Honey Bees and Poultry on the Homestead

The question, “Can I raise honey bees if I have chickens?” is often posed. It is reasonable to have concerns.  We are frequently asked if the bees will sting the chickens or would the chickens bother the bee hives? How close is too close to place the two? It’s a situation where one might ask, “Should I raise honey bees if I have chickens?” rather than simply, “Can I…?”  Not only is it safe for bees and chickens to be around each other, but they mutually benefit one another. The truth is, they usually get along wonderfully.

What Are the Benefits of Raising Bees and Chickens Together?

When it comes to honeybees, the workers only live for approximately 6 weeks. Because of this, bees naturally die on a regular basis. If you watch a hive long enough, you will see what I like to refer to as the funeral bees. Other beekeepers refer to them as the house bees. This worker bee has the job of removing the dead bees from the hive and dropping them away from the immediate vicinity of the hive. This is their way of reducing the number of dead bees near the hive which can indicate to honey-loving critters that there is a beehive nearby. Chickens roaming around the area can help clean up by eating the dead bees as well as any wax or comb that has fallen to the ground. Chickens also consume seeds that fall from weeds, which will discourage mice from thinking your hives are their home by reducing items that they would otherwise want to store for food.

Do Chickens Ever Get Stung?

Occasionally, one of your birds may get stung, but it certainly is not life-threatening. Keeping your hives off of the ground will lessen the chances of this happening.

Adding honey bees into your homestead will achieve greater synergy while boosting the health and vigor of your flowers, garden plants and more.  Not only that, but you will have some amazing homegrown honey that can provide great antioxidants and can help with your allergies when consumed regularly.

A Personal Experience with Chickens and Bees

The first year I had honeybees, I had my bee hives in a different area of my homestead than my chickens. I was a little new to honeybees and bawled like a baby when I lost all 5 hives to the small hive beetle. The second year I tried again and this time my chicken flock had grown and included the area of my honeybees. I did not do anything special for the hive beetles the second year. The third year I only had one hive with an issue.  By year 4 I no longer had issues with small hive beetles.  I did not move my hives. The difference was the strong chicken presence that grew each year.

Can Other Poultry Coexist with Bees?

You may be wondering about other poultry with beehives; ducks, geese, guineas, and turkeys can all safely free range in symbiosis with with honeybees and beehives.  Although not a common occurrence, some birds, such as guineas, may tend to hang out near the entrance of the hive to snack on bees carrying pollen back to the colony. In this case, in order to maintain the health and well-being of your bee colonies, a small fence in front of your hive will help re-direct those bug-hungry birds. You can also use this fence, shrubbery or trees as a wind break as it is important to also protect your bees from wind and storms.

How Far Apart Should Coops and Beehives Be?

As far as the recommended distance necessary between your flock’s coop and beehives, no distance is necessary, unless it will make you feel more comfortable when visiting your flock or hives. I leave rocks in my chickens water dishes to make sure that if a honeybee stops in for a drink that it will not drown.

Some people who live in areas with bears have been known to keep their hives inside of their chicken runs for safety. Just as a precaution, they will lock their flock up in the coop when needing to open the hives.

Tips for Pollination and Feeding Bees in Early Spring

Poultry and bees make such wonderful additions to your homestead and coexist famously. They all do their part in making your home and our world beautiful. The bees work hard in pollinating in order to help produce a fruitful garden and magnificent landscape, as well as provide you with delicious honey and useful wax. A thought about pollination and fruit trees, it is best not to locate hives directly under fruit trees.  As fruit drops onto the hives, the loud landings might leave the bees angry.  
In early Spring, before pollen is available to the bees, they will seek out alternative protein sources. One source of that protein is poultry crumble feed. I learned that by accident my first Spring, but now I will buy my honey bees their own crumble to help them out while they wait for the blossoms to start coming out. Some feed and supplements contain Anise Hyssop. Anise hyssop is a favorite herb of bees!

Bees and Chickens as a Homestead Dream Team

Honeybees love gathering the pollen that helps your flowers, garden and herbs.  You might consider providing some limited direct access to these areas for your chickens. Chickens can benefit greatly from herbs in their diet. Herbs like Oregano, Thyme, Lavender, and chives are great for both poultry and bees to have access too.  

So there you have it, you can definitely add honey bees to your homestead. They are a great addition that will benefit all around your homestead in so many ways. They need some supervision and care, but you will reap a lot of benefits in a sustainable way.