Hurricane Irma

[tycrnp]

Is there any hive preparation that can be done for this storm?  In the Florida panhandle it looks like the worst of it will miss me....but asking just in case it "wobbles" west.

[eltalia]

Is there any hive preparation that can be done for this storm?  In the Florida panhandle it looks like the worst of it will miss me....but asking just in case it "wobbles" west.

No stranger to tropical cyclones (hurricanes) I would say the best option
is to move them out, but as we know sometimes a 100mile in whatever
heading is not far enough :-/

If they can be shutdown and moved into the lee side of a substantial building
they will get just half the full impact. They still need the full tiedown
but impact from debris is well lessened.
If they cannot be moved?
1. make sure all box penetrations are open and free flowing for air
2. wrap boxes in old blankets, or canvas, or at least poly tarp
3. assuming stands are in place, lock those down
4. tie down each hive individually
5. make sure your chainsaw is a goer with a sharp chain

Tiedowns consist of a strap and minimum three anchor points at ground,
the finish on each hive resembling a rough tripod design I found very
effective, but a well tensioned ground to ground strap over the top with a
spreader bar on the lid survived TC Larry (cat4) and was done in a huge hurry.
Straps are best metal - 8gauge plain fence wire or 5/16 wire rope were my
staples. Anchors I have used were star pickets with a sprinkling of old truck
axles for strainer points.

Any damage I had was from flying debri, hence the chainsaw and a quick fix
immediately after the storm passing. Bee ready to bee stung, bigtime.

Then again you can do nothing. It is rather eerie how when it is all done
and dusted you walk out the door to see your neighbours house flattened
by the roof off the home three doors up, your back neighbour's caravan on it's
side up against his shed.... and your bees off to forage.

.... did I say I love cyclones? They clean out the crap and generate huge
amounts of work, well paid. What _you_ must do is make sure you and yours
survive them.

good luck.

Bill

[Acebird]

The word is stick built evacuate, concrete structures you ride it out.  High wind storms are the test of the box joint.

[BeeMaster2]

I went into town yesterday to prepare my house and apiary for this storm. I have a strap around every hives, secured tight. Most of my hives are on a trailer and it is parked up against my barn. One hive is behind a wood fence and my wood pile. The house behind the fence should provide plenty of wind break. Two hives are along an chain link fence and have the biggest chance of high winds so I added straps to hold then down to the base of the trees on either side and a strap between them.
I used to have anchors on the ends of the hives but I removed them a few weeks ago. If they were still there I would have used them.
Jim

[little john]

Good luck guys - hope you get through this ok.
LJ

[iddee]

Good luck, Jim......... And all others.

[Eric Bosworth]

Good luck... Give me a good blizzard over a tropical cyclone any day... I do truly love a blizzard. The flooding from a tropical storm I can live without. 2011 we were hit with the 1-2 punch of Irine and Lee it was nothing compared to Harvey and Irma is being followed closely by Jose. I can't imagine.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

[jtcmedic]

strapped them down and put there cover for screen bottom boards in, and now we hope  it was enough, good luck to every one be safe

[tycrnp]

Thanks for all of the tips.  Jim & JTC, I'm more concerned for you guys. Fingers crossed for all.

[herbhome]

prayers for Jim, Jtc, and all Floridians!

[BeeMaster2]

It is looking like here at the farm we will have the eye of Irma almost directly on us. I just hope their prediction of it being no more than a Cat 2 is correct. My daughter and her family are now planning on staying in Jacksonville.
Jim

[eltalia]

It is looking like here at the farm we will have the eye of Irma almost directly on us. I just hope their prediction of it being no more than a Cat 2 is correct. My daughter and her family are now planning on staying in Jacksonville.
Jim

No change from where I am watching, Jim.. cat4 and the eye is
closing/concerntrating. 0400hrs our time.
http://forum.weatherzone.com.au/ubbthreads.php/topics/1429414/2
Attached is my best search of info.. got any radar links?

Hang in there mate, calm and alert is the way through. Believe me I
know exactly where you're at, right now. Riding this one with ya..it
helps, I know that much : beers:

Bill

[BeeMaster2]

Bill,
If I look at 3 different maps, I get 3 different routes. 
Right now they are saying cat 1 and west of us. Stand by, it will change.     
Jim

[herbhome]

Jim, is your home in a flood prone area?

[BeeMaster2]

Herb,
My farm is at about 110' and we are close to the highest elevations. My old house in town is about at 33'. It is in an evacuation area but has never flooded. Houses close to me can have some problems.
Jim

[eltalia]

Bill,
If I look at 3 different maps, I get 3 different routes. 

.... bloody tell me about it!! Our bloody BOM hides behind a wall of coned tinfoil
hats - IF BUT MAYBE.... gives me the right grits I tellya.
Back in the day when we all had hard copper landlines I had a network of
savvy buddies which coud be used to triangulate eye location by barometric
readings and wind direction, right down to within 10 mile, anything up to maybe
an hour before landfall. Now the bloody power goes out leaving cell networks
ripped! Larry wiped us out only because last we heard from BOM we were well
out of that path and so left preps as "basic"... it was the middle of the night he
gave it to us and many more to the SouWest.
All done, we pulled out and changed localitys, further west. Now (retirement) we
are back in the high risk zone, that Weatherzone site is our only 'safe' pool of info.

Right now they are saying cat 1 and west of us. Stand by, it will change.     
Jim

That's great news Jim... well, what one wants to hear when sitting, waiting.
Change can be even better, with luck.
I'm sucking wind for ya... might drag it further West :-)))

Bill

[Acebird]

My step daughter is in West Palm beach area holding down the fort, hers and ours.  She had a friend from the keys staying in our house but she got scared and booked north.  Last we heard she was in Orlando.  I suggested she go up 27 and camp out in Ocala, highest point in FL around 600 ft.  It looks like it is going to track right up the center of FL which is good for the east coast.  The Keys and Miami are going to get hammered.  There is a guy form the keys that was on this forum but I haven't heard a thing from him.

[Van, Arkansas, USA]

Floridia folks, Jim as well as others that I have not had the pleasure:
May Irma leave your family and your bees untouched.  May the winds blow the varroa mites and the small hive beetle into the ocean.  May you be left with a flower bloom to aw after Irma fades away into history with little significance.  These are my thoughts.  Not very realistic, I know, but pleasant thoughts.
Blessings

[Barhopper]

I don't wish it on anyone but I hope it keeps going west. Worked on securing hives all morning and disaster relief meetings all afternoon.

[eltalia]

DRM work is good BH... keeps one focused and informed.
Still saying stable at cat4, best I can gather. Hopefully it will stall a bit avoiding a
fully black landing into Saturday morning. Folks lose it (easier) in black landings.
I have a radar image here;
http://www.met.inf.cu/asp/genesis.asp?TB0=PLANTILLAS&TB1=RADAR&TB2=../Radar/07Holguin/hlgMAXw01a.gif     

Bill