# Bees in a hurricane



## McDaid36 (Jul 15, 2011)

So, I'm wondering how to batten down the hatches for our 2 beehives with this hurricane headed our way. I'm nervous the high winds will blow them over. One is on cinderblocks, so I suppose I could wrap a bungie cord around it to hold it to the blocks, but that won't help too much if a huge guest of winds come. The other one is positioned on a few big rocks. Any ideas??


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## greg273 (Aug 5, 2003)

Drive some stakes down into the ground, like metal fencepost type things... then put ropes or better yet load straps around them. Probably get a set of decent load straps for $25.
Good luck. Its likely the hurricane will lose a lot of strength before it makes it up that far north...


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## Michael W. Smith (Jun 2, 2002)

How tall are your hives - how many hive bodies, how many supers? Remember, the shorter it is, the less likely it is to get blown over.

As long as the hive is on a solid base and not tee tottering to begin with, I would think they will be fine. Just make sure you have a cement block or something similiar on the roof so the cover doesn't blow off.

If you are really concerned about the hive, park a vehicle or something similar (tractor, lawn mower, etc) along the hive from where the wind is coming from.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Bungie cords have a lot of streach so I dfon't think they would do a very good job.

Were it me I would go to some place like Wal Mart (these came from Lowe's.) and buy a 4 pack of ratchet straps, about $15.00.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_221791-3734...ntURL=/pl__0__s?Ntt=ratchet+straps&facetInfo=

Take one strap and wrap the hive around the sides fully, take the second and wrap from frount to back fully. Get the second one off the rocks onto some thing a bit more stable. Wraped that way even if the wind were to blow them over they should stay together.
Also driving some fence post close to the hives would help I suppose if you knew just how the wind is going to blow. Directions can change due to objects such as a house barn or other out buildings and even groves of trees.

 Al


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## McDaid36 (Jul 15, 2011)

Thanks for the ideas. Yes, I meant ratchet straps but couldn't remember their name at the time. There are 2 hive bodies and 1 super. The second hive, while on a rock, seems as stable as the first. It is not teetering at all. Unfortunately, the hives are down where the field meets the woods, so there are a ton of trees around them. The field is not accessible to any vehicles except the lawn mower. I'll try to think about what I can put in front of them. I'm thinking the wind for the other directions wouldn't be as strong because of the trees. I'll also see if I can put some stakes in the ground, but that's a tall order - we've got so much rock here that sinking something even more than a ft. in the ground is a challenge without a jackhammer. Plus that ft. of soil on top is so waterlogged I doubt it would hold much.


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## JRHILLS (Oct 27, 2010)

Go to www.strapworks.com and get the 1/2 inch straps and matching plastic snap-together buckles. Cost is minimal per hive - and you will never again have to worry about your cover blowing off. No bricks, no ugly rocks, no cinder blocks. Utterly secure.


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## McDaid36 (Jul 15, 2011)

Great idea! Thanks! 

The hives did well in the storm. We did end up ratcheting them together and anchoring them down. They were busy as bees today in the warm sunshine!


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## tom j (Apr 3, 2009)

glad to hear you and yours come through the storm , with no bad thing happening ..


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## McDaid36 (Jul 15, 2011)

Power was out for 2 days (just came back on about an hour ago), phone and cable still out. Lots of trees down and flooding, but thankfully, nothing too bad on our property.


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