Beekeeping Tips for Beginners

Raymond A. Nabors
Area Entomology Specialist
Delta Center

Two bee colonies are the ideal number for a beginning apiarist. Expand in a couple of years after your experience and confidence grow. A single hive will produce 50 to 100 pounds of honey each year.
Start right; build at least one hive from scratch. Assembling new hives is important for the beginner. If you are handy with wood, you'll find it easy to build hive boxes and supers (compartments added to a hive for storing frames, which support the honeycomb). You can order all parts ready to put together. The lumber with which to build boxes and frames will cost as much as the milled product.
Plan for the coming season. Order your bees, hives and equipment well in advance, during the fall. Assemble the equipment during the winter to prepare for the bees, which will arrive during April.
Place your hives on the site you have selected for your apiary so you're ready when your bees arrive. Join a local beekeeping association for additional information and help. Join the state association and attend the spring and fall meetings for the most valuable help. For additional information, there are many good reference books on apiculture.

Characteristics of a good colony

A strong population is crucial. The queen lays a full brood pattern, skipping only a few cells, covering 12 to 16 frames. The colony population reaches 75,000 bees during the summer, which includes 30,000 or more field bees. The bees cover all the frames in two hive bodies and the frames in a super or more.
Drones appear in the spring but are forced out of the hive in the fall. About 1,000 of these male bees will live in the hive during the summer.
A good colony is docile when managed and shows little tendency to swarm, yet has workers that are good foragers. Such a colony should produce 50 to 100 pounds of surplus honey each season for the beekeeper. The colony should also produce at least 60 pounds for itself to overwinter.
Never rob a colony of honey back to the brood chamber in the fall. The colony will die of starvation over the winter. Winter starvation is the most common cause of colony demise in Misouri. A hive must have two deep brood chambers (9-5/8-inch hive boxes) full of bees and honey (60 to 90 pounds) to overwinter.

Apiary location

Place the apiary near an abundant source of nectar and pollen. Corn provides an excellent source of pollen, and most legumes provide excellent sources of nectar. In town, ornamental trees and plants usually provide ample sources of both. Ornamental plants in cities provide for an extended honey flow.
A good supply of clean water within a quarter mile of the hives is essential. The backyard apiary may need to have a water source provided if there are no bodies of water close by. Bees go to the nearest water source. A shallow pan filled with water and with rocks to rest upon is an excellent addition to your apiary. Providing a water source of this kind will help keep the bees out of your neighbors' yards.
The apiary should face southeast or south with a windbreak behind it. The location should be well drained. The south face of a hillside is ideal, but bees will adapt to less-than-ideal locations.
Deciduous trees that shade the colony in summer afternoons and allow the sun to penetrate in winter are desirable. Place the apiary near an all-weather road because you will need to work the bees in all kinds of weather. A platform on the roof of a house or other building is a good place to keep hives in town.

Equipment

Purchase new equipment at first. Assembling new equipment is a learning experience you should not overlook. Equipment or colonies purchased from another beekeeper should be inspected by the Missouri Department of Agriculture. Some apiarists are unscrupulous enough to sell diseased equipment and bees to unsuspecting buyers. Others do not know about diseases and may unknowingly sell infected hives.
Regardless of how you acquire the equipment, make sure you get standard size, Langstroth equipment with hanging, movable frames (Figure 1). You can interchange and add standard hive equipment as needed. A brood chamber should consist of

• Two hive bodies (deep supers)
• The hive body and two shallow supers
• Four shallow supers
• Three medium supers.

The standard hive body is 9-5/8 inches deep, 16-1/4 inches wide and 19-7/8 inches long. The shallow super is the same width and length but is only 5-11/16 inches deep. The medium super is 6-5/8 inches deep (Figure 2). You can use all shallow boxes to reduce the weight of individual sections and make them easier to handle, but this can also be inconvenient. Remember four shallow boxes are required for a brood chamber.

Wooden frames for holding the comb, hang inside the body of a hive. Frames are sized for shallow, medium or deep hive bodies.

Figure 2
Parts of a bee hive. Bees are reared in a brood chamber in the lowest level of the hive. Honey is stored in upper levels.
 

