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Author Topic: Bees and Hurricanes  (Read 1843 times)

Offline JurassicApiary

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Bees and Hurricanes
« on: July 24, 2020, 11:05:14 pm »
Hurricane Douglas is projected to strike Hawaii this weekend.  Outer bands will start impacting us tomorrow afternoon likely here on Oahu and the current path has the eye making a direct hit on our island Sunday night.  Hawaii County and Maui County have initiated a Hurricane Watch already (highlighted in pink) with Honolulu County to follow suit shortly.  I'm planning to weigh down the hive tops with low-profile pavers tomorrow morning.  Any advise from those who have had Hurricanes pass through your apiaries?  Should I close of the entrances or let them bee?  Some hives have screened bottom boards...should I leave them or swap them for solids?  Many thanks in advance for any tips and advice.


Offline Ben Framed

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Re: Bees and Hurricanes
« Reply #1 on: July 24, 2020, 11:25:18 pm »
I have not but wishing you the best.
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline .30WCF

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Re: Bees and Hurricanes
« Reply #2 on: July 26, 2020, 11:04:31 pm »
Hope you fare well tonight.


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Offline cao

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Re: Bees and Hurricanes
« Reply #3 on: July 26, 2020, 11:35:15 pm »
I would say, strap them down if you can and hopefully they aren't in an area that will flood.  Wishing you the best.

Offline van from Arkansas

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Re: Bees and Hurricanes
« Reply #4 on: July 26, 2020, 11:39:51 pm »
Yes, Cao said best: strap the hives.  If memory serves me correctly your hives are not in a low area so wind is the biggest threat.  Am I Correct?
I have been around bees a long time, since birth.  I am a hobbyist so my answers often reflect this fact.  I concentrate on genetics, raise my own queens by wet graft, nicot, with natural or II breeding.  I do not sell queens, I will give queens  for free but no shipping.

Offline Ben Framed

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Re: Bees and Hurricanes
« Reply #5 on: July 27, 2020, 08:28:29 am »
JurassicApiary, just checking on you. I hope all is well?
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline van from Arkansas

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Re: Bees and Hurricanes
« Reply #6 on: July 27, 2020, 10:17:19 am »
Mr. Ben, looking at radar, the system has already passed the islands.  Maybe we will get an update soon?
I have been around bees a long time, since birth.  I am a hobbyist so my answers often reflect this fact.  I concentrate on genetics, raise my own queens by wet graft, nicot, with natural or II breeding.  I do not sell queens, I will give queens  for free but no shipping.

Offline Ben Framed

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Re: Bees and Hurricanes
« Reply #7 on: July 27, 2020, 10:20:17 am »
Yes I saw that this morning. I hope he and his family are ok.  Maybe he will update us soon Mr Van
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline FloridaGardener

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Re: Bees and Hurricanes
« Reply #8 on: July 27, 2020, 04:44:02 pm »
Hear you were in the clear now, but this is for anyone searching for Hurricane info (or for the next time).

1) Bees get really nervy beforehand. So does every living creature.  Expect frogs in your birdshouses, all birds moved inland, lizards under your hurricane screens. Everything KNOWS.
 
2) If you only have a few hives, the safety course is to smoke them in, close entrances, ratchet strap the hive, and load into your garage or screened room until it's over.  Once a day you can spritz water on the robbing screen/SBB.

3) If you have many hives, some folks sink a short 4x4 into concrete with a ring loop inset on top.  Ratchet straps run on top of the row of hives and pin them down and the strap is held in place with the ring loop.

4) Or you can go with the "I am a leaf on the wind" concept.  A friend gave me a feral  hive was that was in an commercial air vent cover and was found in wreckage after Hurricane Michael October 2018.  They must have really gone for a ride.

5) And expect heavy robbing afterward, from bees with no home, no food.


Offline Nock

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Re: Bees and Hurricanes
« Reply #9 on: July 27, 2020, 11:54:55 pm »
Any updates? Hoping everything ok.

Offline JurassicApiary

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Re: Bees and Hurricanes
« Reply #10 on: July 31, 2020, 12:31:18 am »
Hi Everyone,

Thank you for the follow up posts and concern. Thankfully, Douglas tracked slightly more to the north, sparing us from the most intense winds.  My weather station registered 42mph at its highest, thankfully much lower than the 110mph gusts that were forecast.

I ended up strapping the smaller hives with a heavy 8x16 double cinder block and figured the bees knew best what to do.

I?ve grown to 12 hives and am recovering from a bad hip injury so I was limited in what I could do. My wife was a champ helping me. She?s been taking to the bees more and more, helping me with inspections, and even a few cutouts now.

I?m happy to report that all hives made it through without any issues. 

Many thanks (and sorry for the delay!)


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Offline Ben Framed

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Re: Bees and Hurricanes
« Reply #11 on: July 31, 2020, 01:29:44 am »
Glad that you and your are safe.. Hope that hip gets well soon. Your wife sounds like a good bee partener! Keep up the good. work.
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline JurassicApiary

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Re: Bees and Hurricanes
« Reply #12 on: July 31, 2020, 11:59:18 pm »
Glad that you and your are safe.. Hope that hip gets well soon. Your wife sounds like a good bee partener! Keep up the good. work.

She is becoming a great bee partner!  She's gaining confidence, but boy, I need to have her practice queen spotting, lol.  She's so easily thrown off by drones.  I'm going to task her to view the recent Queen ID thread with photos in HP's google drive that members have uploaded.

As to the hip...recovery is slow and very painful at times, but as least it's progressing.

Online BeeMaster2

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Re: Bees and Hurricanes
« Reply #13 on: August 01, 2020, 09:03:57 am »
Jurassic.
Get her this book. It will help.



Jim Altmiller
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline JurassicApiary

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Re: Bees and Hurricanes
« Reply #14 on: August 03, 2020, 02:57:10 pm »
Jurassic.
Get her this book. It will help.

Jim Altmiller


Thanks, Jim; I'll check it out!  We did some inspections yesterday morning and to took a bunch of photos with the queen intentionally off-center so it's more randomized to let her practice.  Last night I had her scroll through the find them.  It's like a Where's Waldo game.  Will look into the book.

Offline FloridaGardener

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Re: Bees and Hurricanes
« Reply #15 on: August 21, 2020, 08:34:07 pm »
Coming around again...For those in the path of Hurricane Laura or Storm 14...

Here's a biology question.  How long can bees stay shut in the hive (in garage or basement) if there's plenty of food (including nectar), the temperature is 85-90 degrees F (assuming power failure), and there's plenty of ventilation (fully screened bottom board)? 

No extra water, no flying out.  How many days would ya say?

Offline .30WCF

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Re: Bees and Hurricanes
« Reply #16 on: August 21, 2020, 09:36:33 pm »
You could probably give them some water through a syrup feeder jar through the lid if you have that stuff.


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