Neighbor complains of bee poop...

[Omar Gonzalez]

Hey all,

I was just wondering how you all handle a situation like this. A young neighbor that's really into his cars (5 parked outside his house) a few houses down the block is complaining about my bees pooping all over his cars and is wondering what can be done about it. Frankly, I'm at a loss here, it's not like I can change the way the bees fly. Any tips on defusing this kind of thing? 

Omar

[J R]

Bee poop is great for micro gardening ,  unfortunately king hard to prove if it is your bees or some unhoused bee . 

I like to see him file a case with Judge Judy . 

On Jun 20, 2024, at 1:22 PM, Omar Gonzalez <omar...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hey all,

I was just wondering how you all handle a situation like this. A young neighbor that's really into his cars (5 parked outside his house) a few houses down the block is complaining about my bees pooping all over his cars and is wondering what can be done about it. Frankly, I'm at a loss here, it's not like I can change the way the bees fly. Any tips on defusing this kind of thing? 

Omar

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[Norma]

There is NO way he can prove it's your bees.   Maybe suggest he put car covers on his 5 cars.   Isn't that excessive vehicles anyway.  Does he have a big driveway or are some on the street.?   In front of my house there are overhead power lines,  so when the birds are eating the berries from my neighbors 35' long hedge the bird droppings are humungous and damage the paint if not washed off quickly.    He should be happy he doesn't have that problem.   Good luck.   Norma

[Maryly Snow]

In what town is it legal to park 5 cars on the street?

Tell him you won’t complain if he quits...

Maryly

On Jun 20, 2024, at 1:22 PM, Omar Gonzalez <omar...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Maryly Snow]

You won’t complain if he quits complaining.

He can always cover his cars with auto covers

Maryly

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/the-alameda-county-beekeepers-association/B39C2081-DFDF-496D-B6FB-71CF0120779B%40snowstudios.com.

[Rob Seeley]

You could always let him know that they can't be your bees as they have been trained to only poop in your garden. In all seriousness, he sounds like a piece of work. Sorry you are dealing with that. Dosnt sound like there is much he can do.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/the-alameda-county-beekeepers-association/D9147B22-1A29-4E63-95D2-DB6D0B1ADEDC%40snowstudios.com.

[J R]

By doing some search I found that bee poop in general are yellow in color usually around1/8 of an inch up to a quarter , now if his cars are covered with black spot , then it is aphid in his tree, still a funny story I like to hear Judge Judy rule on it . 

Sent from my iPhone

On Jun 20, 2024, at 8:47 PM, Rob Seeley <robsee...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Philip von Furstenberg]

Haha! This is comedy. Does he have any pictures? It must be microscopic 

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[Tina Declerck]

Bee poop doesn’t affect the paint so can just be washed off (not like bird poop).

Thanks,

Tina

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[Joan Houston]

neighbor: your bees are jerks

me: not my bees

neighbor: they pooped all over my car

me: not my bees

neighbor: prove it

me: here's a free jar of bee barf for your troubles

neighbor: -.-

[Cole Cloren]

😉

Smile…

[Maryly Snow]

Where does this guy live? If it’s an incorporated town, I’d ask (not him) about the number allowable cars on the street. I’d ask him why he has so many cars!

Maryly

On Jun 21, 2024, at 12:41 PM, Joan Houston <jhoust...@gmail.com> wrote:

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[J R]

Do Bees Poop?

• Jane Ten 
• Jan 4, 2024

At LearnBees, we suggest products we love and use. If you try them, we may earn money. Learn more.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

01 Do Bees Poop?

02 What Does a Bee’s Poop Look Like?

03 Where Do Bees Poop?

Do Bees Poop? 

Like humans, bees poop to relieve themselves of waste.

But here’s the thing:

The technical term for insect poop is “frass.”

Frass can vary in size, shape, and color amongst insects. For example, some insects have more of a liquid poop, while others form their poop into pellets.

As for bees?

Their poop can vary slightly depending on the season, their diet, and the bee species. In fact, there are more than 20,000 bee species around the globe. Common examples include honeybees, bumblebees, and carpenter bees.

That’s a lot of bee poop.

