I’m happy to report my Bee Beard log hive came through the hurricane-force winds without getting blown over. The bamboo and ‘staked’ hay bales must have protected it enough.
Since we are new to beekeeping we try to pay attention to the advice of more experienced beekeepers. We have been warned about robber bees attacking the hive…robbing the honey. I shot this video in an effort to find out if my log hive is getting robbed. I don’t know whether these are robber bees or just the normal activity of the hive. They are still bringing in pollen so I’m assuming (naively?) it’s all normal behavior. The bees came from a feral hive in a tree on private property. Maybe it’s strong enough to defend itself.
A short video of my Warre Hive is included. Much less activity can be seen around the Warre. Is it because I’m feeding them sugar? Maybe the bees don’t feel the need to venture out.
What a relief that the hives survived the hurricane. You’re right, robber bees would not be bringing in pollen. Often you find robber bees nosing around all parts of the hive, looking for an undefended gap to get in. Your entrance is small so should be easy for the bees to defend. If robbing was going on you might notice bees rolling around together as the guard bees try to remove the robbers.
Look out for wasps too, they can also be a problem. I’ve found them inside my hive before, they’re good at sneaking in whilst inspections are going on.
I’ve got a ground wasp nest less than 50′ (5 meters) away. They are STILL flying even though the ground is saturated. They must have used an old mole hole. If I opened up that hive, I’m sure those wasps would become a major problem. Good reason to leave well enough alone.
The wasps will hopefully be eating up pests for you. Like your bee avatar!