# Hives in Bear Country?



## harvestmoonfarm (Nov 24, 2012)

How many of you have hives and live in bear country? How do you protect them? We don't yet have hives, but have been thinking about it once we get moved. However, we're moving pretty close to the National Forest and, of course, there are a lot of black bears in the area.


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## luvrulz (Feb 3, 2005)

not advisable....will attrack the bears.


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## JRHILLS (Oct 27, 2010)

You need an electric fence.


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## COWS (Dec 23, 2012)

Never had experience with bears, but I have sufficient confidence in my welding skills to think I could make a bear proof cage for the hives.

On electric fence, with my cattle fence the problem is that deer sometimes become tangled in the fence and damage it. I imagine bears withe their thick fur would be worse about tearing up the fence. Therefore I would thing along the lines of mounting electrified steel rods that bears wouldn't damage easily.Some sort of insulators would have to be fabricated. The set up would need to be away from trees since a major source of fence damage comes from falling limbs.

COWS


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## BjornBee (Jan 17, 2011)

Here is a link that you may find useful.

http://www.pennapic.org/dealingwithbears.html

Bears should NOT be a reason to give up or not get into beekeeping.

Good luck!


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## harvestmoonfarm (Nov 24, 2012)

BjornBee said:


> Here is a link that you may find useful.
> 
> http://www.pennapic.org/dealingwithbears.html
> 
> ...


Thanks!


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## MCJam (Dec 27, 2012)

Our professional bee guru's suggest using a good electric fence baited with bacon strips wrapped around the fence wire. The honey smell is usually what attracts the bears, but the bacon when they get closer will divert them into BITING the bacon and fence, which will give them the shock of a lifetime. They will not come back. Without the bacon, the bears may just walk through the electric fence with just one minimal shock if even that given their heavy fur coats.

We have bees and bears have a den just a half mile up the hill from us. We have even seen one strolling down our road. Between our barking dogs and bacon, our bees have not been molested by bears. Unfortunately, the bacon did "catch" one of our dogs, but only once! Oops!

MCJam


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## fireweed farm (Dec 31, 2010)

I do, I use electric mesh fence but strands would be fine. Overkill doesn't hurt. Make sure it's on the hot side.
Baiting it helps, I wrap something tasty (canned smoked mussels with oil in tinfoil and wrap that around wires at nose level).
I have never had a problem and we have a lot of bears.


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## seedspreader (Oct 18, 2004)

BjornBee said:


> Here is a link that you may find useful.
> 
> http://www.pennapic.org/dealingwithbears.html
> 
> ...


Great Link and site. Thanks for posting it!


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