That said, bee poop is tiny and is easily camouflaged by the landscape. Most people never even notice it.

But how do bees poop, exactly?

It’s pretty straightforward.

Like humans, bees have a rectum and anus where their poop exits their body. Digestion of pollen and nectar starts in their mouth, moves to their stomach, then eventually gets pushed out of their body.

The bee’s anus is down at the base of its abdomen, close to where the stinger is located.

But now that brings us to the big question:

What Does a Bee’s Poop Look Like?

Most bee poop is yellow with a sticky texture. Sometimes it looks like tiny lines of mustard forming a trail behind the bee. Other times, it looks like small ‘splats’ of yellow.

But why is bee poop yellow?

Because it contains undigested pollen fat and pollen grains. Pollen is the yellow powdery substance produced by plants. 

And while pollen may be a nuisance to some who suffer from allergies, it’s necessary for bees. Their primary protein source is pollen, while their main carbohydrate source is nectar.

Without pollen, bees could not survive.

Unfortunately, a bee’s poop can be tricky to remove due to its sticky texture. The good news is that most people don’t live next to multiple beehives, so it isn’t usually a problem. You might get a few drops here and there, but nothing major.

But for beekeepers?

It comes with the territory. 

Where Do Bees Poop?

Despite popular belief:

Bees don’t just poop anywhere and everywhere.

For example, bees are very hygienic and don’t poop inside their hive. During the warm months, bees will poop wherever they fly outside the hive. This includes pooping on flowers, grass, trees, or any other spots they’re flying over.

But here’s the thing:

Bee poop is less common in the winter because bees aren’t cold-weathered creatures. In fact, most bees don’t survive the winter. For example, in bumblebee colonies, only the queen bumblebee survives while the rest of her colony dies. 

Honeybees are the exception to this.

They overwinter together as a colony and huddle together to stay warm. As such, they only leave the hive to take short ‘cleansing flights’ to relieve themselves.

Remember:

Bees are tidy creatures that keep their nests clean. So even during the harsh winter months, honeybees will still leave their hive to poop so it doesn’t contaminate their home. This is especially important considering honeybee hives hold thousands of bees.

Imagine trying to keep a clean nest amongst thousands of pooping bees. That wouldn’t be easy.

FAQs on Bees Poop

• How often do bees poop?
• Is bee poop toxic?
• Where do bees poop out of?
• Do bees poop in honey?
• Do bees poop while flying?
• Do bees poop yellow?
• Why do bees poop on cars?
• What does it mean when a bee poops on you?
• Do bees poop on flowers?
• Do all bees poop?
• What is bee poop called?
• What does a bee’s poop look like?
• Do bees pee and poop?
• Do bees poop in the hive?
• Do bees eat poop?
• Do bees get diarrhea?

 

How often do bees poop?

The simple answer is that bees poop when they need to. We don’t have much research to give specifics on how many times per week they do so.

That said, a human’s poop schedule varies from person to person. There is no standard rule because people are different.

Bees are the same way.

When it’s time to remove waste, they do so. The only exception comes to their hive. To keep their nests clean, bees won’t poop inside them. They’ll fly away to relieve themselves.

In the wintertime, the bees aren’t as active and rarely leave the hive, so they hold their bowel movements for as long as possible. Eventually, they take short cleansing flights away from the hive to poop.

—> Go back to the FAQs on Bees Poop

 

Sent from my iPhone

On Jun 21, 2024, at 3:31 AM, Philip von Furstenberg <tofu...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Catherine Edwards]

You say he lives a few houses down from you and your bees. The bees would probably poop way before getting to his house. Does that mean he parks his cars near your house? In that case, he takes his chances. It's up to him to mitigate the situation for himself.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/the-alameda-county-beekeepers-association/4ECDF911-0FE1-4B18-AF7E-C2C1295A2FD8%40snowstudios.com.

[Omar Gonzalez]

Thank you all for the hilarious responses! I did realize that since I was beeless for a year and he still had bee poop issues, it's not my bees! ;-)

Omar

[Nickie Irvine]

Well Omar - you have a great response for the complaining neighbor!  

