da Rats scenario no 1 back again

[Riverrat]

You are starting your 2nd year as a keep with limited knowledge of beekeeping. You have no mentor close so you have relied on people around the country here on the forum for help. you have 5 hives that made it through the winter. They are light and being fed 1:1 sugar syrup. Your bee yard is about 1/2 mile off the main road. It is impassable when muddy. It has been raining hard the last 4 days and the 5 day forecast  looks like it aint letting up soon. its mid march and the bees are kicked into brood rearing and blowing through the stores. they need feed replaced about every other day or sooner. Its almost impossible in this cool rain to get in to feed what are you going to do. Oh and its Friday afternoon your 5 packages you ordered arrived 4 days ago when the rain began and you are unable to get in to hive them. What you going to do to remedy this situation? Newbees jump in and show us old hands what we need to do to get all the hives through the rainy muddy days.

[Jen]

Get a swamp air boat and float across the mud.... oh wait, there won't be any swamp air boats in Kansas...

Ummmm.... Build a little alter in your living room and pray for a quick one week drought!

[Riverrat]

Get a swamp air boat and float across the mud.... oh wait, there won't be any swamp air boats in Kansas...

Ummmm.... Build a little alter in your living room and pray for a quick one week drought!

Believe it or not we have a lot of airboats in this area. I had one for several years. We run them in the Arkansas river which is very shallow. Hence whereI got the name Riverrat. Anyhow lets find a way to get them bees settled in

[tbonekel]

Hmm, that's a tough one. If it were me, I would get at close to the apiary as possible and place several feeders. My guess is that even after it stops raining, it will be impossible to get to the hives until it dries somewhat. The bees will have a source of nectar. Plus, you will be able to monitor the feeders because you will be able to get that far. Sorry you can't get to the hives. That would drive me crazy!

[G3farms]

Load bee junk into front end loader of the tractor, easy peazy!

[brooksbeefarm]

The 4 wheeler cycle works great for me. Jack

[tbonekel]

Front end loader? 4 wheel cycle? I didn't know we could throw in the use of cool toys like that! I'm just thinking about the kinds of transportation I have which is a riding lawn mower and a two wheel drive pickup with 4 bald tires. 

[Slowmodem]

I'm just thinking about the kinds of transportation I have which is a riding lawn mower and a two wheel drive pickup with 4 bald tires. 

Remember this?



click on the picture for the story

[Bsweet]

Cowboy/girl up and hump in some feed to the 5 hives you have and install the packages into hives in the backyard to be moved to the apiary when it dries out. Jim

[LazyBkpr]

Depends on the mud. Waders/backpack and walk, or take the dually if the ruts are not a worry. 400+ HP and mud diggers on all six.
  I'd hive the packages at home, and move them out to the yard when weather permitted.
   Interested to see the RiverRat way.

[Bakersdozen]

It is impassable when muddy.

I would look for a different location for the packages that are waiting to be hived.  The time to have done that was before they were ordered, of course.  I would also assume that one would have their hive bodies assembled and painted and placed in their proper location waiting for those packages.  It's easy to "Monday morning quarterback" (so the saying goes) and we need a solution to the problem at hand.  How about placing those hive bodies on a flat bed or the back of a pick up truck.  Straps holding the hives together would make it possible to move them when the weather is better.  1:1 sugar syrup could still be fed while the vehicle is parked.
This doesn't help the existing hives that are in need of food stores.  A half mile off the road isn't THAT far.  You could put the sugar syrup in 1 gallon ziploc bags and back pack the feed in.  I would hope I wouldn't have to cross too many barbed wire fences.  Proper clothing, a cell phone and maybe someone with you, just in case would be good ideas. 

[apisbees]

As said find an more accessible yard or location. for the five your walking but it could be considered an emergency feed situation and granulated sugar could be used so you are not having to carry the extra weight of the water.
I have hiked syrup into hives on toboggan in the past.

[barry42001]

Backstroke

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[DonMcJr]

Buy a Helicopter! 

Ok probably not an option...but would be cool!

Argo 6 wheeler that floats?

Here's a Project near you... http://wichita.craigslist.org/bar/4398036095.html



Here they are in action:

[Slowmodem]

Buy a Helicopter! 

Ok probably not an option...but would be cool!

Argo 6 wheeler that floats?

Here's a Project near you... http://wichita.craigslist.org/bar/4398036095.html

This is the first time I rememer seeing one of them on the Banana Splits:

[Jen]

OMG I remember the Banana Splits! Hahhahahah 

[DonMcJr]

That musta been before my time...but it is in color...maybe I just missed that show...

Just looked it up ended 2 years before I was born!

The Banana Splits Adventure Hour is an hour-long, packaged television variety program featuring The Banana Splits, a fictional rock band composed of four funny animal characters. The costumed hosts of the show were Fleegle (guitar, vocals), Bingo (drums, vocals), Drooper (bass, vocals) and Snorky (keyboards, effects). The series was produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, and ran for 31 episodes on NBC Saturday mornings, from September 7, 1968 to September 5, 1970.

[Slowmodem]

OMG I remember the Banana Splits! Hahhahahah 

It was one of my favorite shows when I was a kid.

[LazyBkpr]

Just looked it up ended 2 years before I was born!

 September 7, 1968 to September 5, 1970.

   Umm... It's OK...   I don't feel OLD now.....       :'(

[iddee]

You will feel old tomorrow....