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Author Topic: Preditors  (Read 1799 times)

Offline Eric Bosworth

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Preditors
« on: July 08, 2017, 11:24:45 pm »
Ok so I'm thinking that I have a racoon bothering my bees. I can't think of anything else that would cause that kind of damage. I have a 3 box deep 5 frame nuc starter that was knocked over and the top box was about 5 feet away. Other than knocking out the comb in the top box there was little damage. The bottom boxes were in edge glued together by propolis. I just flipped them back up on the stand and put on the top and took the top box with broken comb to my front porch for the bees to rob.

That was this morning. This evening I looked in my greenhouse and said something is wrong... Where are the other boxes I had in there? I found them in the woods 20 to 30 feet away with the empty frames all next to them.

These were the friendliest bees I ever worked with. The operative word being were. I got stung countless times just putting ratchet straps on them this evening.

I need to get my trail cam set up. A bear would have totally destroyed everything... Been there done that have the box with claw marks to prove it. I am pretty sure it's a racoon. Any ideas as to what it could be if it's not a coon? I would think my dog would have come home with an eye watering stench by now if a skunk was around. Been there done that also... Don't really want to repeat it. But at least I have a formula for the dog now. 1 bottle (quart) hydrogen peroxide 3/4 cup baking soda and a teaspoon dish detergent.

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All political power comes from the barrel of a gun. The communist party must command all the guns; that way, no guns can ever be used to command the party. ---Mao Tse Tung

Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote. ---Benjamin Franklin

Offline iddee

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Re: Preditors
« Reply #1 on: July 09, 2017, 05:46:14 am »
My guess is another bear. He will be back shortly.
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Offline Fishing-Nut

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Re: Preditors
« Reply #2 on: July 09, 2017, 08:38:18 am »
I'm with idee. I think you just got lucky and the bear didn't destroy/scratch up everything real bad. Sounds like a lot of dragging and work for a coon. Even though it's not impossible and may have been Coons. They will travel in groups as well. It could have been several of them. But I still vote bear. We don't have them real bad here. But an hour north in Helen Ga where my wife is from they are a pretty big problem and tear up everything that smells good and ain't nailed down.
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Offline Acebird

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Re: Preditors
« Reply #3 on: July 09, 2017, 09:27:19 am »
Might be a two legged deer.
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Offline Fishing-Nut

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Re: Preditors
« Reply #4 on: July 09, 2017, 09:34:15 am »
White tail  :tongue:
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Offline Eric Bosworth

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Re: Preditors
« Reply #5 on: July 09, 2017, 02:08:01 pm »
Quote from: Fishing-Nut on July 09, 2017, 08:38:18 am
I'm with idee. I think you just got lucky and the bear didn't destroy/scratch up everything real bad. Sounds like a lot of dragging and work for a coon. Even though it's not impossible and may have been Coons. They will travel in groups as well. It could have been several of them. But I still vote bear. We don't have them real bad here. But an hour north in Helen Ga where my wife is from they are a pretty big problem and tear up everything that smells good and ain't nailed down.
In either case... Nothing a 30/06 couldn't fix... If I happen to be there to pull the trigger... My biggest reason for not thinking it's a bear is the greenhouse... I didn't think it would have gone through the door without damaging it. If it's a bear it's a small one.

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All political power comes from the barrel of a gun. The communist party must command all the guns; that way, no guns can ever be used to command the party. ---Mao Tse Tung

Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote. ---Benjamin Franklin

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Preditors
« Reply #6 on: July 09, 2017, 02:53:39 pm »
I also say it is a bear, probably a small one.
I have two coons and a coyote on my camera on a regular basis not far from my hives. They never touch the hives.
Jim
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Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
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Offline Fishing-Nut

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Re: Preditors
« Reply #7 on: July 09, 2017, 03:06:23 pm »
Quote from: Eric Bosworth on July 09, 2017, 02:08:01 pm
Quote from: Fishing-Nut on July 09, 2017, 08:38:18 am
I'm with idee. I think you just got lucky and the bear didn't destroy/scratch up everything real bad. Sounds like a lot of dragging and work for a coon. Even though it's not impossible and may have been Coons. They will travel in groups as well. It could have been several of them. But I still vote bear. We don't have them real bad here. But an hour north in Helen Ga where my wife is from they are a pretty big problem and tear up everything that smells good and ain't nailed down.
In either case... Nothing a 30/06 couldn't fix... If I happen to be there to pull the trigger... My biggest reason for not thinking it's a bear is the greenhouse... I didn't think it would have gone through the door without damaging it. If it's a bear it's a small one.

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I don't know how the laws are where your from, but here in Georgia they are real funny about the bears. Therefore I'm not going to say what I would "consider" doing if one kept destroying my stuff and I just so happen to have a rifle in my hand.  But your are correct about the 30/06 sir.
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Offline iddee

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Re: Preditors
« Reply #8 on: July 09, 2017, 03:50:43 pm »
The secret is SSS.

shoot, shovel, shutup.
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"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me . . . Anything can happen, child. Anything can be"

*Shel Silverstein*

Offline Eric Bosworth

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Re: Preditors
« Reply #9 on: July 09, 2017, 06:16:33 pm »
Quote from: iddee on July 09, 2017, 03:50:43 pm
The secret is SSS.

shoot, shovel, shutup.
New yuk bear law says I can shoot the bear damaging my bees so long as I call the DEC about it. I am not sure if I can keep the bear or not... I would love a bear skin rug...

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All political power comes from the barrel of a gun. The communist party must command all the guns; that way, no guns can ever be used to command the party. ---Mao Tse Tung

Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote. ---Benjamin Franklin

Offline Hops Brewster

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Re: Preditors
« Reply #10 on: July 10, 2017, 11:04:04 am »
take pictures as evidence, in case you need to justify taking the bear (or whatever it is).
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Offline Eric Bosworth

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Re: Preditors
« Reply #11 on: July 10, 2017, 08:18:19 pm »
I have my trail cam set. I took the dogs for a walk Sunday morning and I saw some droppings that looked a lot like bear scat a few hundred yards from my bees. I'm just surprised the greenhouse didn't have more damage. Last fall several hunters bagged bear around here. One was 450 pounds. That's a good size bear.

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All political power comes from the barrel of a gun. The communist party must command all the guns; that way, no guns can ever be used to command the party. ---Mao Tse Tung

Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote. ---Benjamin Franklin

Offline Eric Bosworth

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Re: Preditors
« Reply #12 on: July 10, 2017, 08:19:55 pm »
I should add the bear law in New York is one of the very few laws I like in New York.

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All political power comes from the barrel of a gun. The communist party must command all the guns; that way, no guns can ever be used to command the party. ---Mao Tse Tung

Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote. ---Benjamin Franklin
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