# So you think you're having a bad day?!!



## rocky1 (Nov 1, 2018)

Ok... For all of you that think you are having a bad day, here's something that will make it all look better! 

Buddy/Brother-in-Law Sorta called this afternoon, farmer in the Hastings area where the nephew keeps his bees this time of year called, said the Renter apparently had a hired man flipped his lid, got pissed at his boss, and took it out on a yard of bees next to their shop. Came in after dark, fired off one of the tractors, and proceeded to drive over 96 hives of bees in the yard. 

Estimated loss is unknown at this point, not sure what he can salvage out of this friggin mess, everything was slated to go to Almond Pollination in California, pays around $200/hive for good bees, which these were in good shape. They probably won't make that trip, even if they do survive. 

But... Two of them have to go over tomorrow, dig through all these grumpy bees, and try to sort this mess out and put what they can back together.


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## kweinert (Nov 1, 2018)

96 * 200 = at least $19,000 in damages - at what point does it become a felony?

Not that legal action against this guy is going to help in the short run.

I hope that they can recover most of them - but what can you do with them if you don't have hives to put them? This is a seriously dumb question but can a hive of bees go off on their own? I really don't know how this stuff works (could you tell?)

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Eric Rorabaugh (Nov 1, 2018)

The guy needs taken out behind the shed and his @$$ beat and then put in the pile of bees!

Reactions: Agree 2


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## Herb G. (Nov 1, 2018)

Let's hope he got stung so bad he'll never have kids.


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## The100road (Nov 1, 2018)

I know that when I’m pissed off. The first thing that comes to mind is f-Ing up a bunch of bee hives that can sting the s*** out of me. 

You to right??????

Reactions: Funny 3


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## Nature Man (Nov 1, 2018)

Insanity! Sorry for the loss. Chuck


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## ripjack13 (Nov 1, 2018)

What the actual f? I sure hope there is legal action going to happen to that schmuck.


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## woodtickgreg (Nov 1, 2018)

What an absolute idiot. I'm with Eric on what should go down if you can catch the moron.


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## ripjack13 (Nov 1, 2018)

Eric Rorabaugh said:


> The guy needs taken out behind the shed and his @$$ beat and then put in the pile of bees!





woodtickgreg said:


> What an absolute idiot. I'm with Eric on what should go down if you can catch the moron.



I also agree, but not with honey bees. They die after stinging....need to use hornets or wasps...
They are the gift that can keep giving....

Reactions: Agree 1


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## woodtickgreg (Nov 1, 2018)

ripjack13 said:


> I also agree, but not with honey bees. They die after stinging....need to use hornets or wasps...
> They are the gift that can keep giving....


Around here bald face Hornets are mean little s.o.b's. I've been lit up by them before and they are no fun fo sho. They'll nail ya a few times real quick like before the rest of the family shows up and all hell breaks loose. Lol.

Reactions: Like 1


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## David Van Asperen (Nov 1, 2018)

I am always amazed that people do to people what the Devil does not think of, and most want to wreck others belonging not their own


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## ripjack13 (Nov 1, 2018)

woodtickgreg said:


> Around here bald face Hornets are mean little s.o.b's. I've been lit up by them before and they are no fun fo sho. They'll nail ya a few times real quick like before the rest of the family shows up and all hell breaks loose. Lol.



I think they're mean no matter where they live....hahahahaaa

Reactions: Agree 1


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## rocky1 (Nov 1, 2018)

kweinert said:


> 96 * 200 = at least $19,000 in damages - at what point does it become a felony?
> 
> Not that legal action against this guy is going to help in the short run.
> 
> I hope that they can recover most of them - but what can you do with them if you don't have hives to put them? This is a seriously dumb question but can a hive of bees go off on their own? I really don't know how this stuff works (could you tell?)



Oh he's way on out there beyond felony... Each hive of bees is worth anywhere from $200 - $250. This time of year exceptionally strong hives, capable of demanding top dollar contracts in California might fetch as much as $300 per hive.

