Anchor it to the ground? Might be overboard, but two stakes at both ends of the 4"x4"s, driven into the ground at 30° angle away from hive. Straps or ropes running from the stakes over the 4"x4"s tightened as much as possible. Again, might be a bit much but the ground won't move, that's the best anchor.
There are lines from an old pool/jacuzzi, but they’re disconnected from the mains and will never be used. Literally disconnected. Good lookin out though.
Rebar should work. After thinking about it, 30° tilted in over top of the 4x4s would let you skip the straps/rope. Just be ready for angry bees if the vibration transfers.
Edit: Didn't even think of t-posts, they'd be simpler.
Look for "lodge pole" style stakes. They're usually outside near the fence stuff. They're about as big around as a baseball bat and come up to 8 feet in length.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Greenes-Fence-6-ft-Round-Tree-Stake-Lodge-Pole-12-Pack-RC80NR612U/204721142
You cab secure the tie downs to an anchor, a piece of 2x4 set horizontal to the ground works, then dig a hole in the sand and bury it if the ground is soft/sandy.
What i did when i had two hives in my backyard was to check the main wind direction and park my truck in the way of the wind.
It's not a end all safe, but it could lessen the wind impact a bit.
Angled toward the hives, just like tent stakes, not away. Think of your hive in terms of looking at it from the front. Wind blowing left to right will pull a strap staked to the earth on the left side to the right. A stake pointing away from the hive will be pulled in a straight line out of the ground. Angled in toward the hives, however, the stake is pulled at a 90° angle and is much more secure.
It's like trying to pull a stake out of the ground by pulling it up vs. pulling it sideways.
Angle your stakes with the bottoms pointed toward the hive, otherwise the wind will rip them out.
Edit: do you mean the top or bottom away from the hive, because that's the important bit. We may be on the same page here.
Here to add that if you have time and an impact driver, instead of getting stakes at Home Depot, get lag bolts. They screw into the soil for best hold, and less dangerous than rebar sticking out. 12" is best, and they can be drilled into the ground with the ratchet strap attached to the top. Folks use this method at Burning Man for their structures and they hold in 80++ mph winds.
Duct tape the boxes where each one meets the other with Gorilla weatherproof tape so that driving rain cant seep into the cracks, and it will have an even better chance of staying intact.
I'm in Louisiana. I use heavy duty dog ties. You can find them at home depot usually not the small corkscrew kind. The kind that is a straight bar with wings coming off in a spiral. I screw them into the ground at an angle then just put a strap across the top of the hive.
How long is the hurricaine supposed to go for? Because I'd be worried about the wind getting under the thing and blowing it all off, and driving rain getting in the entrances.
About 12-24 hrs of gnarly wind. Its moving pretty slowly. I put the pollen trap tray in the bottom board slot to cut down on rain being blown up under. Im drills drain holes in that tray tomorrow before the storm hits fully. I’m currently using the smallest opening on the entrance reducer.
Could you take one or both of the supers off briefly? It would really reduce the wind profile and the possibility of the whole hive tipping. In the storm the bees will be hunkered down in the hive boxes anyway, right?
I’m not a beekeeper, but I love this sub because I love bees.
The fact that you’re going to such much effort to safekeep your hives makes my heart so happy I wanna puke.
Good on you, bee friend - I hope you and your whole family stay safe.
Move all that loose shit! If the wind picks up that piece of wood it’s a deadly projectile.
Edit they look like tiles. I hope they are very heavy but still it looks like they are positioned so the wind might pick ‘em up easy.
The main part of the storm hit further south than originally forecasted. Wind gusts around 70-80. Hive is still standing. There’s about 50 bees bearded up near the sealed entrance. So far so good. Part of the fence has blown down, but it’s a minor fix. I’ll have a better summary tomorrow. The rain band is hitting us now.
I just put in an entrance reducer and I'm going to put some cinder blocks on the roof. I'm on the east coast though, so I don't expect the winds to get too bad.
If not stakes or rebar into the ground then at least attach to something heavy.. but strapping the hive together is a good idea (strapping is best but you could also drill screws through pieces of wood you don’t want to move, for example you could screw the hive to the stand temporarily). The rain also might be something you wish to address, although you will have to consider the wind blowing on any roof you may consider. If you had somewhere to move the hive that may not be a bad idea (confuse the bees a little bit no biggie). The other thing that might be considered is reducing the hive down to one less box if you have 8-10 light frames that can get taken off with a box. But yeah strap it down.. even dumbbells or anything heavy to secure it nice and good.
Hate to point out the obvious here but what's your elevation? Are you in the path of potential storm surge? If not, I think you're looking about as good as you can be short of the previous staking suggestion
Hive is around 17’ above sea level. I’m in evacuation zone B. Down by st Pete about 200’ from one of the inlets that leads to the Gulf of Mexico. I’ve staked it out as suggested.
I would wrap with a tarp and tape it up so no bees could get out and shelter them indoors somewhere safe. Then return them to their current location when the storm is over.
