Storm damage

[nursebee]

Came across my first real heartbreak yesterday. I was robbing from my yards and as I drove up to one I could not see the hives. I figured that the soybeans were really tall. As I got closer I saw the hives scattered about, nothing flying. I think all of the boxes were intact, some signs of wax turning color from element exposure so I figured it had been a while. I talked with the landowner: she thought that bears lived in the area and did not expect that vandals were a problem. Since it was 10-12 hives I doubted kids knocked them all about and since there was not any scratch marks or damaged woodenware I doubted the bears. Then she showed me the downed and cut up trees in her yard, her beans poles blown over. She said there was a fierce storm that switched directions a while back.

I am grateful that my other locations were okay. Do beekeepers have access to the equivalent of crop insurance?

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Joe Miller
nursebee@juno.com

[Michael Bush]

I've had whole hives blow over in storms before. A 60 mph+ wind will knock over a tall hive.

[MountainCamp]

I do not know of any "livestock" insurance for bees.

I too, have had hives blown over by the wind. Mine, usually happen in the winter as the center of gravity moves up with the cluster.

[Oxankle]

You fellows have just explained to me what I am going to do with the treated fence boards I have stacked out back. Windbreak, here we come.
Ox

[Michael Bush]

The windbreak will also help the bees out with the winter and just fighting the wind on a windy day.