[log in to unmask] (Dave D. Cawley > The bear came back Thursday night in the pouring rain and finished off the rest. There were about 15 bees left when I got there Friday afternoon. There were only two frames that didn't have big holes in the center, those had *HUGE* paw prints in them. The boxes were dumped over and the frames were scattered around the boxes. Only one frame got broken, but it can be repaired. > These guys had it rough, they were a nuc last spring and they swarmed in Spetember and made it through the winter and were building up into a nice colony. Just three weeks short of being a beekeeper for a full year, now I'm back to being a beekeeping equipment keeper...8-{ > I'm pretty bummed. But as someone at work said, "At least it was done for a good reason, not some punk neighborhood kids being jerks." > I can understand what he's saying, but it doesn't help much... Dave, I had the jerks smash up and tip over a bee yard, up in your neck of the woods (near Towanda), and the sheriff mentioned there was a PA program to pay beekeepers for bear damage. You might want to check if this is still active, and if you meet the conditions. I spoiled my chance for reimbursement by showing him the beer bottles. He'd rather have sat in the car at a distance. It would have been a help, but my conscience wouldn't keep quiet. [log in to unmask] PO Box 1215, Hemingway, SC 29554