Bears can really wreak havoc on a beehive, ask me how I know! No matter how good you think they are strapped down, the bear WILL just peel it open. Yes, even the little innocent-looking black bears! So, how do you go about keeping bears out of your beehives?
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Bears and Bees
An iconic duo, no? Well, did you know that the bears are actually more interested in the brood (baby bees) than they are in the honey? It is a great source of protein for them, the honey is just an added bonus! Once a bear figures out that there is a hive somewhere, they will keep coming back for that delicious snack- regardless of what’s in their way.
So, how do you stop them then? One of the first keys is being proactive. That means putting up a bear deterrent BEFORE one finds your hives you lovingly homed.
Keeping Those Bears out of your Hives
Alright, so now you know keeping bears out of your beehives requires being proactive- but what does that mean? HOW do I keep those bears out?? The answer is an electric fence!
Electric fences are a lot easier to install than you might think! The hardest part is making sure you find the right type for your need and then getting the right charger (or “energizer”) to power that fence.
The Materials
There are many different types of electric fencing available; your standard line, poly wire, and netting. Even though it takes a bit more juice to power, I’m partial to the netting. It’s simple to set up and easy to move. Plus, you don’t need to have a gate! They have built-in, step-in posts. You just power the fence off and take out an end post for easy hive access.
So, I will only go into the specifics of installing a net fence for the sake of this post! Once you’ve picked out your netting, you will need an energizer to go with it!
For an energizer, you can get an AC plug-in charger, DC battery-powered (same link- this awesome energizer can be plug-in or battery operated!), or solar. While solar is definitely the priciest, it has the benefit of not needing to be plugged in or manually recharged.
Make sure whichever energizer you choose comes with the leads (wiring harness) to connect to the fence! They seem to be tough to find on their own for some reason.
The last item you will need is an electric fence voltage tester. This will tell you if a charge is going through your fence, and it’s approximate voltage.
The Installation
If you choose to go with netting, installation is quite simple and goes quickly. For a 50 foot length net you will have about enough for 4 hives in a row.
- Take your netting and untie anything holding it shut.
- Roll out the fence, keeping the posts together.
- Taking an end post, step it into the ground where you want to enter.
- Keeping the posts together, walk the fence to the spot for the next post and step it in once the fence is tight.
- Continue these steps until you have four posts in the ground in a square. Don’t step the last post in too hard yet.
- Take your fifth post and bring it right next to your first post. You may have to go back and move the fourth post to make sure the fence is tight.
Now you have your fence up! You’re almost done already! Your fence should have come with some ropes and stakes. Tie one of these to each post and pull taunt to keep the netting tight. Just make sure not to let any thing touch your hot wires- you don’t want to short it out!
Of course, you still have to power your fence. You will need a way to keep your energizer up off the ground, a T post is very common. Also, if you do not have a solar energizer, you will also need to protect it from the elements! They aren’t waterproof! I know, it’s crazy.
Once you have your energizer up off the ground and protected, if needed, you need to connect it to the fence. You will have a brightly colored (orange or red usually) lead which is the live or “shocking” lead. And then there will be a dull colored (green or black usually) lead that is for grounding.
Attach the open end of your wiring harness to its corresponding color (make sure it’s off!) on the energizer. Then, using the alligator clip, attach to the fence on a live wire for the live lead. Then taking your grounding lead and attach it either to your grounding rod (if using) or grounding line on your netting. Turn on your energizer and you’re ready to go!
Now You’re Keeping Bears out of Your Beehives!
That’s all there is to it! With a solar energizer, make sure you allow it to charge for 2-3 days in sunlight before turning on. Ensure that you test your fence regularly and keep weeds down. If weeds grow too tall around the netting it can short out and it won’t be keeping anything out! I hope this is helpful and you never have to experience trying to save a hive that got torn apart by a hungry bear. It’s not fun!
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