Neighbor is an unregistered commercial apiarist.

Submitted by ForeverMoody t3_10q7263 in newjersey

I moved into my new house last summer and discovered that my backyard neighbor has 26 beehives that he farms on 0.5 acres of lawn.

My yard is mostly clover, false nettle, and dandelion and I felt bad mulching so many bees when I would mow my lawn but recently I’ve been reading that raising a large population of nonnative bees can be harmful to beneficial native pollinators.

I didn’t think I’d be a NIMBY so quickly but is it worth bringing this “farm” to the attention of the town/NJ department of agriculture?

I’m not able to be barefoot in the yard, i have to live with over >1M bees drinking and drowning in the pool and and the neighbor has 20 hives over the recommended amount (3 per 1/4 acre).

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PickleLS10 t1_j6o7u06 wrote

Have you talked to the neighbor? That should be your first step.

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ForeverMoody OP t1_j6o8hvw wrote

Yes, I told them about the bees in the pool issue and he assured me that his 26 hives aren’t the problem, he watches his bees travel 1/4 mile to the local stream and told me to put out additional bird baths to keep the bees hydrated. And that if it doesn’t get better it must be his neighbor’s 7 hives that are using the pool.

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scrubjays t1_j6peq1u wrote

> his neighbor’s 7 hives that are using the pool.

Do you live in an alternate universe where EVERYBODY has bees?

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Ghost_of_P34 t1_j6ogzo0 wrote

>he watches his bees travel 1/4 mile to the local stream

he watches each and every bee go to the stream and drink? They don't deviate from that ever? Does he use a leash on them?

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PickleLS10 t1_j6o8tlt wrote

Yikes. I mean bees are very important but I think 26 hives may excessive. Good luck!

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Ghost_of_P34 t1_j6ohey7 wrote

Since you've already spoken with him and he's not doing anything to remedy the issue, and the issue is preventing you from enjoying your own land, then yes, contact the town/county. He's the one violating the law. You're doing nothing wrong by notifying authorities.

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New_Stats t1_j6od6vx wrote

>the neighbor has 20 hives over the recommended amount (3 per 1/4 acre).

We need bees. We also need healthy bees and this might be a danger to not only them but the other bees in the area. I'd research further and see if too many hives too close together is bad for the bees, then go from there

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ct0 t1_j6ov2zw wrote

There are dangers such as rapid spreading of EFB and AFB between hives and other apiaries. 26 colonies is a lot, hes likely feeding them because in a suburb there is likely not enough natural food stores. Bees from strong colonies are known to rob other hives of their honey.

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TheBeesKneed t1_j6olfiy wrote

Report it. Government and private applicators are required to notify beekeepers when spraying pesticides and herbicides within a 3 mile radius so that alone makes me say you should report it

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LongIslandaInNJ t1_j6p2ene wrote

What does your neighbors yard look like? Does he have flowers to keep keep his bees occupied? You said he has 1/2 acre of grass. Does he grow wildflowers or have any type of flowers? You said below you have a pool and he told you to put out birdbaths - but does he have any type of water for them? Or do they have to just fly 1/4 mile to a stream? If you put out birdbaths and water if it is not changed out regularly it will attract and breed mosquitos which is what no one wants. The pool (and stream) is moving water. Perhaps the reason for the bees leaving the property is because he is not caring enough for them. This can be one of those if you cant beat him/join him situation. I dont know what your property looks like, however you can grow flowers and they will flourish. You can plant a vegetable garden and have pollinators. If you plan and plot it out correctly you can keep bees away from your main areas like your pool and lounging area because they will want to be where the tasty flowers and plants are. In my yard I planted flowers to attract butterflies, but also bees come, which is a good thing. I have a pergola maybe twenty feet away and the bees dont even come near it because they are more interested in the flowers and keeping busy over in that direction.

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44moon t1_j6otook wrote

call the appropriate authority and let them sort it out. you have the right to the peaceful enjoyment of the house you bought. he doesn't sound like a good neighbor.

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theweewok t1_j6owjuu wrote

Seems like your only option is to import a hive of Killer Bees.

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ForeverMoody OP t1_j6owzqm wrote

Fast forward to the Summer “My neighbor imported Africanized killer beers to sabotage my unlicensed apiary.”

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VinCubed t1_j6p23l2 wrote

Or "Bee Wars" on some cable channel or the hyper-fictionalized version being on SyFy

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sugarintheboots t1_j6oss7g wrote

You should plant a garden & watch what happens. Be a fountain, not a NIMBY.

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ForeverMoody OP t1_j6otyow wrote

I doubt a patch of black eyed Susan will be enough for his hives when he needs at least 9 acres to maintain 26 healthy hives.

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mexiricant t1_j6ojn07 wrote

Wait so he had those long before you moved in, and NOW it’s a problem??

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ForeverMoody OP t1_j6osn74 wrote

He started during Covid with 3 hives. It’s now up to 26 in the last 2 summers.

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mexiricant t1_j6ovsf3 wrote

and if he drops it to 20 hives you will still have the same problem and be a dumbass for not surveying your property properly.

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MemeHermetic t1_j6oyss8 wrote

You're misreading the OP. He's 20 hives OVER. He should have 3 which is the amount allotted to the property size. He has 26. It's not that he has bees, it's that he has way too many bees.

Edit: The neighbor should have 6 not 3. So yeah, 20 hives over.

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ct0 t1_j6obhdl wrote

How do you know there are 26 hives? Did you count the boxes? 26 boxes doesn't necessarily mean 26 colonies. What are you most concerned about? Honeybees pushing out non-natives? Killing them with the mower? The beekeeper running a commercial operations? I know there are technically limits, but he may be within them and you wouldnt know until the nj state apiarist comes by and counts. Then you have a pissed off neighbor. Just ask for a bunch of honey and mow at dusk when the bees are back in the box. source: i am a beekeeper, its selfless work honestly.

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ForeverMoody OP t1_j6oddev wrote

He told me it was 26 colonies and that he sells queens to other people. Also limits are there for safety, isn’t it problematic to produce and sell honey from 26 hives, on a 1/2 acre plot in a neighborhood where people treat lawns with pesticides/fertilizer?

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ct0 t1_j6oidkl wrote

Wouldn't be the Garden State without the bees. Welcome to NJ.

There are limits in place yes. Hes likely over them by his own description. Its up to you if you want to be that neighbor who calls. What do you think will happen to the bees if hes over the limit?

Also, fertilizer/pesticides are nothing new, most don't effect honey bees. If the bees are poisoned its likely they will die before impacting the honey in volume that would pose a risk. Any honey or produce for that matter has the same potential issues. Do you know where the honey comes from when you buy it off the shelf? He wouldn't be able to legally sell the honey without a cottage food permit.

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ct0 t1_j6obpk7 wrote

Secondly, we can use all the bees we can get.If hes been doing it a while he may be grandfathered in before the limits were enacted too. I find it funny you post this now when it is dead of winter and they're barely active.

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Woodbutcher31 t1_j6ovlnc wrote

You bought a house with not one but 2 established beekeepers next door & now you want to bitch about it? I say you are the one who should adjust. Who buys a house and doesn’t look in the backyard? Or to the left and right? It’s not like you couldn’t see 26 beehives in one yard and seven in the other. You are the neighbor from hell, not them. Go back to NY.

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