive. Doing so can excite bees into a frenzy, and you may find yourself in the middle of it. It can also set off robbing — an unwelcome situation in which bees from other colonies attack your bees, robbing them of their honey. In Chapter 10, you find instructions on how to avoid robbing and what to do when it happens.
Keep yourself and your bee clothing clean. Bees don’t like bad body odor. If you like to eat garlic, avoid indulging right before visiting your bees. Chapter 7 has some handy hygiene hints.
Wear light-colored clothing. Bees don’t seem to like dark colors.
Knowing what to do if you’re stung
Be prepared to answer the following question from everyone who hears you’re a beekeeper: “Do you ever get stung?” You’ll hear this a hundred times. An occasional sting is a fact of life for a beekeeper. Following the rules of the road, however, keeps stings to a minimum, or perhaps you’ll get none at all. Yet, if a bee stings you or your clothing, calmly remove the stinger and smoke the area to mask the chemical alarm scent left behind. (This alarm pheromone can stimulate other bees to sting.) To remove the stinger, you can use your fingernail to scrape or pinch it off your skin.
Some old-timers swear by the effectiveness of baking-soda-and-water poultices for bee stings; other folks advocate meat tenderizer and wet tobacco poultices, respectively. These are “grandma recipes” that were used before we had the antidote that the medical profession endorses — over-the-counter antihistamines.
Watching for allergic reactions
All bee stings hurt a bit, but not for long. Experiencing redness, swelling, and itching is completely natural. These are normal (not allergic) reactions. For a small percentage of individuals, more severe allergic or even toxic reactions can occur, including severe swelling beyond the immediate area of the sting and shortness of breath. In the worst cases, reaction to bee stings can result in loss of consciousness or even death. The most severe reactions occur in less than 1 percent of the population. To put that in perspective, more people are killed by lightning each year than die from bee stings.
As a precaution against a severe reaction, some beekeepers keep an EpiPen on hand (warning: they are pricy). EpiPens are available via your doctor by prescription. The EpiPen automatically injects a dosage of epinephrine (adrenaline). But be careful. Liability issues can arise when injecting another person, so check with your doctor (or even lawyer) beforehand.
Building up a tolerance
Now this may sound strange, but some beekeepers (myself included) look forward to getting a few stings early in the season. No, we’re not masochistic. The more stings we get, the less the swelling and itching. For many, occasional stings actually build up a kind of tolerance. It still smarts, but the side effects disappear.
One school of thought states that bee venom can actually be good for some health conditions that you may suffer from. This is what bee-sting therapy is all about; see Chapter 1 for more information.
Understanding Local Laws and Ordinances
Is it legal to keep bees? In most places, the answer is yes. But some areas have laws or ordinances restricting or even prohibiting beekeeping. For the most part, such restrictions are limited to highly populated, urban areas. Other communities may limit the number of hives you can keep, and some require you to register your bees. Ask your local authorities how to go about this. Some communities require that the state bee inspector inspect the health of your colonies periodically. If you have any questions about the legality of keeping bees, contact your state bee inspector, the state department of agriculture, or a local bee club or association.
www.beeculture.com and follow the links under the “resources” tab. By the way, there’s a subscription discount offer for this journal at the end of this book.
Easing the Minds of Family and Neighbors
For many among the general public, ignorance of honey bees is complete. Having been stung by wasps and yellow jackets, they assume having any kind of bee nearby spells trouble. Not true. It’s up to you to take steps to educate them and alleviate their fears.
Some things you can do to put them at ease are
Restrict your bee yard to two hives or fewer. Having a couple of hives is far less intimidating to the uneducated than if you had a whole phalanx of hives.
Locate your hive in such a way that it doesn’t point at your neighbor’s driveway, your house entrance, or some other pedestrian traffic-way. Bees fly up, up, and away as they leave the hive. When they’re 15 feet from the hive, they’re way above head level.
Don’t flaunt your hives. Put them in an area where they’ll be inconspicuous.
In a densely populated urban setting, sometimes, keeping your hobby on the down-low, or at least not telling people the exact location of your hive, could spare you from an opportunistic complainer!
Paint or stain your hives to blend into the environment. Painting them flame orange is only tempting fate.
Provide a nearby source of water for your bees. That keeps them from collecting water from your neighbor’s pool or birdbath (see the “Providing for your thirsty bees” section later in this chapter). Air-conditioning drips are a strong temptation for city bees. Also, drips from water towers are ever present, and enticing for thirsty bees — but bee-ware! This water might be laced with chemicals that pose threats to bees. So be sure to provide your colonies with a nearby source of clean water to help them avoid becoming a nuisance ! Bait it with sugar for a couple of weeks to lure the bees to your water source.
Invite folks to stop by and watch you inspect your hive. They’ll see firsthand how gentle bees are, and your own enthusiasm will be contagious. You usually won’t have to ask; they will seek you out. Keep an extra veil or two on hand for your visiting friends. You certainly don’t want a sting on their nose to be
