[Mike Tuggle]

:no: Freakin' bear came to visit tonight. My wife heard on of the hives go over. I ran out with the dog and chased it up a tree. After I got it to slide down and run away, I set up the flashlights and put everything back together. Only one frame was messed up a bit. Finishing up, I leaned some old chain link kennel gates all around. Came back in and got ready for bed again....

Half an hour later, "He's back....." says my wife.

This time, it was a bit messier -- since he couldn't just swat it, he really made a mess with the same hive and knocking the other one askew. Still, we only lost one frame completely -- don't know about the queen. We'll check everyody in a couple of days.
Right now, I am waiting up and listening ....

Question for the team... Where are some good instructions or write-ups on how to set up an electric fence for the apiary? And, by experience, does it do any good?

Thanks!

P.S. I'm not way out in the boonies just a little way out of town,

 

[WI-beek]

you are going to have to get a fence, it will always come back now, it has all the time in the world.

 

[10hive]

I put the wire every 5 inches starting from the ground up to 4 ft, if they get their head in before they get a shock, they'll go right on thru and tear up everything while they're figuring out what POed them. There's a tree about 50 ft from my main hives and 2 times i've found a bear in the tree that must have been stung and ran up the tree to figure out what hit it.

I live a little east of you and had the hives wiped out 2 time before i put up the ele fence, the bear that was just took out of the tree in Poughkeepsie was just dumped in our back yd also to mingle in with the ones already here.
here's the ones that have been around this spring for about a month now, a mom and 3 cubs. here they're cleaning up the corn and sunflower seeds that i put out for the squrrels. the mom is the tall one in the back. last night about 10PM they were up town in a dumpster but i didn't have the camera, the mother just watched us while the cubs tossed every thing in the dumpster out on the ground.

here's what one done last summer where i didn't have a fence

 

[WLC]

You might ask the DEC for a nuisance permit.

 

[tommyt]

Whats the law on this
I know bear taste's good I doubt you could shoot one a day
I would think if they hit dumpsters they should be Labeled Nuisance
and relocated?
NO I am not in bear country and Glad


Tommyt

 

[Merlinspop]

Whats the law on this
I know bear taste's good
Tommyt

Yeah, I was just thinking that a Marlin in .45-70 ought to fix that.

 

[jim lyon]

Havent had experience with bears but read once about a beekeeper that had good success by staking rigid hog panels in the ground under the electric fence so that the bear is well grounded when making contact with the fence. Claimed it made the fence much more effective.

 

[barbellbee]

Well spring has hit with the usual weather, snow & rain and lots of little muffler for the girls.
Have had alot of experience with the four legged creatures and quite a number have never come around again for whatever reason. The Mn. DNR came up with a fence plan that seemed to be a bit much, but it sure worked and I haven't sat in the beeyards at nite for many a year. They required three grounding rods that where all connected to each other and then 5 wires around with first one near the ground and the next four at 8-10 inch intervals. We use solar fencers here and seem to have quite good luck keeping them away.
When the wildlife is endangering your livelihood you get a little more leeway!
Goodluck and take action for they are unrelenting.

 

[Mike Tuggle]

:thumbsup:Making progress... I am cleaning up around the 'yard' to get readdy for the fence. Taking a break, I did some look ups and found:

"Landowners may take the following species without a permit from DEC:
•Any bear killing or harassing livestock or destroying an apiary may be taken at any time. The landowner must promptly notify the nearest environmental conservation officer and make arrangements to deliver the carcass of the bear."

Still need to call them on Monday to be clear on the rules and acceptable 'tools'.

Thanks for the responses and PM's so far.

Mike

 

[Bear Creek Steve]

Mike,

I live in bear country also. If the fence is electrified it is important that the bears stand on a good electrical ground. I use an 18 inch wide "skirt" of sheet metal outside and completely around the fence and pinned to the dirt and attached to an 8 foot ground rod. Heavy gage chicken wire is an alternative to the sheet metal. This is necessary so that a full circuit is made when the bear touches the electrified fence.

Here are some resources for your reading pleasure:

http://www.kencove.com/fence/76_Bear+Fence_resource.php
www.beesource.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-247950.html - Cached
http://www.dgif.state.va.us/wildlife/bear/fencing.pdf
http://www.wildlife.state.co.us/NR/...B83FCEA69E/0/DOWFencingWithWildlifeInMind.pdf

Regards,
Bear Creek Steve

 

[10hive]

The DEC will tell you to take down all bird feeders and not to leave any garbage out, I do know a person who shot one a few yrs ago and if he didn't have a friend in LE, he would have lost all his guns, his right to hunt and paid a fine.he said the bear was after his chickens, I have rabbits in pens our side and have seen many bear tracks and bear crap next to the rabbits and they've never been bothered so I figure the bears weren't not hungry or they didn't like rabbit for dinner.


when my hives are busted up, I just figure it's the bear doing what I would be doing if I lived in the wild, looking for food to survive and if they do get my hives, it's my fault, why blame the bear?

