Disaster?

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drstitson

Queen Bee
Joined
Aug 4, 2010
Messages
7,656
Reaction score
3
Location
surrey, lincolnshire etc.
Hive Type
Dadant
Number of Hives
14
Got up this morning to find both my Dadants knocked over (due to deer or boar activity). One was on it's side with roof and crownboards off, the other was upside down (again without roof or crownboards).

Did a quick emergency foray where i righted the hives, draped pillowcases over the frames and balanced roof over top.

Then got suited up, smoker lit and carefully repositioned frames in both hives and relocated them onto their stands with crownboards back in place.

Bees were surprisingly pleasant to work despite the damage they'd suffered. quite a few bees stuck dead and dying in the stores. Luckily not too much lateral movement of frames as both hives had recently had a block of insulation added behind a dummy board plus the castellated runners helped somewhat. Also wasn't too cold last night - both thermo-hygro monitors on the hives registered a minimum of 9C (the colonies having been a stable 24.5C inside yesterday).

shame as they'd both been really happy and active in the unseasonably warm weather we had yesterday (T-shirt and shorts!!!).

after a few hours both hives seem settled - pollen being brought in and dead/dying bees removed.

Hopefully both Queens are still ok - the hives seem calm and once righted there was plenty of signalling at the entrance so presume both still Queenright. they've been traumatised enough today so don't want to disturb again but any feelings as to how a newly queenless hive would be behaving at this time of year????????

Am going to fix a couple of stakes beside the hives to stop them being overturned again (although difficult to stop fully grown boar or startled deer from doing damage - the hives are only 6m from lounge door!).
 
Shot gun.... side by side or over and under, plus a tripwire system to activate!
Probably not too dood an idea to aim at hives, and put a BIG notice up to remind you it's all live!!!
 
Nasty one Doc, though sounds like you may have got away with it.

Do you think lighting the hive overnight may help deter the local wildlife?
 
self defence?

The annoying thing was we were up and down all night aiming to take out the foxes which have been decimating our poultry flock - the hives were ok all night so the incident must have been at first light so luckily the bees hadn't been exposed for too long.
 
Hive straps would be a good idea....they keep hives together well,even if knocked over....not much internal movement of frames.
 
A couple of blow up dolls that pop up by motion detectors....:sifone:
 
re advice

"Do you think lighting the hive overnight may help deter the local wildlife?"

possibly although we do have a porch light above our door which illuminates the patio area and the hives.
 
Nasty one Doc, though sounds like you may have got away with it.

Do you think lighting the hive overnight may help deter the local wildlife?

With IR, and a IR camera, actvated by a motion sensor...and loud sounder to wake you ready with the shotgun....

Loads of recipes for wild boar with a honey coated crackling and for well hung deer on the internet.......................................
 
The simplest thing is a stock-proof fence all round. Our association apiary has done just that; a few posts and some wire fencing. Take you an hour to do and job done.
PS hope they're all OK
 
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On the up side, at least we do not have Bear like they do in the States and have to put electric fences around.

Or maybe that is the solution
:smash:
 
One of my apiaries has 2 stock gates and 5 (yes five)!! electric fences to turn off before you get to them.

They have a bad deer problem around the area,the last electric fence is 3 metres around all the hives.

When I connected it up in the summer I contacted a barbed wire fence by accident and the farmer over a mile away got a shock when touching his fencing.

I still turn red when its talked about in local farming circles :eek:
 

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