vandalism to my hives

[cstroud]

Hi,
what a weekend!- after moving my bees back to their summer site on Friday evening they were vandalised on Saturday and Sunday by youths I suspect who threw bricks at the hives until they fell off the stands.

my initial feeling was to upsticks and move them on to a safer place, but a beekeeping friend has persuaded me to stick it out and hopefully they'll give in., after all why should I run? they will have achieved their ambition. The bees are a bit shaken up and so am I. I hardly slept last night worrying if they would be ok yesterday evening, but I went up today and they were ok. Fortunately the bees seem fine, I have two broken roofs though.

to try and and help I have taken them off their stands and put them on their concrete slabs, as well as putting straps around them. I have a couple of signs up, saying that they are wildlife etc, but would they bother to read them. oh well i'll stick it out and hope they are ok, I should sleep better tonight. Am I being a coward to think of moving them or a fool to stay? the site is an old (derelict) farm on the edge of town, and the youths have bike tracks in the nearby woods.

 

[grizzly]

Sorry to hear that story, i dont think my blood pressure could cope.

Nothing cowardly in wanting to preserve your livestock and wallet by moving.
How good a site is it, my main concern is the fact you say its derelict, so anyone could come and go, if not this group of morons, there may well be others to follow.

The signs could also arouse unwanted interest.

Personally i would move them to a more secure site.

 

[cstroud]

Hi Grizzly
yes its a problem that its derelict, i keep my bees not far from the old farm house, the landowners are trying to sell a part of the land for building, which should help, but i don't expect anything to happen for some time.

the problem as you say is that the morons can come and go, and I thought the same about the signs, i'll get them down. I'm away for a weeks holiday next week, and all i'll be thinking is are they ok?

i think i'll have to move them.
Chris

 

[grizzly]

Is there another area on site a bit more secluded perhaps you could move them to temporarily, could any mates keep an eye on them while you are away ?

 

[thurrock bees]

I had vandalism on one of my hives, they knocked it over, i put a strap around it and when i returned about 3 weeks later, they had shot it with a shotgun ( only people over 21 and have a clean record can keep guns!) so i moved them away and will be returning them to a site near a house once i requeen them. ( lost the queen in the attack)

 

[rae]

they had shot it with a shotgun ( only people over 21 and have a clean record can keep guns!)

Certainly worth telling the police when that happens. When people start shooting things they take it pretty seriously. If nothing else, there will be more presence in the area for a while.

If someone had done that to hives near me, I'd expect a visit from the Firearms officer (I've got few guns....) to ask if I knew anything about it. Given that the vast majority of people with shotguns are decent people, you'll have a few more "eyes and ears" looking for tooled up scrotes.

 

[mbc]

Try and find where the culprits live and go and offer them a spare veil so they can have a look safely. I tried this once and got sincere appologies from the boys mother and an assurance she'd send the boys up to have a look at the bees.
I never had a visit from the boys but the little shits didnt try and burn my bees again !

 

[Poly Hive]

I would look for a more aggressive strain of bee and let the little darlings find out what the consequences can be. I have a wee beauty of a colony that would give them severe 2nd thoughts..LOL

PH

 

[East Yorks New Bee]

only people over 21 and have a clean record can keep guns!

To Keep one legally, there are a lot of illegal guns out there too

 

[Blodwen Price]

To Keep one legally, there are a lot of illegal guns out there too

That cannot be true, government has passed loads of new legislation to persecute shooters, therefore by (their) definition there can't possibly be any illegal guns out there! (sorry, couldn't find a "tongue in cheek" smiley)

@Thurrock bees; Not even close, you don't need to be 21 or have an absolutely clean record. I got my first shotgun at the age of 15or16.

 

[thurrock bees]

@Thurrock bees; Not even close, you don't need to be 21 or have an absolutely clean record. I got my first shotgun at the age of 15or16.

Okay i stand corrected over the age, when i applied for my licence, they was asking questions over silly things years ago. What im trying to say is that they dont give them out like driving licences i.e. in a ceral box.

