It might be quaint when Winnie the Pooh gets into a beehive of bees explore for a “ small smackerel ” of honey , but in real life , having a queer bear binge into your colony is anything but funny . Smaller critters such as skunks , raccoonsand even mice can be hassle enough , but honey - athirst bears can do a marvellous amount of damage to unprotectedhives .
When you grow on the edge of a national woodland the way I do , it ’s not surprising to see a lot of wildlife , but for many long time my family has never seen bear . Still , we usedelectric fencingaround the nettle rash for protection , and then two years ago we completed work on our new bee house , protecting the settlement from bears and other critters . The timing was perfect .
Just a few nights after moving the hives into the house , black bear came by and tipped over several empty hive boxes that we had n’t yet moved into the shed . Most were only extra beehive box not in use , so the damage amounted to only a few low skeletal system and an pesky mess to pick up . The bear did tip over one small hive that comprise a rescued swarm . Overall , though , we were fortunate . Imagine the scale of destruction if all our bee had been in those hives .
The advice that follow include several shipway to protect your own hives from bear .
Don’t Leave Smells That Attract Bears
The bears that pick apart down our empty hives were attracted to the residual dear smells left behind in the wood . you may foreclose bear difficulty by not attract them in the first place . light all items that might retain the smell of honey , cockscomb or propolis . These include bee tools , frames and hive boxes .
Use Electric Fencing
galvanic fencing is the most coarse deterrent beekeepers utilize to forbid bear fuss . This method is relatively simple to sic up and should be low-priced , even if you have a lot of nettle rash .
Some beekeepers find that galvanic net fencing more in effect stops bears because the fauna have more difficultness merely slipping between fibril . But no matter what vogue of fencing you finally build , the tonality to keeping out bears is maintaining an adequate explosive charge . Proper grounding is one factor of this , and it ’s easy to do in the modest - musical scale situation of a bee fencing . A couple of ground rod nearby will believably serve .
Of more concern is weed control . It ’s easy to have a few weeks go by and then discover that fast - growing grass and skunk have grown up around the fence perimeter , reduce the effectiveness of the electrical shock , or mayhap short-circuit out the fence . Keep the sess at bay , and use a charger with enough voltage to discourage bear .
Build a Bee House or Shed
Another — and perhaps more lasting — option : progress a bee theater or spill like we did .
Naturally , many options live in term of design and size of it . Our bee house is 12 by 16 feet , with room for plenty of hives , for now and the future . The hives model loaded along the inside of the primary rampart , with minute spline on the outside of the construction line up with the front entrance of the hives so the bees can number and go as they please .
The bee sign of the zodiac is strong and bearproof , give us the peace of thinker that the bees are safe from piranha . Plus , it gives the bees additional protection from weather and other pests , such as computer mouse , raccoon and skunks .
This chronicle originally appear in the November / December 2018 proceeds ofHobby Farmsmagazine .
