Cuban beekeepers await Ivan

As Hurricane Ivan, one of the largest storms on record in the Caribbean, moves on to Cuba amd the Yucatan in Mexico, spare a thought for those resourceful people and their beekeepers. Bees are very important to both economies and in Cuba it looked like it was going to be a bumper year for honey. I hope they have gathered the harvest. Still, Fidel is in grateful mood:

“It's going through the channel [between Cuba and Mexico]. That's very courteous. I'm more optimistic now, and glad the country has been spared great expenses,” President Fidel Castro said on a tour of Pinar del Rio in western Cuba as winds downed trees and traffic lights.

Another big beekeeping area, Mexico's Yucatan is also on alert. Only last month the winds of hurricane Frances cost an estimated $2 billion damage to Florida's agriculture and beekeeping.

UPDATE 14 September: Last night, the eye of Ivan did indeed travel through the channel between Cuba and Mexico and reported damage is much less than feared. I bet a few beehives were knocked over though. Next port of call: the southern United States.