Hive boxes are built to contain 10 frames, but using nine frames and a following board is more convenient than using 10 frames. The following board is a 1 x 10-inch board (1 x 4-inch for shallows) the same length as a frame. It hangs in one end of the hive body and is removed when you're working the bees. The board reduces damage to the brood and reduces hive inspection time.
Use full sheets of crimp-wired foundation for brood frames. The wax foundation is wired vertically at the factory. In addition, use two banjo wires strung horizontally across the frames to prevent warping of brood comb. Various plastic foundations and foundation-and-frame combinations are available. Plastic foundation material works well but it must be coated with beeswax, and bees must either be fed or in a honey flow before they will "draw out," or build their comb on, a plastic foundation.
A strong colony will require at least four shallow supers for honey storage. Add them as needed in the spring and extract them when full. Many beekeepers prefer to use medium boxes for brood and supers.
Use crimp-wired wax foundation or plastic foundation in frames. Use nine frames in each super and use stoller spacers on the frame rests. Stoller spacers properly space nine frames in a 10-frame box.
Special foundations and equipment are made for the production of section comb honey. Section comb honey production is an advanced technique and not recommended for the beginner. Removing comb honey can starve a hive under improper management. Beginners should try cut comb honey first.
If you have six or more colonies, consider purchasing an extractor. With three or fewer colonies, you should follow cut comb honey production techniques. Cut comb honey requires no investment in an extractor. With comb honey, only wooden ware is stored, whereas comb storage requires fumigation. You can make a one-frame radial extractor using wood, screws, eyebolts, and wax sealer (Figure 3). You may consume honey from this extractor, but it should not be sold.

Figure 3
Single-frame radial extractor for removing honey from the comb (extractor shown here with cover removed).
 

Honey plants

Spring honey plants in Missouri include (in approximate order of importance) clovers, sweet clovers, other legumes, tulip poplar trees, dandelions, maple trees, locust trees, willow trees, basswood trees, fruit trees and berry plants. Corn, sorghum and other grasses are important pollen sources.
In summer and fall, bees find nectar and pollen in soybeans, garden plants, various ornamentals, asters, goldenrod, milkweed, morningglory, smartweed, sumac and sunflowers. Bees will use thousands of species. Those listed here may not be the most important in your area.
Plants bloom at different times in different places. As a rule of thumb for knowing when a given species will bloom, use Hopkins' Bioclimatic Law. In North America east of the Rockies, a 400-foot increase in elevation, a 4-degree change in latitude north, or a 10-degree change in longitude east will cause any given biological event to occur four days later in the spring or four days earlier in the fall. If tulip poplars begin to bloom in the Bootheel region around May 15, in Columbia they should bloom five days later, and in Lancaster on the Iowa border, they should bloom 10 days later (Figure 4).

Figure 4
Missouri planting regions.
 

It is sometimes advantageous to move bees during the year to new nectar sources. About July 1, you may wish to move the bees from town to a soybean field. Always move the bees at least five miles from their permanent site. If you must move them less than five miles, move them twice. Make the first move five miles from both the original location and the desired location. Allow a week to pass before moving to the desired location.

Disease prevention

To prevent disease, buy new equipment or have used equipment inspected by the Missouri Department of Agriculture.
Apply Terramycin twice a year (spring and fall) before and after the honey flow. This prevents foulbrood disease. Mix Terramycin powder in powdered sugar (1 part Terramycin, 50 percent, to 20 parts powdered sugar; or 1 part Terramycin, 25 percent, to 10 parts powdered sugar) and sprinkle 3 level tablespoons over the brood frames in each hive. Dust three times at one-week intervals. For a single hive, mix 1 level teaspoon of Terramycin, 25 percent (TM25), with 3 level tablespoons of powdered sugar. You may wish to use extender patties made of 3 parts sugar, 1 part vegetable shortening, and 3 level tablespoons of TM25 per hive. Treat once each spring and once each fall.
Nosema disease of adult bees is controlled by spring and fall applications of Fumadil "B" (Fumagillin). Add Fumagillin to honey or sugar water when feeding the bees. Fumagillin comes in 0.5-gram doses. This is enough to make 5 gallons of syrup for five colonies. For one colony use 1 level teaspoon of fumigillin mixed in 6 ounces of warm water to add to a gallon of water. Do not use antibiotics during the honey production season.
Tilt hive slightly forward to prevent water from accumulating inside. Ventilate the hive through the top. Moist conditions inside promote dysentery and other diseases.
Keep a good supply of food for the colony at all times. Most colonies that are lost die of starvation during the winter or spring.

