What kind of wind should my bee hives be OK in? For instance, we had a mild storm last night and gusts were reported at 38mph. Not sure if we got those or not. Last year we had some in the 50-60mph range (gusts not sustained).
The hives are fine after last nights storm but it got me thinking. Anyway, my hives are set on two cinder blocks (one on left/right... not two cinder blocks high, only 1). Then I have one deep (brand new hive) and on top of that is my inner cover then another deep that encloses my pale feeder, then my hive top then on top of it 1/2 a cinder block. So, right now it doesn't have a huge wind profile but what about in a few months when I have 8 deeps full of honey :-D... but in all seriousness, what about an average sized hive what can it really take before being blown over?
Jeremy
I use 2 stacked pallets then strap them down if need be. Last year we had some big winds which tossed 2 hives over. They survived. I found the cheap 3/4 inch straps more than enough. Get the ones 15' long. each hive needs its own strap. Unless you have a stand and all hives are the same size, which is rare.
I use dog tie outs .. the ones that screw in the ground , with strap for each hive .. if your hives are side by side three tie outs hold two hives ,, four holds three hives ect, ect
It depends on how high your stands are, how high the hive is stacked up, how heavy the hive is, how well glued together it is, how much wind break there is, how level the hive is, and how many rocks you have on top. I've had them blow over. I like them right next to each other as they break the wind for each other.