Yup.Ok, here's the scoop. We think we've found a great place to buy and set up a little homestead. On this one acre up in the mountains, it's forested but we can cut down some of the trees and plant our apple and other fruit/nut trees, and make a bit of pasture land for goats, cows, etc. We can even have chickens.
It's a very foresty-area. This is a corner lot with houses within viewing distance, through the trees. Nice and cool, and very peaceful. I really like it.
The only thing is ... this county doesn't allow bees in a residential area - we'd have to request a rezoning, but for 1 acre, I doubt we could get this to happen.
We need bees. We don't expect to have a lot - just enough for wax and honey for our own personal use, but we go through about half-a-gallon of honey a month. So here's my question. Is it possible to hide a hive of bees in a little (maybe 1/4 acre) of a forest? Perhaps attached to a tree? Or closer/right up against the house? Are there beehives that look like something else? Do they HAVE to be out in the open for bees to find their way to and fro?
Er, hypothetically, of course.
It's a very foresty-area. This is a corner lot with houses within viewing distance, through the trees. Nice and cool, and very peaceful. I really like it.
The only thing is ... this county doesn't allow bees in a residential area - we'd have to request a rezoning, but for 1 acre, I doubt we could get this to happen.
We need bees. We don't expect to have a lot - just enough for wax and honey for our own personal use, but we go through about half-a-gallon of honey a month. So here's my question. Is it possible to hide a hive of bees in a little (maybe 1/4 acre) of a forest? Perhaps attached to a tree? Or closer/right up against the house? Are there beehives that look like something else? Do they HAVE to be out in the open for bees to find their way to and fro?
Er, hypothetically, of course.
6 comments:
what about the rainwater collection
I'd be afraid of bees moving from a hive close to the house INTO the house. I've read horror stories of people pulling dry wall way to find full on hives in their walls.
I've got a couple of hives. They are right out in the open. But if you were to put them out of sight, noone would ever know they are there. I live outside of lincoln, NE. My local bee supply guy has over 50 customers who have bees in their backyard inside town. Most of them don't even tell their neighbors. If you have an acre of land, that's PLENTY of space. Just keep them out of sight. And probably try to keep them from swarming...
Bill in Palmyra
um why would you want to homestead under someone's restrictions? might as well live under a HOA
Trash: That's under Co Prep - I hope to get to that soon.
Nathan: That's a thought. Too close to a house may make problems. I'll give that some thought.
Bill: It's good to know that an acre should be plenty of room. I'll have to research how to not swarm.
Sweetheart's Mom: We DON'T want to homestead under specific rules, but here in Colorado, I've yet to find a county that allows people to do what they want. Only if we can buy 35+ acre can we have more latitude. Like we have money to buy that much land, and take care of it. I don't really want to live outside the law, but will if we have to.
Er, did I say that?
there was an article in mother earth news about an old type of hive called a "top bar hive", it doesn't look like a standard be hive and could be make from log slabs to better hide it. they are easy to make and maintain.
I have 2 chickens and a rooster, even tho roosters are illegal every place I've heard of outside of a full blown farm. I keep them in my front room and every morning he crows, as hes in side U can hardly hear him out side and no one has complained, if your neighbors haven't complained then who cares? who's hurt?
my only concern with a hive near the house is your children becoming allergic to a sting (or the adults becoming allergic) then U could loose some one to a bee sting.
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