 

[VEG]

Cstroud move them as soon as possible. I have been through this with my hives. Mine were in a fenced off area in a small nature park but it did not stop them(the fence was seven feet tall). They will not stop. Everytime I went to see mine there was more and more damage. I have now moved them and sleep a lot better.
You can try and stick it out but its only you that will lose out with damaged hives and lost bees.
I tried the same as you putting them on two inch thick paving slabs then wired and screwed the stands down, then strapped the hive to the stand. This resulted in them launching huge rocks onto the roofs.

 

[Hombre]

I would be inclined to find a quiet time when there is likely not to be anyone around after a bit of rain when the ground is softer and bury one or two DIY gripper rods in strategic places on the track they use for their bicycle scrambling. Make sure that they aren't able to figure out any connection between their misfortune and your hives though, that wouldn't improve the situation.

Sorry that the apiary isn't working out - very distressing. If you can find out who the people are/were you could always file it away for a bit of guerrilla gardening with a pernicious weed of your choice that might be beneficial to bees.

Good luck, whatever your decision.
Veg, sorry to hear about similar misfortune and hope that they have a much safer home now. Good luck for the coming season.

 

[bobandbec]

We had some colonies that could be seen from a footpath. The first school holidays after we put them in place they were vandalised. Moved them immediately to less obvious positions. I'm afraid if they can be seen by the public, without being next to habitation, then it's likely they'll be targeted.

My advice would be to move them, you don't need the aggrevation taking away from the rewards of keeping.

Peter

 

[Widdershins]

We've had this. Im truly sorry that it happened, makes me really angry.

Anyway, we moved ours off the site, so that the vandals would 'forget' about them, or the hives wouldnt be there for their next installment of entertainment.

We have moved them back, but with Herras (sp) fencing, and they are kind of disguised behind blackberry bushes.

Personally, I wouldnt advertise them being there, the signs will only draw attention to them.

Whatever you decide, good luck.

 

[cstroud]

Hi,
well i've had time to cool off and the bees have settled down again. I've decided to stay put for the time being. They hav'nt been touched since last weekend, not even an attempt. Mind you I have taken them off the stands and put on ratchet straps as well as driving a stake in behind each hive and strapping the hive to that. I've also rearranged the hives and shifted them all along a bit, so that they can't aim at the hives so easily.

I've taken the signs down, and am just hoping they will be ok. I've also turned my 'aggresive' hive around to face the direction that the missiles came from, and if they don't get you your bloody lucky! trust me I know. I was going to requeen them, but under the circumstances they have their uses. Its such a handy site, I can pop in every day if I want.

Chris

 

[gandalfwhitewizard]

Sorry to hear that vandals have caused you and your bees grief. I echo widders comments we have had the problem and they don't like herras fencing along with barbed wire on the top. The hives are far enough away from being levered or fired at from missles. We like you have had the defensive colonies and they do have their uses but its a shame that its happened in the first place. I would say if I was in your position by all means give it a go but if they come back they won't stop i would move them for a while and being the short minded individuals they probably are they will forget and finding something else to break, damage, set on fire (hopefully themselve ooppss did i say that) and then bring your hives back again. I think the stakes and straps are worth a go.I now you may have no faith in local plod but if your hives are damaged its criminal damage and worth reporting to let them know you never know if they know of some "darling" they are looking at and maybe have done something similar. If nothing else they may pay it some passing attention.
Good luck.

 

[VEG]

You may have them staked down the hives but what happens when the weather is cool/cold they can then probably walk right up to the hives as the bees are all huddled up in side. They can then do some damage before the bees start coming out.
Having been through it, its not worth the worry. I would be looking for another site. I used to dread what I was going to find next. It will become more of a challenge to them. This week most schools are off on their hols. They will probably visit again.
I really hope I am wrong for your sake.

 

[Ely]

I think they are probably throwing stuff to actually get the thrill of the bees chasing them. I remember when I was a little bugger with mates we found a wasps nest. We stated throwing stuff to make them come out. So turning your aggressive hive towards them may be helping their cause.

 

[Scottishdyker]

Sorry to hear that , nothing worst than someone wreaking your hard work