Keep our hives in your thoughts and prayers

[Wandering Man]

We decided to requeen three of our hives before we do our next mite treatment.  We thought we'd try Apivar this time around and had read that the fumes can mask the scent of a new queen, so we figured we had best replace the queens now.

While inspecting our hives, we found Hive #1 to be a bit aggressive, and since building up from (originally 4, now) 6 hives to 8 hives is part of our plan, we decided to split Hive #1.  We made the split last Wednesday, and then ordered four queens. 

The queens will ship out Monday and arrive at the UPS hub on Tuesday morning. 

Now, we have two tropical storms headed this way.  Both are expected to make landfall Tuesday afternoon.  Of course the high winds and rain will be here before then, depending on how close the tropical storms, or hurricanes come to Victoria.

In any event, I foresee us putting queens in the hive under less than ideal conditions.  If it is too bad, we'll wait a day, but I don't like to try to keep queens in cages in our house for very long.

Oh, and hive 7?  It was robbed dry by Friday.  We added syrup and put in an entrance reducer, as well as another frame of brood and supplies.  I hope #7 isn't a loss, but I'm not hopeful.

[RAST]

Will do and praying for saftey for all.

[rober]

call your supplier EARLY Monday & see if you can put the delivery on hold.

[Bakersdozen]

call your supplier EARLY Monday & see if you can put the delivery on hold.

Yes! what rober said.  You might try calling today, leave a message if you have to, and follow up early Monday morning.
Is the split queenless?  I assume they have eggs and brood.  They might try to rear a queen of their own so check thoroughly for queen cells before you install a mated queen.

[Zweefer]

Keep us posted!

[Wandering Man]

Ya'll have some powerful prayers.  By the end of the day yesterday Marco was forecast to land much farther east of us, New Orleans.  And Laura was also forecast for New Orleans.  These forecasts don't seem to have changed overnight.

I don't know what ya'll have against New Orleans, but as of now it looks like we may get a little rain, but that's it. 

All systems are go for the requeening of our hives.

[Zweefer]

Have you ever been to New Orleans?

Glad this are working out for you!

[Bakersdozen]

Wandering Man, I have been wondering how close you are to Hurricane Laura?  Thinking of you!

[Wandering Man]

Zweefer, yes I've been to NO a couple of times.  I wouldn't wish this one-two punch on anyone.

Bakers, thanks for your thoughts.

We are not very close.  We got some heavy rain this morning, and might get a little more, but right now the skies are clear.  I don't think it even got very windy.

We are about 220 miles south and west of Port Arthur, TX, so we are a good distance away.

[Bakersdozen]

After I asked that question, I turned on the weather channel.  Laura was just about to reach land then, right along the Texas Louisiana line.  Port Arthur looked like it was right in the path.  There are a lot of off shore oil platforms in the area.
A year or two before Katrina, we went to NOLA and came back along the coast until we hit Houston.  We stopped, to get our feet wet in the gulf, at a place called Holly Beach.  It's just a few miles East of Port Arthur.  I can't imagine it still standing, but it probably is.  Holly Beach was right in the path of Katrina.  It looks like Laura landed there too.