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