Ouch, Ouch, Ouch, Ouch, Ouch, Ouch,

[witchcraft]

My mistake I guess but I keep my hives on pallets. As I was taking the top BB (ex demaree) off my big and generally friendly hive the pallet broke and three supers and two BBs collapsed (think Twin Towers) - how many bees are there in a full bore summer hive during a field bean flow? - more than a few. Anyway I rebuilt the hive with plenty of smoke and lots of little helpers pinging away - nice smell of acetone/nail varnish remover too, five bees down my welly had had enough and let me know and one had a go at my little finger. Looking at the bellows my smoker came off worse than I did...

Morale of the story - slabs down next winter!

 

[Tom Bick]

Blimey a few stings me thinks you were lucky to get away with that.

It's a good heads up and worth a thought as I have two big hives sitting on pallets at Kew gardens thankfully not on public show but all the same.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Yes, beware. My husband thought he'd help me out while I was away by brushing a tennis ball sized knot of bees that had undershot the entrance after a thorough inspection and had remained under the floor for three days.
He carefully undid the strap and tilted them forward on the stand. The whole lot tumbled down....14 x 12 and two supers....he managed to catch the brood box but the rest not only hit the ground but being MB boxes they all broke apart.

He said, "Covered in bees didn't even come close"

 

[madasafish]

? Not glued ? ...

 

[Erichalfbee]

Yes but the tenons broke away. They were glued only where they met the mortise
Not all of them, just where one or two corners hit the deck.