That weather again

[gavin]

Sounds like a six brick (or a four Orkney stone block) storm out there today. Could have sworn that I saw a correx nuc flying high overhead a short while ago. All major rd bridges and the rail stations in Glasgow and Edinburgh shut, what are things coming to? With all these lorries thrown on their sides again the nation's stock of them must be getting markedly reduced. I saw one a few days ago not far from Stirling which had been blown onto its side on the central reservation of the motorway and I have to say that I worried about the poor driver especially if that happened at speed.

Guess that when it dies down this afternoon I'll be out again looking to see if the hives and their roofs are where they should be.

If you are reading from the far N/NE of Scotland, watch out, it is coming your way.

G.

[GRIZZLY]

Same here Gavin - see "Todays News"

[gavin]

Was that John Coyle on the radio there? Someone who sounded like him was complaining about the definition of these amber and red warnings. It seems that this one deepened unexpectedly and caught people on the hop to some extent.

[gavin]

Following a Mr Grumpy on the phone-in having a go at the Scottish Government for not preparing for this one, one texter said: 'I know, isn't it awful that we weren't warned properly. I could have taken my roof and the trees indoors if only I'd known!'

I rather like living in a country where people are prepared to defend the government from unreasonable criticism.

(posting while I can in case the power goes off ... )

[susbees]

Blowing a hoolie (see I can remember the lingo from a quarter century north of the border ;)) here all night and still lashings of rain (inside and out :(). Not sure about rural living but combined with old oak framed house with interesting water supply and drainage, never a dull moment (sadly)! Still resolutely clinging to two rock Welsh (and slight ones at that) but the apiary is quite sheltered compared with up here. Keep safe all.

[gavin]

I'm impressed! A few more Scots words from you and we can start guessing at which part(s) of Scotland you had the pleasure of experiencing. Don't talk to me about interesting drainage, the old rig and furrow structure in the field opposite is showing up nicely today, picked out by far too much standing water. The horizontal rain was blowing through the door earlier, but it is brightening up and still blowing a hoolie (such a lovely and expressive word) so I'm hoping that everything might dry up just as quickly as it got drenched.

[Rosie]

Most of my land was a foot under water this morning. The river on our boundary has burst its banks and the hens couldn't get out of their shed for fear of drowning. Last thursday our satellite dish broke away from the wall bracket but we still have a phone and hence internet connection. Bees don't give a monkey's and the house is dry.

Rosie

[Adam]

Could have sworn that I saw a correx nuc flying high overhead a short while ago.


G.

That must be Jon's :)

[gavin]

.... thought that I could see a picture of an Ulster politician beaming down at me.

I hear that there was an accumulation of Apideas blocking the M9 for a while. Lothian and Borders Police are apparently selling them off cheap at an auction next week.

[GRIZZLY]

Forgot it's a holiday up here - couldn't get my blocks until tomorrow.South of the border kids went back to school today.Long range forcast doesn't look too good-more of the same to come.

[Jon]

That must be Jon's :)

Stop making me nervous when you know I can't run up to check them.
I'll have to e-mail someone at the allotments to go over and check the lids.
Most of them have (had) an old car tyre on top.

[EmsE]

It was a scary drive to work this morning, playing the game of dodge the cones & road signs whilst driving through the road works. Loads of debris flying across the motorways- certainly worse than when we had the bad winds in December here.
The bees got their OA treatment yesterday and the 2 double broods were secured with the ratchet straps. The 2 single broods only had 2 or 3 bricks on so fingers crossed they're OK.

[Jimbo]

Just had a 13 hr power cut. The chicken run was flattened (now replaced) and a large tree fell blocking our drive which is now chainsawed. I took a walk around the nature reserve where I have some of my colonies All were OK but one had a correx floor insert whipped out. Don't know how that happened but now replaced. The trees were in such a state that we have closed the reserve to the public until the trees can be made safe.

[Trog]

Only a two brick storm here - not as bad as the big one last month. At least it went over quickly. I, too, heard the folk complaining about the SG's lack of warning. I guess they hadn't been watching their TVs, listening to their radios or using the internet. We've known what was in the pipeline for the last 5 days! Sorry to hear about your chicken run, Jimbo - hope the chooks are OK. A friend of ours wasn't so lucky the second time their coop went over - lost most of their hens, I think.