I already knew it wasn't your bees when you wrote: "A young neighbor that's really into his cars (5 parked outside his house) a few houses down the block is complaining about my bees pooping all over his cars and is wondering what can be done about it."  There's no way that your bees are pooping on his cars "a few houses down" - the driveway needs to be next door to you and very close to his cars.

So it sounds like he's either being a pain, or there is indeed another colony near his house with the flyway just feet away from his driveway.  If it's a beekeeper's hives and not feral hives, some simple changes to control the flyway would take care of it.

Bee poop can be a valid complaint but is more likely in denser neighborhoods, like SF.  Many more bee poop complaints in SF than in all of San Mateo County.  I've had to respond to some as part of my work with the Bee Legal.  With a highway of bees exiting over someone's driveway they can deposit a very unwelcome amount of poop!   But it is very easy to correct when the beekeeper is not controlling the flyway of the hives within a short distance of the neighbor.  Re-orienting the hive or moving it back a little ways are two strategies among others.

Nickie

[Maryly Snow]

Hi Joan,

Charlie and I want to remove a marked queen from a hive that has gotten aggressive. Does smoking help?

Maryly

On Jun 21, 2024, at 12:41 PM, Joan Houston <jhoust...@gmail.com> wrote:

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[Jim Veitch]

This write-up by Catherine Edwards may be more than you want but I have found it useful in dealing with an aggressive hive: https://www.alamedabees.org/hot-hive/

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/the-alameda-county-beekeepers-association/5A1A768B-C0C6-48E9-8822-AF4FEE72DFF4%40snowstudios.com.

[Paula Breen]

I've noticed recently several hives that have been sweet all year have gotten kind of grumpy. Maybe it's just the dearth and it will pass?

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/the-alameda-county-beekeepers-association/CAC5BU3NL0EKvowVwMneCzySurHD1t6RnqFng_wW6Of%2BNg4P6ig%40mail.gmail.com.

[Mimi]

Bees get hangery too.  From my observations hives are particularly testy when it’s

1) Queenless 

2) Very Windy

3) Being robbed or disturbed by pests

4) Once productive Queen is dying/not laying well.  

5) You disturb their sleep

Mimi 

Sent from my iPhone

On Jun 29, 2024, at 2:24 PM, Paula Breen <paulae...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Ralph Szur]

The more smoke you use the more of the bees will run, including the queen. This will make it more difficult for you to find her. This is another example in beekeeping where" less is more".

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[Paula Breen]

I feel bad because a couple of weeks ago I pinched a queen from a spicy hive. The next 3 hives I went into were just as spicy! The first hive has always had a bit of an edge, but the other 3 have been sweet as pie.  I wish I had waited for a couple more weeks before killing her. I suspect once the kanuka trees in my neighborhood bloom in July that everyone will be back to normal. 

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[Catherine Edwards]

The key to peaceful working of a hot hive is to move it a few feet from it's current location, either temporarily or permanently, leaving a catch box for the forager in the old location. 

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/the-alameda-county-beekeepers-association/CAMCjtwkPrO0jPD0vKv9urJJnKx1_-g%2Bdq4VfUbWbwcRFxeH_Kw%40mail.gmail.com.

[Gerald Przybylski]

I pretty much agree with the list, and Catherine's suggestions.

During the first couple of years after I started keeping bees (2011), I noticed that an "Aggressive bees" thread
would show up once or twice every summer.  The bees would calm down after a while.
That lead me to speculate that there is a Forage Plant that shifts the bees into exaggerated defensiveness.
When whatever-it-is stops blooming, the bees calm down. 
Moving the bees to another yard should get them to calm down in a day or two.
Maybe for a couple of weeks vacation.
Relocating does two things.  Guards age out,  and the forage plant exposure is avoided.

It would be a benefit to us all if we were able to figure out which forage plant(s) it is, if that's what it is.
An inference based on observation isn't proof.  I'd entertain any another explanation for this transient defensiveness,
as long as it isn't very complicated.

that's my 2¢
j

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[gmau...@earthlink.net]

Jerry... It is possible that a particular forage can cause bees to become more defensive, but my experience is that it often seems triggered by robbing.  I suppose one "could" say that bees are on a "particular forage" when robbing.