>I tried using my string trimmer near my hives with no negative displays from the bees.


It's different for me depending on the time of season (dearth, hot days, low pollen/nectar coming in). Just like us, they have their moods. In all cases, when I fire up the trimmer, I get it done around the hives first, and quickly. The motor running further away and coming towards the hives is a more traumatic experience for the bees and ultimately gets the guards moving. But a fast session to whack the weeds in front of the entrances and and then OFF seems better.

>I've found that leaning a queen excluder against the entrance, screening it from the thrown grass, does a nice job of keeping them calm for the time that I'm close enough to the hive entrance.

Great idea. The debris in the entrance also seems to be an irritant.

Jason
SE Indiana



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