Ah! That lovely Orkney stone which lends itself to everything from building neolithic villages to battening down hives! The apiary on the cover would have had an extra brick each, or even a stone, had the hives not been so waterlogged. If we get a stretch of dry weather (stop laughing, Gavin; it does happen!) I'll go round with extra weights. They are pretty well sheltered, though; the biggest danger is falling trees!
It's blowing a proper gale again.
Will have to check lids again tomorrow.
No snow yet.
It sounded as bad out there as it was last Thursday and the road and rail bridges around us were completely shut, so I called round in the dark and the driving rain with a torch to check on the bees. All still upright and with their tops on.
That's some covering of stone you use in Orkney. Maybe you should go the whole way and just make your hives from rock.
I'll look forward to Trog's next picture of heavily weighted Mull hives slowly sinking into the mire. Don't rely on big trees for shelter - it didn't work for mine.
Last edited by gavin; 13-12-2011 at 09:43 PM.
Still only one brick, Gavin ... and they're sitting on bedrock with a slab underneath and only one brick high on top of that. The shelter belt is drystone wall, woodland, sloe hedging, willow .... the big trees aren't shelter - only a threat if they fall that way!
Lovely pictures Lindsay.
My hives all had 3 bricks on but 1 was blown over... it now has 4 bricks on it. I'm going to put a ratchet strap around each too after they've been moved.
I'd recommend the ratchet strap before you move them
Originally Posted by gavin
I'd recommend the ratchet strap before you move themI certainly will.
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