What can be done to keep bees away from where apples fall so we can pick them up without being stung?
Answers:
You're just going to have to be careful picking them up. You can get a long-handled fruit picker, and use that instead of your hands. You can use gloves. You can pick them up after dark, when the bees have gone to sleep.
Other answers:
smoke
or fogger
smoke
or fogger
distract them by putting some honey (or other bee-preferred sweet) on a plate away from where you are picking up the apples. it seems to work at an outdoor cafe i frequent. the bees go for the easy sweets and leave the diners alone.
I recommend picking up the apples that are on the ground at night after the bees have all left and gone back to their nest. You'll probably need a flashlight. The bees usually stick to eating on the apples that are on the ground. By getting rid of the apples on the ground, you'll help to eliminate your problem.
You can use a long stick tipped with a sharp pointed needle or a knife so that when the next time an apple falls on the ground, you can fetch them using the stick like a Harpoon or a spear. Before you do this, keep your dog away. All you have to do is pinch the apple with your harpoon from a long distance. Make sure that the stick is very long, say about 10 meters or so. You can use a hook instead of a sharp pointed tip for safety in case the children want use it.
Good luck. Bees love apples that have ripened and fallen. I think the best advice was from the person who said to pick them when it gets dark when the bees go to bed.