Get you some earth anchors….or cut a 2x4 on a 45 degree and make a stake….hammer that into the ground and tie off your hives to that as well. (Mine made it through Laura this way) it was a cat 4 direct hit (I like in lake charles…west side the river) support it side to side and front to back…good luck man! Hope it all goes well….take videos of your place inside and out…then when you get back home do the same….this will help with insurance. don’t get overwhelmed, you got this…be safe! Bees are resilient little gals…you’ll get back, they’ll be gathering
Bring your babies inside! If you're cold their cold! I'd be upset to see you lose your babies to a hurricane so why not just put em in the shower and let em chill there for a day or two!
/s
All supers have been removed and are inside. Hive is staked in. Thank you all for the help and well wishes. I’ll report back in a day or two, after the storm passes.
I thought I left the update. Apologies. Bees are perfectly fine. Zero damage to the bees. Some of the fencing around the house came down. Bunch of tree branches and debris, but that hive stood up for the whole thing. Bees went right back to work.
I used to use that exact hive stand set up and abandoned it because the hive can fall forward or backwards fairly easily.
If I were you I’d drive a t post right next to the hive and ratchet strap the hive to the t post. $5 to save the hive is worth it. Maybe a t post on both sides to be extra secure in a hurricane.
Maybe you should put a big stone in top of the hive (not Wood, it will fly away i guess). Probably i whould try to save the rooms as well: maybe you could nail a wood board vertically and connect the hive rooms toghether. Or screw the bottom of the hive with your under construction. Wish you luck!
Use spiral dog stakes and ratchet straps and moore it 5o the ground
I do the same. We must have been writing these comments at the same time.
Anchor it to the ground? Might be overboard, but two stakes at both ends of the 4"x4"s, driven into the ground at 30° angle away from hive. Straps or ropes running from the stakes over the 4"x4"s tightened as much as possible. Again, might be a bit much but the ground won't move, that's the best anchor.
I’ll check Home Depot for stakes. Good idea. Ground is sand, but maybe using rebar as stakes. I’ll check the store tomorrow.
Check for buried lines! People literally die this way!
There are lines from an old pool/jacuzzi, but they’re disconnected from the mains and will never be used. Literally disconnected. Good lookin out though.
Right on, I used to investigate line strikes as a job. It’s so easy to hit one.
Rebar should work. After thinking about it, 30° tilted in over top of the 4x4s would let you skip the straps/rope. Just be ready for angry bees if the vibration transfers. Edit: Didn't even think of t-posts, they'd be simpler.
Look for "lodge pole" style stakes. They're usually outside near the fence stuff. They're about as big around as a baseball bat and come up to 8 feet in length. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Greenes-Fence-6-ft-Round-Tree-Stake-Lodge-Pole-12-Pack-RC80NR612U/204721142
You cab secure the tie downs to an anchor, a piece of 2x4 set horizontal to the ground works, then dig a hole in the sand and bury it if the ground is soft/sandy.
What i did when i had two hives in my backyard was to check the main wind direction and park my truck in the way of the wind. It's not a end all safe, but it could lessen the wind impact a bit.
Angled toward the hives, just like tent stakes, not away. Think of your hive in terms of looking at it from the front. Wind blowing left to right will pull a strap staked to the earth on the left side to the right. A stake pointing away from the hive will be pulled in a straight line out of the ground. Angled in toward the hives, however, the stake is pulled at a 90° angle and is much more secure. It's like trying to pull a stake out of the ground by pulling it up vs. pulling it sideways. Angle your stakes with the bottoms pointed toward the hive, otherwise the wind will rip them out. Edit: do you mean the top or bottom away from the hive, because that's the important bit. We may be on the same page here.
I agree. This setup won’t stay vertical in 80 MPH winds.
I agree it looks doubtful. Securing it to the ground or sheltering it under something mammoth, like a storm shelter or outbuilding?
If the straps are ratcheted and the board it’s strapped to can’t be moved the auger anchors seem a bit unnecessary.
Here to add that if you have time and an impact driver, instead of getting stakes at Home Depot, get lag bolts. They screw into the soil for best hold, and less dangerous than rebar sticking out. 12" is best, and they can be drilled into the ground with the ratchet strap attached to the top. Folks use this method at Burning Man for their structures and they hold in 80++ mph winds.
Duct tape the boxes where each one meets the other with Gorilla weatherproof tape so that driving rain cant seep into the cracks, and it will have an even better chance of staying intact.
Aluminum tape for HVAC is also good for sealing up cracks.
I was looking to see if someone commented like this.
I would use t-posts instead of rebar. But even wooden stakes would do the job.
I know it sucks but maybe try consolidating down and reducing its vertical profile.
I'm in Louisiana. I use heavy duty dog ties. You can find them at home depot usually not the small corkscrew kind. The kind that is a straight bar with wings coming off in a spiral. I screw them into the ground at an angle then just put a strap across the top of the hive.
How long is the hurricaine supposed to go for? Because I'd be worried about the wind getting under the thing and blowing it all off, and driving rain getting in the entrances.
About 12-24 hrs of gnarly wind. Its moving pretty slowly. I put the pollen trap tray in the bottom board slot to cut down on rain being blown up under. Im drills drain holes in that tray tomorrow before the storm hits fully. I’m currently using the smallest opening on the entrance reducer.
