I am happy to report that my precious hive survived not one, but two hurricanes in less than three weeks!
First came Hurricane Helen, which brought tropical storm force force and several inches of rain to my area as it passed through Tampa Bay in the Gulf of Mexico and made landfall near Cedar Key FL.
Next came Hurricane Milton, which hit Tampa Bay directly. In our community (about 50 miles from where the snow hit the beach) we had winds up to 90 mph with gusts around 110 mph. We also received about 10 inches of rain, which caused significant localized flooding.
Needless to say, I had to call Hive Storm Preparedness to have any hope that my colony would survive the ordeal.
Not only did I secure it with bungee cords and heavy-duty windbreaks (to prevent damage to the wind tunnel inside the hive), but I also added two concrete blocks to the top to further reduce weight.
Despite my preparations, wind gusts of up to 110 miles per hour could have easily blown the hive and destroyed it.
As luck would have it, Mother Nature intervened.
At the height of the storm, a tree fell on top of the hive, but surprisingly it did not fall. 🤯
Instead, the branches created a cage around the hive that appeared to protect it. The photo above is after the storm has subsided and the next morning we find the hive 100% intact and safe to go out.
I was very pleased with how well the colony adapted to the adverse conditions and even seemed to thrive despite them.
Below is a short video of how the Beehive viewed Hurricane Helene. Little did we know at the time that an even more severe storm (Milton) was less than a week away!
After another thorough check of the hives yesterday (a week after Hurricane Milton), I am happy to report that there is more honey in the honey boxes, also known as “supers.”
My family will be enjoying this excess honey for the next few weeks, and of course, there will be more honey left in the hive for the hive to consume throughout the winter.
