Schumacher article “inspiring”
Really enjoyed Eleanor Shumacher`s article in the June ABJ.
Her writing “gazing at the sky in awe as the sun drifted from curious crescent to celestial diamond” was inspiring, and queen status info very useful.
Were it not for “moments when science and agriculture transect with wonder and whimsy” I probably would not keep bees just for honey and beeswax.
Keep up the good work Eleanor, sorry about the stings!
Bill Westmoreland
Clarke County, Virgina
Who is Responsible for lost swarms?
I am a backyard beekeeper and have been a member of the Los Angeles Beekeeping Association for 12 years. In our last meeting, I asked what I thought was a simple question. However, no one was able to answer it. The question is pretty simple, “When one of your hives swarms, when does the beekeeper lose ownership/title of the swarm? E.g., if the swarm settles in/on someone’s attic or anywhere on their property, can they hold the owner of the hive liable for any and all damages, removal, repair, physical damage, etc.? Or if a swarm settles on a park bench or someplace that’s accessible to passersby and they disturb the swarm, causing them physical damage, can the beekeeper be held liable?
In short, I guess what I’m asking is, when does a swarm become feral? When I asked this question at the meeting I was immediately chastised, but nobody was able to give me an answer. I’m a firm believer that the only bad question is one that is not asked. Thank you for your time, hope you can be of some help.
Nick Maggiore
Winnetka, California
Eugene responds:
Hi Nick,
Wow, that’s a great question, and one for which I don’t have a great answer. My guess is that this could vary considerably according to your local regulations — and to some extent your neighbors.
I think that, generally speaking, as long as the beekeeper is properly managing his/her bees (I know, good luck defining that), a swarm is considered a natural occurrence and could just as well emanate from the hollow tree back in the woods as from your hive down the street. But if the beekeeper is not so responsible (keeping too many hives in a small yard, and/or clearly in over his head management-wise), local nuisance laws could apply just as they would if the neighbors are repeatedly being stung in their yards.
If your fellow beekeepers chastised you for asking, I suspect it’s because they don’t want to open that can of worms!
Follow-up from Nick:
Eugene, many thanks for your quick reply. Well it would appear that the question is easy. The answer however is not. It may depend on your local city\state ordinances, if there are any. I sometimes help with the local 101 beekeeping class. And the first thing I tell them is that the number one rule for any backyard beekeeper is to respect your neighbors. With the proliferation of litigation, I think it would be good to alert backyarders not only of the workings of their hives but also their obligation/consideration to their neighbors and possible problems, and more importantly how to avert them. Something that should be looked into before it’s settled in a court of law.
A can of worms it is. Just my two cents.
Nick
Correction
In the July letter “Queen Replacement,” we neglected to include the name of the letter writer, Calum Grigor. We apologize for the omission …
