Fortunately, when the bee tree snapped off, it broke above the bee hive. So our pollinating native bees are still humming in and out of there. Their exit used to be on the other side of the tree, but they’re using this new entrance now.

Bee hive in bee tree stob

I guess they will relocate, but at least they did not get suddenly evicted.

The bee tree was far from the largest of the fourteen big trees down we’ve counted so far. Two more were less than a hundred feet away towards the cypress swamp.

Swamp trees

Apparently that big oak hit the longleaf pine tree and knocked it down. Both were broken off about waist high from the ground.

Pine and oak down

We have at least fourteen big trees down in just the hundred acres near the house, in the big blow Monday, July 12, 2021. I’m only counting trees more than a foot in diameter, some pines two feet diameter breast height (DBH) which are likely at least 50 years old, some maybe pushing 100. Guess I need to get a pine tree corer and find out. Or just saw through and count.

Tropical Storm Elsa the week before did not do nearly as much damage.

Boats

That big oak did not damage the two kayaks by the cypres swamp. Only some small branches were on top of the boats.

Climb over to kayak

-jsq

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