Secure storage

[stephen cabrol]

Dont talk to me about theft, a few months ago someone cut through our steel security gates and used some sort of vehicle with a crane to steel 2 X 500Kg+ log splitters anbd a saw bench that takes three to lift! needles to say the police turned up 3 days later! I agree that the more secure a shed looks the more the idiots think there is something valuable inside. I like the idea of something buried but then there is the 'elf & safety' issue. If the shed was at the wood my suggestion would be to buy some sort of box trailer and tow it there each time, Ok not very green but youve more chance of keeping it secure at home.

[greyman]

Elf 'n' Safety eh? They a new tribe of fairies found in amenity woodland?

[tracy]

Yes, they wear funny hats and are living the dream ;-)

[DaveTaz]

If any one is interested to see how much machinery is being stolen at the moment, look on www.arbtalk.co.uk (forum - stolen equipment)

Some businesses are having a lot of big gear stolen(tractors, 4x4's, chippers, grinders, the lot), so be aware and vigilant

These people are breaking into heavily secured steel containers

Make sure you have photos of all your kit, receipts and serial numbers.

Make sure all thefts are reported to the police - hastle them if they are reluctant to visit and investigate, we all pay our taxes and have just as much right to expect them to take it as seriously as any other crime

We don't leave any tools in our woods, yes it can be a pain but worth the effort

[Underwoodsman]

Hampshire Police have, in the last couple of months, finally woken up to the fact that there is a lot more rural crime than they thought, so I would hope Stephen would get a better response today. South of Butser Hill we are in the process of setting up a country watch scheme to help combat rural crime. The idea is that as soon as anything suspicious is reported all those on the scheme get an alert to be on their guard. This can include vehicle reg and description of vehicle and occupants. The scheme may also include a dedicated secure radio network which the local police will monitor as they have in the Chichester/Midhurst area of West Sussex. I would suggest Stephen should contact Whitehill plod shop to ask when it is coming to North of Butser. I would also suggest that you all ask your local police if they are planning a similar scheme in your area.

[Underwoodsman]

To get back to the original question I would say that if the spare beekeeping kit was vulnerable to arson it would have been ashes long ago. I keep mine stacked in the open either between or in front of my hives so that way the bees act as a deterrent to intruders. I use an old floor with a queen excluder above, to keep the mice and swarms out, empty boxes on top of that then a roof. Been doing this for 30 years now, had the odd hive pushed over but never the spare kit, probably because there's are no bee in the stack so no excitement in it. With no hives in the shed you may be able to use some of the methods suggested above.

[The Barrowers]

A good informative debate with first hand and real time examples possibly with attendance by local council reps would put this item about storage and structures to rest. The SWOGs meet in July could be a closure point or even an opener.