Reason being... You take them to California make $200 on pollination with them, ship them back to Florida have the potential to make $100+ in honey here, then go north to the Dakotas and make another $125 - $150 crop there. Granted you will have labor involved, and you will incur $20,000 in costs, per 480 hives shipping them all over the country to get out to CA, back to FL, then to ND. BUT! At the end of the year, they will have paid for themselves entirely, and possibly have made a profit on them, provided you can keep them alive. Even figuring the cost of rebuilding the hives, labor and new queens, you're still right at the break even point, unless you lose all of them. And, if they die, you still have equipment left to rebuild with. In a situation like this, obviously equipment is destroyed and has to be replaced too.

They have a fair idea who did it, there was video surveillance equipment in use on the farm and they hope to confirm their suspicions with the video. If they catch him, he's more than likely going to jail. For how long is anybody's guess. With the right attorney he's subject to walk; the joy of our justice system is, the criminal has more rights than you do, and if you get the wrong wiseguy on the bench, he's subject to toss the whole case out on the basis of stupidity.

Had a bunch of bees stolen in that area a few years back, wasn't an isolated situation, a lot of folks had things come up missing. Law enforcement did a helluva of job of building their case. State Bee Inspector found some of our equipment in a hobbyist beekeeper's backyard, he had a security clearance on his job, told them EVERYTHING they wanted to know about how he came by the equipment. Used his testimony to get a search warrant, went down there to serve the warrant, the bees we were missing were scattered all over the guys front yard, in plain sight of the public road. Found equipment, bees, honey belonging to 14 - 15 different beekeepers, from 7 counties in NE Florida, and 5 counties in SE Georgia. 

Case was thrown out because no one saw him take a beehive!

At any rate, no this one will not be able to make restitution... Estimated loss is probably in excess of $30,000 Ken.


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## rocky1 (Nov 1, 2018)

Proper punishment would be... Put the wiseguy in the beeyard with guys tomorrow to help pick that damn mess up! Drive a stake in the middle of the yard, and chain him at the ankle so he couldn't run when things get ugly. When anaphylaxis set in, pop him in the ass with the Epi Pen, followed by a shot of Benadryl, and tell him soon as he got through you'd cut him loose. Repeat as necessary! 

Although beating his ass might work if done right! Had two kids got drunk and did this to 40 hives in a beeyard up in North Dakota back in the early 90s. One of their fathers owned the property, and he found enough evidence on the truck that he didn't need a court of law to decide anything. 2 or 3 of the kid's sisters worked in the Honey House for dad at the time, said by the time their father got through dancing him around the backyard with his belt, that he probably would have rather gone down there and stacked those bees back up. That they had NEVER seen their father whip anyone like that. And, their father ain't no little feller; about 6'4" 225 lbs. of lean mean athletic ranch hand. He was one of the toughest First Basemen in ND Softball well into his mid 50s. I am quite sure it was not pleasant!! 

Old man did feel sorry for the guys, volunteered to send the boys with them. Have one employee that's kinda new, has never been into anything of this nature with bees, I refuse to send him. If all of us went, I'd leave him here. He's good help, gets along with everyone well, lost his driver's license over a DUI so being able to have a job 3 miles from home, 15 miles out in the country works good for him, even if he isn't getting rich doing it. I'd really hate to ruin him at this point; and this job tomorrow would likely be the end of his beekeeping career. I've got goodies here we need to finish up tomorrow, so he and I are going to tackle that while they try and clean this mess up.


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## rocky1 (Nov 1, 2018)

ripjack13 said:


> I also agree, but not with honey bees. They die after stinging....need to use hornets or wasps...
> They are the gift that can keep giving....




96 hives... Quarter million bees to the hive on a good strong 10 frame hive... 24 Million Grumpy Bees! 

There's probably enough of them there to get his attention!


