Bear destryed my hive

[TimLa]

Sometime either yesterday while we were away, or last night, a bear tore into my first and only hive.  Bottom board is in pieces, the frames are licked clean (and there's a trail of them off into the woods), some of them are completely shredded.  The top board, one deep and one medium hive bodies are OK.

Most of the bees have left, there's a very small cluster about the size of a fist under one of the chunks of debris.  Between the lack of material, time of year, and the bear will return (and I'm not really in the mood to deal with it at all), I'm just going to leave them be.

Having read other posts on the topic, I may put in a couple of T-Posts, run some fence wire, hook it up to a spare fence charger, bait the wire and see if the criminal returns.

I wonder if my goats/pigs/chickens are also at risk... I expect the chickens are next.

[Cindi]

Timla.  Oh that is a horrible bummer, there would be nothing more disappointing and very obviously, nothing you can do now to help this colony, I feel your pain.

When you are ready to get more bees, yes, make that bear fence, and bait it so it knows the pain that can be delivered.  I do not know if it will go after your livestock/birds.  We have bears here too, they are really bad this year.  They are always seen.  I have an excellent electric fence surrounding my apiary, it also has 6 foot high livestock fencing too, I am grateful for that because I feel confident that nothing could ever get into the apiary.  Keep your chin up, it is sad, I know that.  Still....have a most wonderful and great day, Cindi

[bassman1977]

http://www.premier1supplies.com/detail.php?prod_id=401&cat_id=118

I just bought this for my new outyard which has bears nearby.  I'll be putting one up for my home yard next year (low bear threat at this one).

If you only have one hive, I probably wouldn't bother with it, but if you get a lot more, I would.

http://www.premier1supplies.com/detail.php?prod_id=401&cat_id=118
http://www.premier1supplies.com/detail.php?prod_id=13028&cat_id=43

[1of6]

1.  Clean up the mess:


2.  Put up a fence and see if the Game Commission will trap the bear out:


Hang in there, and don't give up!

[octagon]

sorry to hear it, It really is a heart breaker, the deer have ruined my garden, the squrrils have torn down the bird feeders, a bear hasn't been thru here is almost 3 yrs, hopefully they have found a new trail with more food for their walk down to Pa.

[bassman1977]

see if the Game Commission will trap the bear out

Got a gun?

hopefully they have found a new trail with more food for their walk down to Pa.

You keep 'em.   :-D

[TimLa]

see if the Game Commission will trap the bear out

Got a gun?

Yep.  I'm an instructor off and on.  If the electric fence doesn't cut it, this will: http://www.50beowulf.com/

hopefully they have found a new trail with more food for their walk down to Pa.

You keep 'em.   :-D

[Irwin]

I would just shoot the bear! The electric fence will just make them mad. I have seen what they do they distroy every thing after they get the shock. and they keep coming back. On the ranch we put some up to keep them out of the orchard and the bear tore up a lot of tree's and fence. That is why I got my bee hive at my house but this is my first year. 

[TimLa]

Interestingly enough, it is legal here to shoot him (year-round) if he's destroying livestock, or if you fear "grievious bodily harm".

That fits.  Then call the county and they'll take the carcass.  Wonder if they'd notice if the hide were missing....

[hankdog1]

your probably gonna have to move the hive the bear isn't gonna mess with the bait when the prize is inside.  i've found that a large caliber rifle is the best solution to problems like that.  getting a german shorthair pointer might help solve your problem or any other dog that they use for bear hunting.  the only problem with that is that you have chickens too which poses another problem.

[bassman1977]

hat fits.  Then call the county and they'll take the carcass. 

PFFT!  Dinner.

[Cindi]

Oh yes, if I could shoot a gun, I would shoot that bear.  That bear has raised havoc everywhere on my property.....my bees are THOROUGHLY protected though and I do fear for all the children.  Last summer my neighbour asked me, while we were talking over the ravine in the bush, if I minded if he shot the bear, I told him no.  I guess he didn't shoot it because it still roams the bear path.  I wish that it was gone.  There has been stories in our newspaper of the bear attacks and if only they would act and take those bears somewhere else or shoot them.  I hear bear meat is not too bad.  Have a wonderful, most awesome day, Cindi

[bassman1977]

I hear bear meat is not too bad.

Some say it is too greasy, others too gamey.  I dunno...I liked it.  Then again...I've eatten some weird stuff.  Kangaroo anyone?   :-D

[1of6]

Yeah, it'd be nice to be able to shoot them, but for those of us who live in town, shooting [anything] would have both the game Commision as well as the police at our house in a heartbeat.

[JhnR]

I use a Parmak Model DF-SP-LI with four wires. But I went a little further and added three ground rodes with two feet of chicken wire, layed flat , just outside the fence as part of the ground system. When mom and the cubs stand on that to get the bait....well, as the chef said...BAMM  :-D

I have seen them sitting.....looking at the hives......never had anymore problems.


John

[poka-bee]

  If the electric fence doesn't cut it, this will: http://www.50beowulf.com/
That would take care of the middle S in SS& S, No carcass left for the game dpt. to take away, all you would find would be ground bear bits! hehheh!!   :evil:  Jody 

[TimLa]

As it happens, I own one.  And yes, there wouldn't be much left.  ;-)

However, I don't have the time to sit and wait, but if the opportunity presents itself, well...  let's just say that preliminary results with a big watermelon and a 24 inch diameter douglas fir look promising... :-)

I'll do the hotwire, I like the chickenwire ground plane idea as well, order 10 mediums , 100 frames and assorted stuff, put them together over the winter, and see what happens.

The next day, there were a ton of bees harvesting honey and wax and whatever at the site.  Maybe they found a hollow log to work out of.  Probably not robbers, as I never saw honeybees here until I started.