I live in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and we have just experienced a 500 year flood. My yard had about 6’ of water and my house about 4’. Today was the first day I could return to my property. My hive and hive stand had floated away but I found them about 100’ from where they were. I walked up and they still had bees swarming on and around it. I put the stand back and cleaned most of the gunk off it and put it back together. I looked for about an hour and found the roof 3 neighbors yards away. I think I rescued them but I’m a newbee so what do y’all think
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1st of all just amazed at how much rain y’all of had and really feel sorry for for all of you.
I want to keep up with what everyone says more curious than anything else.
If everything looks intact, it’s my belief the bees will clean off the flow frames thoroughly and continue on about their work. If there’s honey in it they will either move it around as they need to. They’ve gone through atrocity before without our intervention. It sounds like you’ve done a great job in pulling them all back together.
Were you able to locate your queen?
The boxes were flipped on the sides and frames hanging out, so I just up righted them, slide the frames back in and brushed all the junk off the top then restacked. They had be activity coming in and out a few hours later.
If you don’t have a powerwasher, take it to the carwash and hose everything out. Bees are unlikely to clean up packed in mud, which is often what you have after a flood.
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I’m so sorry for all of you people in that crazy flood!!! I’d go for a ‘Goldilocks’ somewhere between what Marty & Michael said…because if we’re talking about mid inside the actual Flow frames,I think a kitchen sink sprayer or garden hose would be fine. But who knows if you can even use yours!
I just think a car wash hose might be too powerful. Definitely too much for your brood combs - what about shaking bees off individual frames & then dipping into water if there is a lot of dirt or sediment…
Well I am officially a bee keeper again. A man in our club sold me 2 hives and they are setup and thriving. They are 10 frame hives and I’m going to transfer them to my 8 frame hives. I wasn’t sure if I should wait until spring to do it as to not set them to far back right before winter. Thoughts…
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First of all, congratulations! 
Second, I would ask how important it is to you to have the bees in your own equipment. You are right, moving them will probably set them back, as going from 10 frames to 8, there will be some rearranging needed. Personally, I would leave them until February or March next year, then move them. If that puts them at risk from location, convenience etc, then I would do it now. Just my thoughts.
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