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Offline Maryland Beekeeper

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Horrorcane 2012 Sandy
« on: October 28, 2012, 04:48:03 pm »
 This is the second time this season I've had to fortify hives in expectation of possible hurricane force winds. This thing looks like its going to take a left turn and head straight at us. Last time we got gusts to 70 or so and that was enough to put a limb through the cedar shake roof of the Perone. Now they're saying 60-80 into Tuesday I think. They just issued the mandatory evac. for ocean city. I've got the hives cranked down tight to poured concrete foundations with nylon webbing and pavers on top. They'll take wind to over 100 I'd guess but the poplars around here won't and there are plenty 150' + er's within striking distance. Might have to build a 6x6 timber frame over the apiary next year cause this is getting old very quickly. Global warming ..... gonna be a bleep.....
Cheers  :)
Drew

Offline BlueBee

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Re: Horrorcane 2012 Sandy
« Reply #1 on: October 28, 2012, 04:52:42 pm »
Good luck there on the east coast.  I agree with you that flying (or falling) debris is going to be your biggest problem.  You might have to start making your hives out of cinder blocks  :)


Offline beekeeper120

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Re: Horrorcane 2012 Sandy
« Reply #2 on: October 28, 2012, 05:35:58 pm »
I have been through several hurricanes with winds ranging from 75-105 MPH,  Out of the 10 hives I run and access to several hundred, I have only lost 1 top cover and seen 2 hives out of all of them get damaged from the storm.  The real danger is the rain/flooding and debris.  Pick up things around your yard and your neighbors and you should be set.  I was thinking about tieing my hives down but an old beekeeper that has been around for 60 years told me not to worry,  The hives will be fine..AFter biting my nails leading up to the storm and then during the storm I wont lie, I lost some sleep.   But when its over I went out side and to my suprise only lost 1 top during 1 storm and none on the other.   

The bees will sense the drop in pressure and start propolising down the hive. AS long as you did not go into the hives with in the last few days you will be fine.  IF you are in a flood area,.,,close the lower entrence with a reducer make a temp upper and let the bees glue it all down.  You can also get some sand bags and place around your hives..This will give you several inches of breathing room for flooding.

Good luck up there


Offline AllenF

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Re: Horrorcane 2012 Sandy
« Reply #3 on: October 28, 2012, 06:21:56 pm »
I had a real big limb break out of a popular tree several years back that broke the telescope top on a hive and ruined a shallow honey super while knocking the whole hive off it's stand.   Rained for 2 days and I found the hive on the second day.   Luckily there was not much robbing and the hive did survive after a little rebuilding.  

Offline beemaster

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Re: Horrorcane 2012 Sandy
« Reply #4 on: October 28, 2012, 06:47:03 pm »
Well... if you put an X on a map where Sandy is coming ashore you'll pretty well see my house from Google. It's one of those crazy things that if it crosses you dead center you might get away much better cause the winds are either north or south of you at their peaks - but I'm sorta landfall right now and if it varies either way I'll be with the wind whacking us.

I'm seeing 8 to 12 inch rain here over 36 hours - I'm off work luckily until Tuesday night when much of it will be on the down side here. I'm mandatory at work, we don't get off due to any condition.

Mind you last year, a huge snowfall blanketed us and I was told NOT to come to work on midnights (just as I was leaving the door) the snow drifts along a 3 mile stretch of road that fences in my military base had greater than 10ft drifts and massive plows were stuck in it - for 2 days.

Good luck everyone, I know we're talking a Cat 1 here, thank God nothing stronger, but the sheer size of Sandy may literally wash away the New Jersey coastline.
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Offline buzzbee

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Re: Horrorcane 2012 Sandy
« Reply #5 on: October 28, 2012, 07:33:50 pm »
It's headed my way next. Still a lot of uncertainty of how much rain,but winds will be a factor.The uncertainty is as bad as knowing what we could expect.
I was in Hagerstown,MD over the weekend. Yesterday morning I ran into a FEMA crew with a fleet of what looked to be EOC trucks.I asked where they were headed and they said Central PA direction. On the way home today we saw a huge amount of utility crews and tree trimming gangs honing in on the area with their trucks and equipment.
 Hopefully it is overblown and they can all go home soon. I appreciate their services very much,but at the same time hope we do not need them.

Offline BjornBee

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Re: Horrorcane 2012 Sandy
« Reply #6 on: October 28, 2012, 09:19:55 pm »
Global warming???   :-D



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Offline Joe D

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Re: Horrorcane 2012 Sandy
« Reply #7 on: October 29, 2012, 02:50:26 am »
Hope you all make it fine through the storm. 



