Hive lid knocked off and rained on..help...

[Bakerbee]

Sods law the first day in 12 weeks it rained today. We had been out at the dorset chilli festival came home and hubby went up the garden to his work sheds and noticed our cast swarm hive had been knocked over. The super and lid were on the floor. Weve found wet angry bees covering all the brood. Some eating stores and having a very hard time guarding entrance from dozens of wasps flagrantly robbing. We have drained the solid floor of rain water gathered as quickly as possible, reduced the entrance to one hole, (if they warm up and liven up i will open to more than one for ventilation but main concern at present is the wasps) popped some warm 1 to 1 syrup in with them and popped some insulation round the hive to help with the temp inside..it is due to rain heavily tomorrow then sun for next week again. Why oh why did this happen today, the ONLY day its rained for months, and a day we were all out. Is there anything else we should be doing. I fear their broods demise from getting so wet and chilled and am praying the bees are ok. Is there anything rlse i can do for them? Advice greatly sppreciated. Thanks.
Ps. Havent put it past bored neighbourhood oiks causing this. Hope they got stung good n proper.

 

[Angry_Mob]

Buy a ratchet strap and keep the hives strapped all year round, at least if they get knocked over they stay together. Also put some large stones or bricks on top.

Its helped me already this year, a horse got in to where my bees are and knocked a nuc over, thankfully it was strapped and all I had to do was put it upright. Even better if you can strap to a solid stand.

 

[Bakerbee]

It had a large paving slab on it, hence me thinking its been vandalized. I shall now be buying straps for all my hives but as i thought they were in secure and private position and free from open gusts of winds i foolishly thought that would suffice. More fool me.

 

[simonforeman]

I was going to say strap them down but paving slab should of done it. We had wind that moved a 10 foot trampoline with slabs on each leg the length of our garden today.... but that has a net all round so more surface area to catch wind... hope it was just the wind and not vandals who may come back. Use a dummy camera and put in full view out of reach to try and deter them. Good luck getting sorted...

 

[Bakerbee]

Thats a great idea simon thanks i will do that, unfortunately it probably was vandals. We live in a small village with not much to do in it for the youth, buses are limited and costly and our neighbours who have kids went away yesterday so easily known and observed no one was home at ours or next door. A group of them were observed killing a signet down by the river last week with a catapult. Very sorry state life in rural villages today. Wish theyd go back on their playstations.

 

[Barbarian]

I have problems with vandals at my out apiary.
I use lengths of polypropylene washing line through the hive stand and tied under the roof.
The hive stays mainly together if pushed over.

 

[Millet]

You need good quality ratchet straps.. some nugget pushed one of mine of the paving stone it sat on during winter... it was like the leaning tower of Pisa but luckily it stayed strapped together.

 

[Beefriendly]

I have problems with vandals at my out apiary.

I had some local bees that would alleviate that problem...they attack anything that gets within 50 yards of them.....

 

[yeogi75]

stripped to the waist and hive strapped over brood box leave for a few hours that should cure them::

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

stripped to the waist and hive strapped over brood box leave for a few hours that should cure them::

Wrong half stripped if you ask me!!

 

[Beverlyp24]

Just want to say I feel so sorry for you. You must be gutted, I know I would be. It's always easy to be wise after the event, I would have thought a paving stone would have been plenty sufficient. If it was vandals, who's to say they wouldn't have undone a strap. Hope they got stung - lots!

 

[Hachi]

I had some local bees that would alleviate that problem...they attack anything that gets within 50 yards of them.....

Many a problem solved with a hive of delicate bee's like these. Totally organic too, it does't harm the environment only the scrots who try to harm it.

 

[Bakerbee]

Thanks all. Ive left them alone as we have had two days of rain and felt whatever the outcome , the bees need to be left alone to try and sort conditions in the hive. Its forecast to get very sunny and hot again tomorrow and for the next week so i shall grimly go and take a peek and sort out a bit more ventilation. I reduced entrance coz of the wasps but must give more ventilation if it gets hot, i can only imagine the humidity inside if i dont. I will be putting up wasp traps in the hope that helps too. Will let you all know how i get on.

 

[Murox]

You have done what you can to help them, if they take the syrup it might be worth giving them more if you normally have an autumn flow.

 

[Bakerbee]

Just to update you all. I am pleased to report I went in and checked the hive this week. I could see no damage , death, chilled brood or ill affects from the whole episode. What hardy remarkable little creatures they are. They had taken all the syrup down i had put on so may continue this as no nectar flow in crispy brown dorset. Lots of pollen going in though.

 

[Murox]

Remarkable indeed. Hurrah!!