My Earthquake Nightmare

[Sean Kelly]

Had a nightmare the other day.  Was dreaming that my hive was all set up and doing very well, sometime in the summer.  Then all of a sudden there was a big earthquake and the hive got knocked over, bees all took off, then I woke up in a cold sweat.

I live in the Seattle area and we keep hearing about "The Big One".  We have little quakes now and then too.  Now I'm freaked out about loosing my hive in a small (or god forbid a big) quake.

Anyone have any experience, good or bad, with earthquakes and bee hives?  Should I have nothing to worry about?

Sean

[Jerrymac]

Seems the bees stay around when the wind blows the hives over. Don't know why they would take off because they were knocked over by an earthquake.

[Tropic]

Here in Costa Rica we do get some pretty good and sometimes bad earthquakes. In addition to this, I do have many of my hives set up in one of the most fault ridden areas where the biggest earthquakes have been registered during the past five years ... the area of Turrubares. And because of the earthquake factor, it is fairly uninhabitated with lots of good low dry forest and abundant flowering trees. The best honey comes from this wild area. I place my hives on good strong broad based stands that have not failed me when houses have been knocked off their foundations. The few hives that have toppled in the 6+ Richter shakes have never been set back much ... just took careful gathering of the frames and set them back on their stands with the hive reset. The bees never abandoned the area ... though they were definitely mad about the dislodgement of their hive. The damage was very minimal to their well being and these being AHB I would have expected more anger and longer lasting agressive behaviour. However, my fellow beekeeper did have more problems with his hives because of the terrain they were set in and the earthquake caused the hives to be dislodged and tumbled down a steep hill .... among rocks, cactus and bramble bushes. But though this was a visual nightmare of bees, broken honey laden supers and honey comb everywhere ... the bees remained and returned to their hives as soon as they were re-established in their original spots and firm bases. There was only one queen lost in addition to about five supers full of honey that was a week away from being harvested.
The hives are now relocated to a flat terrain and given broader bases.

[Kathyp]

sean, those of us in the PNW are more apt to lose our hives to weather!  i'm from ca, and never gave quakes a thought.  they were usually far less destructive than the big winds and snows we get here. 

[Sean Kelly]

Wow, thanks guys.   :-D 

Jerrymac, again, it was just a bad dream.  Weird things happen in bad dreams, especially when it's about something you're new to.  I figured it wouldn't be a big deal but was curious anyways.

Kathyp, I didn't think about the winds.  We get some nasty ones in the early winter.  Snow isn't a big deal in the Puget Sound area.  I guess it has something to do with the warm air coming up off the Sound, pushes the snow clouds around us.  Instead it just rains non stop.  :-)

Thanks Tropic!  Great info.  That sucks for your friend loosing five supers full of honey.  But at least nothing took off like in my crazy dream.  :-)

Sean

[Kirk-o]

Bees are pretty tuff .Years ago I went and purchased some hives from a lafy in Gunnison Utah she was almost 100 years old I gathered up these hives and was about to leave and she took me over to a Lilac Bush under the bush was a deep
supper she had put under a swarm 11 years earlier.Through winter snow rain summer they were still going unbelieveable.Bees are tuff don't worry
kirk-o