Joe

Offline pawallinsr

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Re: Horrorcane 2012 Sandy
« Reply #8 on: October 29, 2012, 08:22:23 am »
Mon. 7:22 AM
Returned to VA Eastern Shore on 10/23/12, not good timing but that's how it worked out. Bee i hived from swarm this spring doing well, 8 full frames of caped honey in second deep.
Reinforced the stand and strapped them down.
wind at about 40 mph according to wether man.
The Tide is over end of dock already with HIGH TIDE due in 1.5 hours.

GOOD Luck TO ALL
Peter

Offline Intheswamp

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Re: Horrorcane 2012 Sandy
« Reply #9 on: October 29, 2012, 12:29:24 pm »
Ya'll bee careful up there...stay on high ground and hunker down.

John, if the eye comes over you check out the calmness...it is real....then the wind blows in the opposite direction so what gets bent in one direction gets bent back the other way.  :-\

Be safe.

Ed
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Offline BlueBee

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Re: Horrorcane 2012 Sandy
« Reply #10 on: October 30, 2012, 02:52:31 am »
Well this “super storm” is starting to back into Michigan now.  My bees are getting a blast of wind and snow. :(
I just drove home in the snow, oh joy.  Just imagine the mess this thing would cause in New England if all that rain were to come down as snow.
 

Offline redhat

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Re: Horrorcane 2012 Sandy
« Reply #11 on: October 30, 2012, 03:11:32 am »
Still tired after lugging cinder blocks on my roof to weigh my hives down from sandy. Lucky for me I didnt lose any of my hives. Unlucky for me, I didnt know that bees are really angry when there is an impending hurricane.

Offline BlueBee

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Re: Horrorcane 2012 Sandy
« Reply #12 on: October 30, 2012, 03:19:06 am »
Yeah, they don’t seem to like the wind up here either.  I don’t know if they can sense to barometric pressure or not.  With the snow, they probably won’t venture out much to bother me :)

Offline Maryland Beekeeper

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Re: Horrorcane 2012 Sandy
« Reply #13 on: October 30, 2012, 01:05:02 pm »
Thats interesting Redhat, up here they were very sedate. I take it you got stung ? No B's flyin here today its cold but the Horrorcane passed without incident.
Happy Halloween all  :evil:
Drew

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Re: Horrorcane 2012 Sandy
« Reply #14 on: October 30, 2012, 07:42:56 pm »
We are okay. Without power likely a week or more.  You'll see Seaside Heights and Paint Pleasant Beach destroyed, they are about 10 miles from me.

We host little but fences but behind my home is a major high voltage line and covers much if my county. I'm at work writing this. I gave no service at home. But thought I'd report in.  All around me is a mess. 15 traffic lights in all directions are out. No power for miles and miles.

Best wishes all.
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Re: Horrorcane 2012 Sandy
« Reply #15 on: October 30, 2012, 07:51:01 pm »
I hate auto correct that was Point Pleasant Beach. Sandy came ashore roughly 45 miles south but smacked us with 80mph gusts and 40mph either side of land fall.

Going home soon to a heatless dark house temps are in the mid 50s and obviously very damp.

Write you all when I can again.
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Offline Maryland Beekeeper

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Re: Horrorcane 2012 Sandy
« Reply #16 on: October 30, 2012, 08:05:36 pm »
Glad to hear it. Watched you guys get hit last night. Saw the news pics. Quite a mess.
Best regards,
Drew

Offline redhat

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Re: Horrorcane 2012 Sandy
« Reply #17 on: October 30, 2012, 08:13:18 pm »
Yes Maryland Beekeeper, I got stung twice, the first time maybe 4 stings but afterwards i got like 8 to 10. That morning its like they knew the hurricane was coming because they all clustered around the entrance like they would do at night and no bees exiting the hive. One of my friends had a similar experience, I think she broke the world record for running and screaming at the same time. A double sonic boom if u ask me. LOL

Offline BlueBee

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Re: Horrorcane 2012 Sandy
« Reply #18 on: October 30, 2012, 08:23:31 pm »
Sorry to hear about the destruction in New Jersey.  Been through a couple in Florida and know the aftermath.  It takes a long time just to get back to normal.  We lost power for a few hours way out here, but the winds haven’t been much today (under 20mph).  The snow turned to rain and it has been raining nonstop all day.  Luckily we’re not getting sustained heavy rain, just a nonstop drizzle.  On a positive note, all the rain may keep the hoodlums from burning down Detroit tonight (Devil’s night).  

Offline Maryland Beekeeper

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Re: Horrorcane 2012 Sandy
« Reply #19 on: October 30, 2012, 08:29:01 pm »
That is very interesting. Perhaps a behavior designed to keep intruders from seeking refuge from storms in hive ? A defensive reaction to dropping barometric pressure.
Drew