 

[JRH]

The advice you are getting is good. I would add:

My fence lights up all five wires (5,000 volts+) so I can tell you it works. My bear problems are over.

Grounding: One four foot ground rod at diagonal corners is all you need. Be sure to use heavy insulated wire (12 gauge) from the ground side to the ground rods and as the "jumper wires" from one strad of fence to the next. Connections with crimps and a crimping tool. If I remember correctly my fence wire is 14 gauge.

"Fencer:" Do not get a solar fencer, even if you have no access to 120V AC. I tried and returned two solar fencer that used 6 volt batteries. OK for keeping the cat in and rabbits out, but not for bears. The ones that work are more expensive than what you need for your relatively small enclosure. And they still require a battery that you need to replace every couple of years. Instead get a Zareba B5 fencer at Tractor Supply for about $70. Power it with a 12 Volt Sears Diehard Garden Tractor Battery (it's a hefty battery, nearly automotive size) for less than $50.

Get a battery tester so you know when to recharge. $4 on eBay. This setup needs recharging (I do it when my battery goes below 12V) about every 6 weeks. That's because the "fencer" isn't TOO powerful (claims to charge 10 miles of fence!) so it takes more juice than necessary for each pulse. Get a fence tester so you know that your installation is properly wired and grounded. You'll get 5,000 volts+ with this gear if you've done it right.

Good luck. Send me a PM if you have more design questions. Here in Vermont we are allowed to shoot bears in our hives. We are also reimbursed by the State for damage, including lost honey. Contact your Fish and Game guy. But regardless, be assured that your bear is coming back again until you put up your fence.

 

[rmaro]

NY law on this as you found..

http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7005.html

 

[Mtn. Bee]

If it is your bear hound training season, ask some hound hunters to come over and run the bear.
Sometimes once they get treed by hounds they associate danger with the area and don't come back.
If that don't work bear sausage sure tastes good!
Good Luck!
I live in an area with lots of bears and they can be a big pain in the you know what!

 

[sqkcrk]

You might ask the DEC for a nuisance permit.

Or you could shoot it and then call the DEC. I know people who have done this. Just make sure the bear falls in your apiary.

 

[sqkcrk]

If it is your bear hound training season, ask some hound hunters to come over and run the bear.

Not legal in NY, I believe.

 

[Michael B]

Parmak makes a 12 volt 2.5 joule solar charger that will do the job on bears. I have two of them at two different yards.

Soil type will dictate the number of grounding rods. I dissagree with the one rod set up. I use a minimum of 3 six foot rods. On wetter soils that is enough. If soil is lighter 4-6 grounding rods.

The solar charger on wetter soils is in excess of 10,000 volts. The volatage tester blinks 9.9.....meaning 10k +. The lighter soil set up gets about 6800 volts on a three rod set up. I added a 4th and 5th and the voltage matched the fencer output of 9.1k volts.

They work. I had two dead out hives outside the fence. Two nights in a row the hives were knocked over and messed up. Bears like bees and brood.........honey,,,not so much. They left without tearing the hive up too bad.

The active hives in the electric fence were not touched.

 

[Riverratbees]

Go get some plywood and buy thumb tacks and set them point up. He will step on them and you will love watching him freak. he will go off and pull the tacks out and lick his wounds and have sour feet for a couple of days. Usually 10 or 20 tacks gets their attn. A lesson learned is a lesson earned. Last result rock salt is a attn getter only had to go that way one time. Treed the little fella with my pitts and 3 rounds of rocksalt broke it's spirit. Bears are a part of life where I live they are everywhere. Tacks normally fix the problem and it is fun to watch!

 

[RAK]

Call wildlife office an let them know. They might give you a tag for damage. Not sure about New York.

Here is a good link.

http://www.beebehavior.com/bee_yard_protection.php

 

[Mike Tuggle]

:thumbsup: Don't know whether he's coming back but at least I hope to slow him down.

Finished at 10:30 PM the "night after" with flashlights, etc. I used two ground rods and separate leads to each 'hot' line. It tests "good." And, there are lots of little peanut butter treats hanging on the wires to reward him on his next trip.

Thanks for all the tips and PMs.

Mike