Author Topic: Interesting week so far  (Read 1342 times)

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Offline RAST

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Interesting week so far
« on: August 26, 2020, 07:33:46 pm »
 Got my bear fence done this past weekend, the fence energizer had came in Friday. Parmak 12 solar powered. It doesn't work out of the box so now I have to send it back where I bought it or to Parmak warranty dept. I shipped it out to Parmak cause where I bought it did not have a replacement yet. Get a phone call today, bear tore up a bunch of commercial hives about 2 miles from mine. Lady that called me about the bear has a spare energizer I can borrow. I put it up and was working when I left this evening.
 Now back to Monday, when done triple checking the energizer I decide to inspect a hive with the idea of making some queens out of it. Laying workers, should have checked it sooner, but its been bearding and washboarding heavy. Not in the mood or wanting to waste brood or buy a queen just to watch it get killed. Did I say not in the mood? I move every thing including hive stand, Its a double deep and still has a lot of workers. I wheel them down in the pasture about 50 ft and start shaking and brushing, trying to get the frames in some boxes with a towel over it. I bent over and my veil flopped down and filled with bees. Half a dozen to the shiney target in the middle and one over the eye. Did I say not in the mood?  The hive had a super with 5 frames of honey so I gave it to a July nuc now up to 7 frames (all 8 frame boxes). I left the feeder on it and all checked Ok yesterday, hive closest to the laying worker sure got strong. Today I go down there to put the borrowed energizer on and find this. This is the hive I put the super on Monday. I am kinda thinking maybe a racoon, it was robbed out of course.
 Fence was lighting all the lights on my neon fence checker and a battery radio playing when I left tonight. Who knows what tomorrow will bring.   


Offline Zweefer

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Re: Interesting week so far
« Reply #1 on: August 26, 2020, 08:27:04 pm »
So sorry to hear this!  I guess the silver lining is no bears?  Here’s hoping things get better, and right quick!
Keeping of bees is like the direction of sunbeams.
Henry David Thoreau

Offline Bakersdozen

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Re: Interesting week so far
« Reply #2 on: August 27, 2020, 10:10:18 am »
I didn't know a raccoon was capable of something like that!  Blindsided by a raccoon.  ???  I am sorry for your misfortune.

I like those hive stands.  Can you tell us how you made them?

Offline RAST

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Re: Interesting week so far
« Reply #3 on: August 27, 2020, 12:30:37 pm »
 I don't know what did it. But all was ok this morning. The green hive stand was the top of the monkey bars at our church playground we are replacing everything in. I just bolted legs onto it with a cross stop to take the spreading weight off the leg bolts. The other one that the feeder landed on is a single that the laying worker hive was on. I like the bolt on legs so they are easier to load if/when I move them. My back likes a 17-18" leg.
  It's this evening now, I went down to the bees to get my game camera going, turn on the battery radio and fence. I had not noticed the perimiter fence damaged yesterday due to not looking far enough, two places, one in and one out. Closer exam of my electric fence shows the 2 middle wires stretched. I put them up tight originally. So now I am thinking a bear came in, knocked it over and left, Rained hard that night so no trackes of any kind. Never know for sure.