Disasterous Flood

[Pond Creek Farm]

We have had a rainfall today like no other I have ever seen, and our farm responded like it never has before.  Our small creek came out of its banks, but this is not terribly unusual.  What was unusual was for it to come out so much cut a new channel.  We put the hives where we were sure they would not be subjecct to flood, but now three of the four hives are gone.  The fourth got a flooded lower deep, but the SBB may have kept the water lower in the hive more than it otherwise would have been. I pulled a couple of boxes out of the creek where it was washed, and recovered many frames as well (they were floating in puddles with bees on top like a life raft).  I have no idea if a queen was in the mix.  I still have more recovery to do when the water goes down, but I am confident I'll find no more of the bees.  All of the frames have been waterlogged, and the bees have no assets with which to rebuild. I put one deep back together and put ten frames in there and shook all the bees I collected with the equipment into that deep, but I cannot think they can do anything with it.  Is there any recovery from such a disaster?  I though about putting some clean frames in and feeding the bees heavily in hopes that they can survive, but I am curious if this is simply wishful thinking.

Does it make any sense at this late date to try to get someone to make me up a few packages and start off again? This is just terrible, and am heartsick over it.

[Brian D. Bray]

I you had just one queen survive it is worth a try, without the queen you're SOL.   Save what you can and go through the hive of stragglers you have left and see if you have a queen.

I feel for ya, man.

[Bee-Bop]

Sorry to hear of your loss, we had about 3 inches yesterday, but are on top of one of these Ozark "hills".
Are You near Nixa, Mo. we are about 110 miles to the East, outside Rolla.
" We do the Battlefield stroll several times a year "

Bee-Bop

[JP]

Hey, so sorry to hear that, yep I would consolidate and combine with any colony that still has a queen, check 'em when you have the time. Feed them good.

Best of luck to you Brian.


...JP

[Cindi]

Brian, oh I am so sorry to hear of this terrible thing.  Weather has been really bad for many beekeepers this year, so sad.  Do as JP said, try to make one good colony, hopefully there will be a queen there that can get things going again.  Don't give up.  I know that is so easy to say, but get some dry combs, or dry comb out somehow and get those bees all into one box, or maybe two, see what you can do.  Best of luck, my thoughts are with you, hoping for the best, please do have a good day, a great life, things will be good. Cindi

[Pond Creek Farm]

Bee-Bop:  We are just north of Nixa in between Springfield and Republic.  The news said we had four inches of rain in about seven hours.  Thanks for the advice and encouragement.  I am heading down to recover equipment and see if I can coral some bees into the remaining boxes.

[charmd2]

I'm not sure how we escaped the same fate.  I'm just glad I had mine on concrete blocks instead of the bare ground. Went back to check the hives last night after I got off work and they were literally in a four inch deep lake covering a large portion of my yard.  The surrounding timber is nearly as bad.  I think Truman Lake is trying to flood up into my yard.  (the lake normally is about five miles out) but with all the creeks being up... I may have a new tribitutary. 

I feel for you.  I really do.   Would bring you down a frame or two if mine weren't struggling packages anyway. 

[Pond Creek Farm]

I appreciate the offer. Iam going to get a frame from a friend with some eggs and open brood. I had my hives on cinder blocks as we'll, but it seems I needed two rather than one. The bees are all back in boxes, but I lost about half of the frames. My sons and I will rebuild

[Janemma]

No advice - just wanted to say I was thinking of you...what a shame :(  it seems the weather is terrible everywhere this year - we are getting tornadoes already and its so early in the season for us this far north.