Wonder if we should offer free B & B to anyone who wants to bring over a pickup full of oak, beech, or whatever else has come down... ;)

[gavin]

Nice to hear of ratchet straps being put to good use (and successfully tightened it seems). Sorry to hear that you had to work today Ems. I was happy to hunker down this morning and post blether on fora rather than go out and duck when slates and dustbins went flying past. Not to mention nucs and Apideas with 'Belfast BKA' written on the side.

A 13 hr power cut might sound like fun if you are 6, but I can imagine it gets a bit wearing for a man in his prime itching to see what was happening on SBAi? Maybe these correx boards flex in a gust of wind and pop out of the plastic runners? I put some in this afternoon just to catch the tail end of the mite drop after the oxalic trickle. Elsewhere people are reporting heavy drops this year.

I could mention the free B&B to the folk on the estate clearing up the mess. There were two big pine trees, a telegraph pole and some smaller things down on the edge of the orchard this afternoon, and plenty of oak, beech and ash elsewhere. At this rate there will not be much left in and around the orchard by the end of 2012.

One empty hive with brood box and super (unweighted) had shifted on its stand but not toppled at my apiary, and there was one lid off an empty Paynes nuc at the association apiary. Not bad compared to the devastation in some parts. Still, there were trees down over main trunk roads close to here, so it is just pot luck whether or not you catch that killer gust.

[EmsE]

Nice to hear of ratchet straps being put to good use (and successfully tightened it seems). Sorry to hear that you had to work today Ems. I was happy to hunker down this morning and post blether on fora rather than go out and duck when slates and dustbins went flying past. Not to mention nucs and Apideas with 'Belfast BKA' written on the side.
.

Ratchet straps? not a problem- I'm a new fan of them as they tighten so easily. Working yesterday just means I can swap the day off for a sunny one (well one with more chance of being sunny) although it was so tempting to hibernate.

[Jimbo]

Back at work today but just been informed by my wife we have yet another power cut. This is the 4th since Hurricane bawbag hit us on the 8th Jan. Don't know about it being the wettest since records began but certainly the darkest

[Trog]

The Hydro did that to us the day after the 8 Dec hurricane, having restored power the previous evening. Only from dawn to dusk so I suspect it was so that they could make good their temporary fixes of the day before and thus reconnect more folk more quickly. They really have done very well in all this weather; we nearly lost power yesterday but it all held together!

[Adam]

Weather has been ok here. Just a bit crap. The correx boards are also a bit crap as they are too light and blow away. They don't seal at all and consequently aren't a lot of use when using apiguard so plywood with a timber edge it has to be.

Gavin, I remember the power cuts in the 70's - great fun when you're a kid and especially so when at boarding school as I was.

[susbees]

3 day week and candlelight. Seems a while back.....;-)

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[Trog]

Happy days! No TV so my family played card games together. The coal fire was lit and we could roast marshmallows while keeping warm.

[Neils]

MAnaged to check the apiary after the winds last night. Everything still in place! phew.

[Jon]

I got a mate to check mine for me and the lids are still on as well.
Can't beat a correx lid with an old car tyre on top.

[gavin]

I almost feel bad now for all those mentions of flying Ulster correx boxes and Belfast BKA Apideas. But I don't, I'm sure that your mate enjoyed the fresh air. Speaking of which, at last all that fresh air seems to have slowed down a little and the man on the telly says we're heading for a quieter period. Hurray!

[Jimbo]

A quieter period of just the usual rain instead of the wind and rain! Lets hear it for the native bees with their extra long body hair that keeps them warm and dry

[Rosie]

Lets hear it for the native bees with their extra long body hair that keeps them warm and dry

Hip Hip hurray!

Rosie

[susbees]

Hip Hip hurray!

Rosie

How's the flood plain? I have visions of the water lapping round the hive stands. Not a good look :(

[Rosie]

The water under the stands was about 6 inches deep a few days ago but it's drained now. It happens every year but never causes any ill effects. Last year I had an out-apiary flood so deeply that the hive entrances were below the water level. In that case I waded out and recovered the hives and moved them to a higher apiary. None died. The farmer has since built a mound for me so I took all the hives back during the summer. A few years ago I kept bees in the Trent valley in Derbyshire. The Trent flooded so deeply that the hives floated off in 4 ft of water. One held together with propolis and floated upside-down for about a day before I managed to get a boat to rescue it. It survived but the others died. If you want bees with webbed feet I'm your source!

Rosie

[susbees]

A case for high propolis bees....bee boat sealant....

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