Mite control

Acarapis woodi (Rennie)

Tracheal mites were found in Jackson County, Missouri, on April 17, 1986. These mites are now present in every county of this state. First described in 1921, tracheal mites were a probable cause of Isle of Wight disease. Most honey bees on that island were killed by this mite. All surviving bees were tracheal mite resistant. The Italian bee Apis mellifera ligustica, comprising three of four colonies in Missouri, has strains susceptible to tracheal mite. Treating colonies continuously with oil-sugar patties (1 part vegetable shortening with 2 parts sugar) has been proven to depress mite populations. It is best to use honey bee queens and package bees that are resistant to tracheal mites. Resistance is documented in carniolan bees Apis mellifera carnica and the somewhat resistant Buckfast bee. Currently resistance is developing or being developed in other races of honey bee. Using resistant bees with shortening and sugar patties will give sufficient control of tracheal mites.

Varroa jacobsoni Oudemans

The Varroa mite is a more severe problem than any other in beekeeping with the possible exception of honey prices. Varroa mites have an established parasitic relationship with Apis cerana. When this parasite came in contact with Apis mellifera, results were devastating. Varroa mites were detected in West Plains and Hayti, Missouri, during 1989. These mites have since spread throughout the state. Without treatment, a colony of bees will die from Varroa parasitism. Research to develop resistance is under way. Resistance is the only good long-term solution to Varroasis in honey bees.
In the interim, colonies should be treated with fluvalinate-impregnated plastic strips (Apistan) twice each year. Treat for 60 consecutive days each fall during October and November. The strips lose their effectiveness after two months and must be removed to avoid development of resistance to this miticide. A second treatment for 30 days each spring before the honey flow during February or March is advised where mites have a history of depopulating hives over the winter. Monitor for mites every other month. Use a white poster board cut to fit on the bottom board. Cover this cardboard with vegetable oil spray and place this on the bottom board to collect mites. An 8 mesh screen can be used to cover this mite trap for help in reducing debris. This board can be removed in a few days and inspected for mites. If you are not sure, ask a beekeeping friend or go to your local MU Extension center for identification of mites. If one is found, you can assume 500 are present.
Another method is the ether roll or detergent roll method. Capture about 300 bees and place them in a clear pint jar. Spray a two-second burst of ether starting fluid or a 25 percent solution of dish detergent in water into the jar. Close the jar and roll it on a flat surface for one minute. Mites will stick to the side of the jar. Until resistance is developed in bee populations, Varroa mites must be controlled by other means. Formic acid, when registered by the Environmental Protection Agency, should be alternated with Apistan to prevent development of resistant mites.

Wax moth control

A strong colony with a large population of young housekeeping bees is the best defense against wax moth. You may want to fumigate small amounts of equipment in large plastic garbage bags.
If you leave any supers and hive bodies off the hive for a week or more, you must fumigate with paradichlorobenzene moth crystals (not napthalene) before placing them back on. To fumigate, stack equipment as on a hive, seal up all air holes and put the stack on a flat surface. Put a piece of notebook paper over the top frames to hold the fumigant on the stack. Put a sheet of plastic over the fumigant and cover the entire stack with a flat board or telescoping cover. Seal side cracks between the supers with tape. Two tablespoons of paradichlorobenzene will fumigate eight supers or four hive bodies.
Check the stack periodically for damage and to see if the fumigant has disintegrated. Always air the fumigated equipment 24 hours before placing it on the bees.
Weak colonies may be dusted with Bacillus thuringiensis (Certan) over the top of the frames. Give weak colonies a new queen at the first opportunity. Supers may be put in a freezer for 24 hours to kill wax moth. Fumigation requires a license.

Protection from insecticides

Pesticide applicators

• Use spray applications instead of dusts.
• Apply sprays when plants are not in bloom or late in the day when the bees are not out.
• Use insecticides less toxic to honey bees whenever possible.
• Use insecticides with a short residual.
• Reduce insecticides drift with proper application procedures.
• Keep spray equipment in good repair for efficient pesticide application.
• Direct spray toward target plants with the nozzle as close to the target as feasible.
• Do not spray directly over colonies.
• Notify beekeepers 48 hours before spraying sweet corn, fruit trees, cotton, soybeans or flowering crops.

Beekeepers

• You are responsible for protecting your colonies. Confine the colonies for three days during heavy spraying, but bees must be allowed to fly on the fourth day. Draping colonies with wet burlap will protect them as long as the burlap remains soaked. You must moisten it every two hours.
• Whenever possible locate colonies away from frequently sprayed fields. If this is impossible, an upwind location is better than a downwind location.

