question about guineas,neighbors,and honey bees....

[thechickenguy]

OK.I plan on taking 2 Guinea Keets up to my Dad's on the 7th of July. He has a neighbor with honey bees. I'm wondering,will guineas eat honey bees.And if so the neighbors wouldn't like that but can they do anything once my dad owns the guineas.Is there anything she could do to get rid of them?

 

[robin416]

First of all it all depends on where he lives. If there are covenants or local government restrictions then yes, she can do something about them.

My fields are full of blooming clover, my guineas ignore the honey bees that are on the blossoms. They do hunt down other things like Japanese Beetles.

 

[thechickenguy]

Quote:
Well one the other side of his house. About 200 yards away his other neighbors have chickens so I wouldn't think there is any government restrictions.

 

[robin416]

Yes, there could be and its just that no one has complained about the chickens. Now that you've said more about where he lives there might be a problem keeping the Guineas home if he isn't fenced. They will leave to go live with the chickens. Actually chances are very high they'll end up at the neighbor's without a fence.

I forgot to add that Guineas being much louder than chickens could cause someone to call if regs are in place.

 

[thechickenguy]

Quote:
Well the neighbor who has the honey bees said she loved them and wouldn't mind having some up until she read they eat honey bees and things like that.

 

[cracking up]

Mine have never bothered honey bees. We had a swarm about a foot off the ground and I was real nervous about the guineas but they were curious at first and then stayed away from them. On the down side they don't seem to eat red ants either.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

Well I have both. My keets haven't touched the ground yet though. I will take whatever precautions I need to, to insure my bees are as safe as possible. I might take the wait and see approach first though.
That being said, let me also say that the guineas are mine and so are the hives. Now if someone else's animal were attacking anything that was mine, I might feel different about it. Let me just say it would not continue.
All that being said, my animals are all contained. They can't go in anyone's yard. I wouldn't be able to keep them safe otherwise.
It is good that the bee keeper is openminded and willing to accept the guineas, although she has concerns......can you blame her? I would do whatever possible to keep her hives safe. Each of them are able to give her over 200 dollars a year in income, with no feed and very little maintance. Plus her hives are pollinating all your gardens and fruit trees probably in the whole town. Either keep the guineas in a fenced in yard or coop the bees. She might be willing to also take the wait and see approach, as I am, but you might consider that if her colonies are irradicated, ya'll really owe her something and its not going to be cheap. Still she might be a quiet person and not want to make a stink about it, even if she does suffer losses. I am all for your dad having the guineas, but the neighbor needs to be considered too. Her equipment was very expensive, plus she had to put them together and start catching swarms and probably received more stings than every member in your family combined.

 

[thechickenguy]

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I agree with you totaly.I guess we'll just have to wait and see and if it doesnt work out then i'll take them back.