In a message dated 97-03-24 18:28:46 EST, you write:
 
<< OK. I got my second (third, fourth and fifth) to my proposition for
 helping the young man with the vandals.
         I was hoping that Dave Green (Eastern Pollinator) who put up the
first
 post, might like to do the collecting.
         How about it, Dave?
         Would you be prepared to give us an address?
         Just as importantly could you hand it on?
 As they say, speed is of the essence, to help this fella.
  >>
    Wow!  The electrons have been flying like our bees.  Not only in
beekeeping circles either.  I'm sorry to be slow to respond, as this has been
a hectic week.
 
    I've been reluctant to collect money, as some might accuse me of trying
to start some kind of scam.  But I don't know of any other way to help, in
the light of many good folks who are willing to help.
 
   My address is:  PO Box 1200, Hemingway, SC  29554.  Make sure you clearly
mark "Gary Ford Fund" on the check.  In fact, why not make it out directly to
him?
 
   We've given him some nucs, and he almost cried, so I know the help will be
appreciated.
 
   Gary finished cleaning up the rest of the stuff yesterday.  The sheriff
took samples of the comb to see if they could determine the liquid used.  I
think it was kerosene or diesel fuel.  He has put it out on pallets to see if
it will dry.
 
   Does anyone have experience with salvaging comb soaked with
petrochemicals?
 
   He's made nucs of the survivors, and we are giving them a heavy feeding.
 
   He left for home last night, and will be back in about a week and a half.
 I was glad to hear he had already bought a "fixer-upper" flatbed truck,
which he plans to do some more repairs and bring back on the next trip.  It
had been a subject of heated speculation among other beekeepers whether he
could successfully haul the bees back home in May in a school bus.
 
   So........ whatever comes, marked for Gary, will be put in an envelope
kept in a safe place, and given to him in a week and a half or two weeks when
he returns.
 
   Sometimes I wish for a return to youth, but then I see how expensive is
the tuition in the University of the Seat of the Pants.
 
   I've been scanning some lively debates on this, and hope to get back to
read them with more time later.
 
   But I did want to add this thought for anyone who is tempted to blame the
victim here.  Here is a young man, with limited funds, and limited time away
from home, camping in the woods in an old school bus.
 
   I had told him of the neighbors' complaints, that there were too many
hives in one spot, and too visible.  But I was busy then, and perhaps should
have helped him more.  He didn't have the contacts to find new locations, on
such short notice (he's in my locations now), and it's not easy to move three
story hives by hand in a school bus.  So he talked with the neighbors (though
apparantly not with the most significant one), and got the impression that
things had calmed down and could wait until the next trip.  One of the
neighbors is the pastor of the church Gary attends while here.
 
   There is one woman, who was determined to evict Gary from the area.  Most
of the neighbors seemed to regard her with amusement, a kind of
tempest-in-a-teapot, until the vandalism happened.  We can't prove she was
involved, but she certainly set the climate, as some did take her side.
 
    I have often wondered if a school bus might make a good vehicle for some
of the bee work.  I've learned from Gary's experience.  Busses are awkward
vehicles to work from, everything has to go in the back door, and the thing
you need is always up front, behind some other stuff that has to be moved.
 Gary built a wall behind the driver and the first pair of seats, so the bees
wouldn't be into his compartment on the trip down.  He has already broken out
one side of the windshield and the back door window.     Really awkward!
 
Interesting Sidelight:
    Gary had promised to check the bees of his "patron," the guy who was
helping him get started.  I helped on some of this.  Interestingly, the bees
in all but one yard are building fast, and even putting in some honey.
 
   One yard, however, was starving.  We didn't find any dead hives, but we
found several with some dead brood, and all feather light.  It is a good
warning that, even in the south, winter is not over until the first "real"
flow.  It's sure dangerous to make assumptions.
 
   Gary, and Josh, an Amish fellow that also has bees here, wanted to open
barrel feed.
 
    I insisted that the bees that needed it worst, would not be strong enough
to get it.  So we top - fed (by moon and comet light!) all the light hives,
then open- barrel fed another half barrel. Incidently, Gary grew up on a
dairy farm, so he DID avoid the pitfall of putting the feed barrel in the cow
pasture with the bees.  Cows love to drink syrup, and will wind up dead if
 they do.
 
    They say these bees were all in nice shape last month, no different from
the other yards.  Well, there are some hives that were pregnant cows, that
aborted the calfs (all the dead brood), but at least the cows should survive.
Mission accomplished.
 
[log in to unmask]    Dave Green,  PO Box 1200,  Hemingway,  SC
29554        (Dave & Jan's Pollination Service,  Pot o'Gold Honey Co.)
 
Practical Pollination Home Page            Dave & Janice Green
http://users.aol.com/pollinator/polpage1.html