Familiarize yourself with spray practices and chemicals used around your apiary.

Glossary

• Apiary
  Group of bee colonies in one location (bee yard).
• Apiculture
  The science and art of studying and using honey bees for man's benefit.
• Beeswax
  Wax secreted from glands on the underside of bee abdomens, then molded to form honeycomb.
• Brood
  Immature or developing stages of bees; includes eggs, larvae (unsealed brood) and pupae (sealed brood).
• Brood chamber
  The area of the hive where the brood is reared; usually the lowermost hive bodies; contains brood comb.
• Brood nest
  Area of hive where bees are densely clustered and brood is reared.
• Colony
  An entire honey bee family or social unit living together in a hive or other shelter.
• Comb
  A beeswax structure composed of two layers of horizontal cells sharing their bases, usually within a wooden frame in a hive. The words "comb" and "frame" are often used interchangeably; for example, a frame of brood, a comb of brood.
• Comb foundation
  A sheet of beeswax embossed on each side with the cell pattern.
• Comb honey
  Honey in the sealed comb in which it was produced. It is also called section comb honey when produced in thin wooden frames (sections) and comb honey when produced in shallow frames.
• Draw
  To shape and build, as to draw comb from a sheet of foundation.
• Dysentery
  A malady of adult bees marked by an accumulation of excess feces or waste products, and by their release in and near the hive.
• Field bee (forager)
  Worker bee that travels outside the hive to collect nectar, pollen, water and propolis, a waxy substance that bees use in the hive as cement.
• Foulbrood
  A general name for infectious diseases of immature bees that cause them to die and their remains to smell bad. The term most often refers to American foulbrood.
• Frame
  A wooden rectangle that surrounds the comb and hangs in the hive. It may be called Hoffman, Langstroth or self-spacing because of differences in size and widened end-bars that provide a bee space between the combs.
• Hive body
  A single wooden rim or shell that holds a set of frames. When used for the brood nest, it is called a brood chamber; when used above the brood nest for honey storage, it is called a super. It may be of various sizes and adapted for comb honey sections.
• Honey flow
  Period when bees are collecting nectar in plentiful amounts from plants.
• House bee
  A young worker bee, one day to two weeks old, that works only in the hive.
• Langstroth hive
  A hive with movable frames. The bee space around the frames allows you to move the frames. It was invented by L. L. Langstroth.
• Nosema disease
  An infectious disease of adult bees caused by a protozoan, Nosema apis.
• Package bees
  Two to 4 pounds of worker bees, usually with a queen, in screen-sided wooden cage with a can of sugar syrup for food.
• Paradichlorobenzene (PDB)
  A white crystalline substance used to fumigate combs and repel wax moths.
• Pollen
  Male reproductive cells of flowers collected and used by bees as food for rearing their young. It is the protein part of the diet. Frequently called bee bread when stored in cells in the colony.
• Pollen substitute
  Mixture of water, sugar and other material, such as soy flour or brewer's yeast, used for bee feed.
• Propolis
  A mixture of tree resins and enzymes used by bees as a cement and to fill in small spaces in the hive.
• Queen
  Sexually developed female bee. The mother of all bees in the colony.
• Rendering wax
  Melting old combs and wax cappings and removing refuse to partially refine the beeswax. May be put through a wax press.
• Super
  A hive body used for honey storage above the brood chambers of a hive.
• Swarm
  A group of worker bees and a queen (usually the old one) that leave the hive to establish a new colony; a word formerly used to describe a hive or colony of bees.
• Telescoping cover
  A hive cover, used with an inner cover, that extends downward several inches on all four sides of a hive.
• Uniting
  Combining one honey bee colony with another.
• Wax moth
  An insect whose larvae feed on and destroy honey bee combs.
• Wired foundation
  Comb foundation with vertical wires embedded in it for added strength.
• Wiring
  Installing tinned wire in frames as support for combs.

Communications are the KEY to TEOTWAWKI survival

Let’s talk communication for bit.  Communication is one of the least prepared for things for most Preppers.  The reason is perhaps that most everyone has no idea where to start.  So let’s start at the beginning.

