How many people keep electric fencing around their hives?

[Wolf-Kim]

Just curious, how many of the beeks here keep electric fencing around their hives?

While at the local beek meeting, 2-3 of the members had bears do considerable damage. One gentleman lost 12 whole hives to bears this year, another lost 9. When I asked if hey kept an electric fence around the hives, I was shocked at how many said no!

Adam mentioned later that he was amazed at how many had bear problems. LOL Adam is pretty excited about bees giving us honey and bear sausage. I told him, we're keeping our hives in an electric fence. Even if you get the bear in the end, it's just not worth loose that many hives.

-Kim

 

[FarmerChick]

We don't have problem bears in my area around Hickory NC
But I still think that a few strands of electric around the hive area would be smart! Can't go wrong with protection.

I don't do hives, but yes, if I did a few strands would never hurt.

Are you doing a solar panel charger?

 

[reinbeau]

If you're in bear country then you definitely need an electric fence. We have one up in Maine around the hives, but not down here, there are just no bears in southeastern MA - on a regular basis. I'll bet one wanders in here once in awhile, but we see no evidence of them. Poor things, in and around the city, if they see them they shoot them, hopefully with tranquilizer darts but too often with bullets, as a 'public safety' issue

Hubby can't smell anything, I had to tell him how wonderful it smelled in the backyard when they were processing the honey during a heavy flow. No wonder the bears find the hives!!

 

[me&thegals]

We don't. As close as 2 miles from here, there has been serious bear-hive damaged. My topbars are screwed onto large posts, which are dug deeply into the ground. I bet the bears could still do a lot of damage, but they couldn't just tip them over like a Warre or Langstroth.

Yeah, that honey smell is wonderful! Like Reinbeau, I figure if I can smell it, other animals certainly can. Lots of robbing this year reinforced that thought. :/