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## ripjack13 (Nov 2, 2018)

rocky1 said:


> 96 hives... Quarter million bees to the hive on a good strong 10 frame hive... 24 Million Grumpy Bees!
> 
> There's probably enough of them there to get his attention!



fine em a dollar per bee....lol


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## rocky1 (Nov 2, 2018)

Well they got a good bit of it picked up today, David said probably have 2/3 of it cleaned up. Managed to salvage about 20 hives out of the carnage. Carried 3 burn barrels with them, David said after about 45 minutes of feeding barrels, he kicked them apart and just started piling stuff in the middle. Said the flames got big enough and ugly enough even he was concerned for awhile, with the winds they were having in the area today. 

Talked with the farmer that's farming the land, he's not wanting to say a lot at this point until they get things sorted out. Video did reveal the guilty party; everyone is at a loss. Not a disgruntled employee, pretty good hand. David said he's talked to him several times, carried him a few jars of honey, seems to be a nice old guy. Guesses him to be 65 - 70 years old. Farmer is in complete and total disbelief; says he honestly can't believe the employee would do it, David said he honestly couldn't believe he would do it. Was the tractor the employee uses on the farm, beeswax hanging, honey dripping off of it, paint and chunks of beehive all over the front end. No denying that one. 

Deputies came in and downloaded all the surveillance video, plainly shows the old guy getting on the tractor, shows him getting off the tractor later, have video of the tractor driving over everything. Deputy spoke with the old guy, he denies it, and does so sincerely according to the deputy. Deputy said he doesn't have any choice but to arrest him, all evidence points to him being the guilty party. 

Deputy spoke with the Farmer and suggested he turn a claim in on his liability insurance, said that under the law, he was responsible for acts committed by his employees on the farm. Farmer still isn't wanting to say a lot at that point, but did say he didn't know if his liability insurance would cover it, if it was determined an accident. Deputy pulled the video up on his laptop, and said, "Watch this, and tell me if you believe this is an accident, or if it's deliberate." David said the farmer watched in disbelief, then agreed it obviously was not an accident. He is going to talk with his insurance company. 

Now the only question is, why? The old man seems sincere, in not recalling doing it. Is fairly responsible employee, with pretty decent work history. They honestly don't know what might have caused him to do it. Don't know if he lost touch with reality or what transpired.

Reactions: Informative 2


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## The100road (Nov 2, 2018)

One to many bruskies.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## rocky1 (Nov 3, 2018)

Honestly doesn't sound like it Stan. David said anyone that knew the guy, said they couldn't believe he did it. It's totally out of character for him.


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## Mike1950 (Nov 3, 2018)

Maybe he just does not like bees- they stung him and.....


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## rocky1 (Nov 3, 2018)

Honestly don't know Mike; certainly has everyone wondering what really happened, from what David has said.


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## Pharmacyguy-Jim (Nov 3, 2018)

Fell off the wagon? Some neurological problem/disease he's been hiding? Just a very accomplished liar?


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## rocky1 (Nov 3, 2018)

At that age could be the onset of dementia, but we don't want to say that too loud around Mike! 

Hard saying... Maybe time will tell, but who knows.

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Mike1950 (Nov 3, 2018)

rocky1 said:


> At that age could be the onset of dementia, but we don't want to say that too loud around Mike!
> 
> Hard saying... Maybe time will tell, but who knows.


Grrrrrr no more burl fir yall....

Reactions: Funny 1


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## rocky1 (Nov 3, 2018)

Damn... Glad you said that, meant to check tracking on my package last night and forgot. Passed the Fed Ex man on my way to the store after work and was worried he may have sat my package on the walk where it might get rained on. Spaced it out, but it didn't rain, and he didn't deliver it until today. I'll run down in the morning and pick it up.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Mike1950 (Nov 4, 2018)

rocky1 said:


> Damn... Glad you said that, meant to check tracking on my package last night and forgot. Passed the Fed Ex man on my way to the store after work and was worried he may have sat my package on the walk where it might get rained on. Spaced it out, but it didn't rain, and he didn't deliver it until today. I'll run down in the morning and pick it up.


little water won't hurt it- These suckers grew up in rain forest- a little rain is 100 inches a yr. a lot is 160

Reactions: Like 1


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