I for one cannot imagine being isolated in a sea of people.  Not knowing what is happening around the world, in the state and in my community is difficult for me, and especially what is happening with my family members.  Imagine if you will, not having television, or if you do have television state-run television and news.  You won’t have radio, and if you do it too will be state run.  No internet which means no email, chat, IM or Drudge Report.  Most likely in a worse case scenario, cell phones will be down because the power has been turned off or lost because of damage.  The batteries will only last a few days at most, and land lines, if the batteries hold out and the diesel generators turn on and are maintained….yeah people have to maintain these things and they have to get there to maintain them.  Most people have only a few batteries around the house, and most do not have a wind up radio.  Few have solar panels, and even fewer have batteries to store the energy from the sun.

So, there you have it.  You’re alone among a sea of people, and you don’t have any idea what is happening anywhere, even in the next neighborhood or on the next street.  Your children and their families may be in dire stress and need, and there is nothing you can do about it, because you have no communication capabilities. You don’t even know what is happening at the neighbors, and they at your home.

As a family, if you are located within a few miles of each other, there are some very inexpensive options available.  One being Citizen Band (CB) radios.  Their range is about 5 miles, on the best days, but beware of “skip” which comes in some days which make it impossible to talk even a few blocks.  Skip is AM interference where the transmission bounces off of a layer of the atmosphere and lands sometimes hundreds of miles away.  It is very useful in HAM radio, because skip is used to talk long distances.  But when the ionosphere is dense, usually due to sun spot radiation, the signal bounces or skips over the local target and hits somewhere far away.  This makes local comms very difficult, and there is just no way around it.

  The CB band is an old HAM (Amateur Radio) band that was taken away from the HAMS years ago.  The Government made this a licensed band, and the cost was $5.00. Presently, there is no cost for a CB license.  The band runs on crystals instead of a tuner (VFO) thereby making it very stable and instead of using frequencies to contact someone else, they made channels.  There used to be 23 channels, but now they have a total of 40 channels.  They also allowed Single Side Band (SSB). Usually the SSB channels used are from 35 to 40, Lower Side Band (LSB).  SSB will add some distance to your transmission up to about 15 miles because the power can increase up to 15 watts Peak Envelope Power (PEP).

Summary:

Cost:  between $60-200

Range:  A few blocks to about 15 miles

Reliability: Moderate-Poor

Notes:  Antenna placement and height will affect distance and quality of transmission.

            Power source is 12V DC.  Must have access to battery and charger for battery.

FRS/GMRS/MURS

Each of these modes are Frequency Modulated (FM) signals.  FM modes have some characteristics that make them good and bad for LOCAL communication.  FM, unlike AM frequencies are Line of Sight (LOS).  That means that instead of bouncing off of the ionosphere, they travel in straight lines.  Technically, if you can see the other person, you can talk to them.  Hence, most all FM and TV stations are located on the highest mountain or hill they can get to.  The higher the hill or the tower, the farther their signal can reach.  Usually LOS is maxed out at about 14 miles if there is nothing in the way, and the ground is flat.  If there are buildings, trees, hills or other obstructions around, the distance for communication is compromised.

FRS radios are CHEAP.  And for their intended purpose they work fine.  Since FM static sounds like white noise or a hiss, they can be squelched down so that there is no noise unless someone is transmitting.  The transmissions are crystal clear and readable when the distance is not far.  Here in lies the problem:  Most FRS radios only have ½ watt power so the distance they can be used is very short.  For example they work well inside one’s home or around the yard, with the neighbors down the road a house or two (in a subdivision)…on a good day about ½ mile.  I know they promise 5-20 miles, but to get that you would have to be standing on a mountain and there would have to be NO obstructions.  Guarantee that it just isn’t going to happen.

GMRS radios are included in some FRS radios.  The only difference is that the output wattage is about 1 or 2 watts, and the same rules apply to GMRS as apply to FRS as discussed above.

MURS radios are also FM, but they have considerably more wattage, and are mostly used in commercial applications.  The can be purchased through Survival Blog.  Jim Rawles can guide you to a distributer if you are looking for this type of radio.  You do have to have licenses for both GMRS and MURS.

Summary:

Cost:

            FRS/GMRS-  $30 to $80

            MURS        -  $100 to $150  Refurbished

Range:

            FRS/GMRS- 100 yards to 2 miles

            MURS        - 10 miles (approx)

Reliability:

            FRS/GMRS- Excellent when used appropriately

            MURS        - Excellent for the intended use

Notes: Your antenna placement and height will increase the distance.

            Don’t expect more from these units than they can provide.