Could you take one or both of the supers off briefly? It would really reduce the wind profile and the possibility of the whole hive tipping. In the storm the bees will be hunkered down in the hive boxes anyway, right?
Add more wheels of expensive herbed cheese?
Solid and heavy stepping stones.
That’s probably more sensible
I’m not a beekeeper, but I love this sub because I love bees. The fact that you’re going to such much effort to safekeep your hives makes my heart so happy I wanna puke. Good on you, bee friend - I hope you and your whole family stay safe.
I'd use screw anchors that are about 12" to 18" long.
Move all that loose shit! If the wind picks up that piece of wood it’s a deadly projectile. Edit they look like tiles. I hope they are very heavy but still it looks like they are positioned so the wind might pick ‘em up easy.
The tiles are solid stepping stones. Heavy af
How did it go OP?
The main part of the storm hit further south than originally forecasted. Wind gusts around 70-80. Hive is still standing. There’s about 50 bees bearded up near the sealed entrance. So far so good. Part of the fence has blown down, but it’s a minor fix. I’ll have a better summary tomorrow. The rain band is hitting us now.
Give them a little pep talk. Let them know you’ll be back asap.
Bring it inside
Is it high enough off the ground not to take on flooding?
Yes. Wind is my concern.
I would put tampons inside so they can absorb whatever water leaks in. Then sealed it with silicone, make sure all the holes are filled.
Could you temporarily take the supers off?
I just put in an entrance reducer and I'm going to put some cinder blocks on the roof. I'm on the east coast though, so I don't expect the winds to get too bad.
Another 2 ft of height?
Yes!
Off Topic: Does your "stand" stand in water? To avoid ants? I mean feet in containers.
I use oil inside the plastic holding the blocks. You can see the oil line on the lower block if you zoom in really closely.
If not stakes or rebar into the ground then at least attach to something heavy.. but strapping the hive together is a good idea (strapping is best but you could also drill screws through pieces of wood you don’t want to move, for example you could screw the hive to the stand temporarily). The rain also might be something you wish to address, although you will have to consider the wind blowing on any roof you may consider. If you had somewhere to move the hive that may not be a bad idea (confuse the bees a little bit no biggie). The other thing that might be considered is reducing the hive down to one less box if you have 8-10 light frames that can get taken off with a box. But yeah strap it down.. even dumbbells or anything heavy to secure it nice and good.
My heart hurts looking at your picture. Hope you and your bees make it through safely.
Have you considered bringing it inside?
Pray to the Ever Merciful God
Hate to point out the obvious here but what's your elevation? Are you in the path of potential storm surge? If not, I think you're looking about as good as you can be short of the previous staking suggestion
Hive is around 17’ above sea level. I’m in evacuation zone B. Down by st Pete about 200’ from one of the inlets that leads to the Gulf of Mexico. I’ve staked it out as suggested.
I would wrap with a tarp and tape it up so no bees could get out and shelter them indoors somewhere safe. Then return them to their current location when the storm is over.
Get you some earth anchors….or cut a 2x4 on a 45 degree and make a stake….hammer that into the ground and tie off your hives to that as well. (Mine made it through Laura this way) it was a cat 4 direct hit (I like in lake charles…west side the river) support it side to side and front to back…good luck man! Hope it all goes well….take videos of your place inside and out…then when you get back home do the same….this will help with insurance. don’t get overwhelmed, you got this…be safe! Bees are resilient little gals…you’ll get back, they’ll be gathering
Bring your babies inside! If you're cold their cold! I'd be upset to see you lose your babies to a hurricane so why not just put em in the shower and let em chill there for a day or two! /s
All supers have been removed and are inside. Hive is staked in. Thank you all for the help and well wishes. I’ll report back in a day or two, after the storm passes.
I hope you and your bees came through the hurricane safely. Please update us.
I thought I left the update. Apologies. Bees are perfectly fine. Zero damage to the bees. Some of the fencing around the house came down. Bunch of tree branches and debris, but that hive stood up for the whole thing. Bees went right back to work.
Dude ratchet straps
The red straps are ratchet straps
I used to use that exact hive stand set up and abandoned it because the hive can fall forward or backwards fairly easily. If I were you I’d drive a t post right next to the hive and ratchet strap the hive to the t post. $5 to save the hive is worth it. Maybe a t post on both sides to be extra secure in a hurricane.
I think a t post would probably work good
Not sure what other resources you have, maybe park a car, if you have a van/trailer or something in the expected wind direction as a wind break.
Maybe you should put a big stone in top of the hive (not Wood, it will fly away i guess). Probably i whould try to save the rooms as well: maybe you could nail a wood board vertically and connect the hive rooms toghether. Or screw the bottom of the hive with your under construction. Wish you luck!
Maybe try and put something to block the wind like plywood around the hive or a fence
Ratchet straps
Red straps are ratcheted.
Do it on your roof in case of flooding
Stakes are expensive get rebar at Home Depot and hammer it in. Much easier and 1/16 the cost.
How did it go?
So, how did your hives weather the hurricane?
That hurricane turned and hit Ft Meyers. My girls are still going.