            Powered with rechargeable batteries or AA batteries w/accessory

            Must have charging source or 12V inverter sufficient to run the charger

HAM Radio

VHF/UHF

Very High Frequency (VHF) Ultra High Frequency (UHF) radios are probably the best for use in local communications.  They are relatively low cost, and the power of the mobile units usually run between 50 and 35 watts.  Mobile units can be mounted in an automobile or can be used as a base station.  The distance that can be obtained by one of these units can be 14 miles up to 90 to 100 miles depending on the location and height of the antenna.  The antennas are easy to make.  The distance of 100 miles is based on a friend living in Star Valley, Wyoming hitting a repeater near Arco, Idaho and thus entering into the Intermountain Intertie which allowed him to talk all over Idaho and Utah.  Repeaters are simply remote radios placed on high mountain peaks usually mounted on TV antennas or state microwave networks which turn on when a certain frequency is activated.  Here we are discussing a topic that takes some background, so we will not discuss this further in this post.

Locally, I can talk about 20 miles or less, and again since VHF/UHF is and FM mode, we are limited to LOS.  On the ocean one can only speak 14 miles or so, unless the antenna is mounted on a mast, this is about as far as is useful.  We have now to discuss the hand held versions.  They are available and transmit at about 5 watts or less.  The batteries on most of these units are small and rechargeable.  They also come with accessory AA battery holders which operate at a reduced power level.

Summary:

Cost:

            Mobile             $150 - $900

            Hand Held        $120 - $400

Range:

            Mobile             10-100 miles based on conditions

            Hand Held        2-17 miles  (repeater usage will extend this to 400 miles)

           

Reliability:

           

            VHF                Excellent – overall performance

            UHF                Excellent – overall performance

Notes: Your antenna placement and height will increase the distance.

            Don’t expect more from the hand-held units than they can provide.

            They are powered with rechargeable batteries or AA batteries w/accessory.

            You MUST have a charging source or 12V inverter sufficient to run the charger.

            UHF is somewhat less able to permeate concrete or large buildings.

Suggestions:

            Purchase at least one MOBILE VHF/UHF radio tranciever.

            My choices are ICOM 706MKII- about $800 if you can find them (ebay)

                                                Yeasu 857 or 897 – about $700 - $900

            Purchase at least 2 Hand-held trancievers

            My Choice is:               ICOM T90A or comparable Yeasu model

                                                Include the AA battery accessory

                                                Do not purchase a wall charger

                                                Purchase a Quick Charger for your radio model

Local source in Salt Lake City area - Communication Products Inc.

Internet source - AES.com

Purchase at least 2 sets of Motorola FRS/GMRS radios

Purchase a deep cycle 12 volt battery, inverter and charger for the AA Batteries.

If you have interest in further information contact us for a free class.

                       

We will discuss HF (High Frequency) and long distance comms in a later post.

Think About It !

Lessons Learned from Russian History

The following was written by a man or woman about some of the recent history of Russia (a first world country BTW).  You will notice that the same type of things occurred each time the people experienced an economic collapse or a breakdown for ANY reason in their normal society.  We know that history repeats itself, and that those who fail to learn from history, are bound to repeat it.  In our country today, we are economically challenged to the extent we have never seen before.  We have a fiat currency which is being manipulated daily.  Our country and our society stands at the edge of a precipice and the rocks beneath our feet are beginning to crumble.  IF we make it back on solid ground, we will have years of recovery pains.

The question is:  ARE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY AND NEIGHBORHOOD PREPARED?

“THOSE WHO DO NOT LEARN FROM HISTORY ARE BOUND TO REPEAT IT”

“I returned to the United States in 1999 after spending an extended period of time in Russia. The country has a deep, fascinating and sometimes terrible history. However, of moment to this submission are three events that, in my opinion, are very beneficial for each of us to consider and contemplate as we go about our business of preparing. These three events are so significant because I believe that these events are illustrative of what may occur in a SHTF or TEOTWAWKI scenario. By examining what actually transpired in a modern first world civilization during times of SHTF/TEOTWAWKI we can divine--to some extent--what would transpire in our own culture/geographic locations under similar circumstances. Thus, an evaluation of these three events can provide us with data for practical application as we prepare ourselves, our families and our communities.  These three events are also important to consider in my opinion because they are illustrative of what--again, in my opinion--are the most likely scenarios of SHTF/TEOTWAWKI. 

The three events are, in chronological order: the siege of Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), the financial crisis of 1998, and the war in Kosovo.  I lived in Russia during the last two of these three events, and I know individuals who lived through the first. I will address each of these events below.

Lesson #1: The Siege of Leningrad

During World War II, the capture of Leningrad was one of the three primary goals of the Nazi forces on the Eastern Front. The city held political, strategic and emotional importance as it was the former capital of the Russian Empire, the seat of the baltic fleet and home to numerous munitions factories, and the Russian bastion of the arts and sciences.  Hitler was so fixated on the capture of this city that he actually had pre-printed invitations to the victory celebration to be held in one of the great hotels of the city.

The Nazi forces--at least 350,000 strong--approached the city of approximately 2.5 million souls during the summer of 1941.  At the approach of the Nazi forces, 1.4 million individuals were evacuated from the city. Those who remained--men, women as well as children--were soon to be subjected to a long and brutal two and a half years. The Nazi advance was stymied through the resistance efforts of both soldiers and civilians, and the Nazis had yet to reach the city boundaries by the fall of 1941. However, by September 1941 the Nazi forces had successfully surrounded the city, although they were unable to break through the outer defenses.  Nevertheless, the Russians could not claim victory.  For a period of 872 days the Nazi forces laid siege to the city, bombarding its citizens with shelling and machine gun fire. I have personally strode past the signs that stand as monument to this day that declare "During shelling periods, stand on this side of the street to avoid death." I have personally visited on many occasions the cemetery where over 500,000 victims of the siege rest interned. The 500,000 figure may seem high, but it is estimated that over 650,000 souls perished during the siege. During January and February of 1942 alone, between 7,000--10,000 died per day of starvation. 

So, you may be asking yourself, what's the point of this history lesson? Here it is.

During the time of the siege, the government seized control of the food sources. Rations were handed out--to those who could reach the supply tents, as many died on the way to the supply tents from cold and starvation---that consisted of 125 grams of bread mixed with sawdust. Those who were lucky killed and ate pigeons. Many resorted to cannibalizing the dead (this is a documented truth; there are much more sinister rumors, however, that there were groups who would actively kill in order to cannibalize). Although we may not ever face a military siege of the type described above, a prolonged food shortage would result in the same effects as seen by those in Leningrad during the siege. Such a prolonged food shortage could arrive in this country--or any other for that matter--by means of many things. A natural disaster such as a major earthquake or tsunami; a shortage of fuel to transport our food; a collapse of the fiat currency system; a famine; choose your own peril. The practical lesson for me to take away here is that any number of events could cut off our food supply. If that happens, then people will die and resort to otherwise unthinkable acts. So, the lesson to us is to stock our larders deep and tall, and prepare to produce our own food supplies to the extent we can. 

In summary, Lesson #1 is: food supplies for entire populations are fragile. Once that supply is disrupted the unprepared will die and/or live in unimaginably horrible circumstances. Thinking that the government or the goodwill of others ( SU adds: or a Church) will sustain you is folly, as seen by what transpired in Leningrad. Stock up on food and water, and prepare to produce your own food to the extent you can.

Lesson #2: The Financial Crisis of 1998

The causes of the Russian financial crisis of 1998 are complex and varied. I do not purport to understand all of these factors fully, and the factors that I do understand I will not attempt to explain in detail. I will, however, attempt to summarize the causes of the crisis before describing the aftereffects. The Russian economy was being driven primarily by selling commodities on the foreign market, as well as borrowing on the foreign market. However, when the Asian crisis occurred and commodities prices were decimated, Russia had difficulty paying the interest on its debts. Does the thought of a market segment collapsing, leaving said market in a spot where it is hard pressed to pay the interest on its debt, sound familiar at all to anyone? Anyone? In any event, the Russian stock, bond, and currency markets collapsed in the early fall of 1998 as a result of investor fears that the government would devalue its currency, default on domestic debt, or both. Again, sound familiar to anyone? (QE?) Markets tumbled, as well as the value of the ruble, and banks closed as there was a run on the banks as people tried to withdraw their money to buy tangibles before prices and inflation decimated the value of their fiat currency. Literally in the span of one month the value of the ruble as compared to the dollar had decreased by 2/3.  Therefore, when people were finally able to access their money, it would only buy 1/3 of what it would once buy. Can you imagine having $100 in the bank today, only to go tomorrow to try and withdraw it and find that the bank was closed, and when you do manage to finally withdraw your money, it is only worth $33? That is devastating. 

Again, you may be asking "Okay, but what does this boring history lesson have to do with anything?" Here is is. When (not if) fiat currency loses its "value," those holding said fiat currency to the exclusion of tangibles lose. And lose big.

I recall that many of the folks who had cash on hand foolishly went out and spent it on things like watches, televisions, and other electronics. They foolishly thought that the government would provide the necessities like food and water for them. So, they figured, they could buy "nice things" and the government would take care of them. What they saw literally two days later would turn their world upside down. Within days of the collapse there were--without hyperbole--guards with machine guns guarding the food in grocery stores. The food had been piled up in the middle of the floor and the guards encircled it. You had to show your cash to even be admitted entrance to the grocery store. People began to starve. Fights in the streets began to break out over bread and sugar. Long lines were created if there was even so much as a whiff that a store had cooking oil. People began foraging in the woods for mushrooms and berries. A barter economy started up on the streets. 

That is what post financial collapse Russia looked like. And it looked that way for several months. No food. People spending the overwhelming majority of their fiat currency to buy meager morsels of bread. So, what's the lesson here? I suppose there are a few. First, fiat currency systems are fragile and subject to systemic failures. Second, and as stressed above, stack your larders deep and tall. Third, if you do have cash on hand, don't buy stupid things. Fourth, don't be fooled: folks will fight for food. In Russia they do not have an armed populace; we in the USA do. The fists I saw flying in Russia over a bag of mushrooms could easily be bullets here in the USA flying over a box of Uncle Ben's Rice. Stay off the streets, practice OPSEC, and  be prepared for violence because it will happen. Finally, a financial collapse can happen suddenly and quickly and have ruinous effects in almost no time at all.

In summary, Lesson #2 is: fiat currency systems are fragile. In the event of a financial collapse, the only safe haven is in tangibles. Stock up on beans, bullets and Band-Aids, and avoid the madness because madness will happen.

Lesson #3: The Kosovo War (1998--1999)

As many readers will recall, in the mid-1990's there was escalating violence and tension between the ethnicities and religions in Yugoslavia (for you younger readers, Yugoslavia used to be a country in Eastern Europe). During 1997 and 1998 there was a full blown war between different groups vying for power, and reports of genocide.  Due to various reasons, NATO refused to sit by and let this fighting and slaughter continue, and NATO began a sustained bombing campaign in spring and summer 1999. As a combination of the ground war between the various ethnicity's, and the bombing campaign of NATO, over 1 million souls were displaced, and fled the region, becoming migrant refugees.

During that time period I was living in a Russian city that was close to the border. Tens of thousands of refugees from this region found their way into the city and the outlying region. As you might expect, they were not welcomed with entirely open arms. As you will recall, Russia was still recovering from the financial crisis. It did not have money to spare. These refugees took up shelter in apartment buildings and other edifices that had been abandoned and condemned. I saw families living in concrete blocks where the foundation had sunk into the earth, resulting in the concrete floor having a strange tilt to it such that a marble would roll from one side of the room to another. There was no running water or plumbing or heat in these edifices. The families huddled under blankets to keep warm, and cooked over open fires, often made with discarded tires. Deplorable living conditions. And yet, they had shelter. There were many more who bedded down in the fields around the cities. As these refugees would wander the city looking for food and work, they were turned away on more then one occasion by the force of fist or boot.

So, again you ask, what's the point? Well, here it is.

The golden horde is a reality, and they will descend like locusts. This particular horde was unarmed, but I do not imagine that that would be the case in the USA. The golden horde in the USA would --I imagine--also take up residence in any edifice they could. Look for whatever food they could. Fight for whatever food they could. So, the practical lesson here is, I believe, the golden horde will come, and it is to be avoided. It will be massive. They will work together as they are in the same boat. They will be after resources such as shelter, food and fuel. So, practice OPSEC. Better yet, G.O.O.D.. 

Summary of lesson #3: in times of crisis, the Golden Horde will materialize. It will be massive. It will descend upon wherever it assumes there are resources. Stay out of its way to the extent you can G.O.O.D. Practice OPSEC. Be prepared for their violence. Stay safe.

Finally, it cannot go without saying that during any of these times of crisis people look to God. While that is wise, it is wiser to look to God before such a crisis. If he warns you to build an ark, then guess what? You should build an ark. (SU adds: We have been warned since the 1930's to store food, water and fuel.  One leader actually said that our preparedness measures could be compared to Noah entering the Ark...)

Overall, these are three modern lessons of SHTF/TEOTWAWKI scenarios that actually happened. They all actually happened in a First World country. They are all things that could easily be repeated. Practical lesson: prepare accordingly. “ 

RBM in Tennesse
attb: Survival Blog