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Author Topic: tragedy  (Read 6626 times)

Offline gunny

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Re: tragedy
« Reply #20 on: July 04, 2007, 08:43:57 am »
Good way to chase the bear off would have been gun fire.  If you live in city limits or if you have neighbors in the line of fire, guess not.

A good way to determine if an elecric fence is working is to use a long blade of grass.  Hold one end and touch the fence with the other slowly slide the grass to the fence, when you will barely feel the charge pulses, stop.  Get closer and the pulses will be stronger.  A lot better than getting the full charge, easier than talking someone else into testing it for you and cheaper than buying a tester.  I usually end up forgetting where I hid the tester and can't find it when I want it.

Offline JP

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Re: tragedy
« Reply #21 on: July 04, 2007, 11:08:00 am »
Question: What do bears prefer more, honey or porrage ?
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Offline Robo

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Re: tragedy
« Reply #22 on: July 04, 2007, 03:08:38 pm »
Question: What do bears prefer more, honey or porrage ?

Actually, despite popular belief, they are after the brood, not the honey.  Every attack I have had,  they chew out the brood frames and leave the honey frames,
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison



Offline BasicLiving

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Re: tragedy
« Reply #23 on: July 04, 2007, 04:05:35 pm »
Hi Jeff,

I'm a new bee too. We got our first hives in December - bought everything a friend had and ended up with 6 hives. We also have bears - one got into our bird feeders and tore them up pretty good. We put an electric fence around our bees too. And we have each hive strapped down. Like you - we don't expect it to completely stop the bears, but we want to slow them down so maybe we can chase them off before too much damage.

We haven't had bears get into them, but we did battle with a skunk that almost depleted 2 of our weak hives - we were left with very few bees in them.

Good luck with your bees!

Penny
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Offline JP

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Re: tragedy
« Reply #24 on: July 04, 2007, 04:08:20 pm »
Perhaps bluegrass is part bear?  :-D
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Offline jl

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Re: tragedy
« Reply #25 on: July 04, 2007, 08:42:22 pm »
Penny thanks for the thought.  I live in bear mecca which is allright come hunting season, but not so good with bees.  I live on the outskirt of town and pretty much border a national forest so there is plenty of habitat for the bears and the bees.  The problem is many people around here don't get the fact that you need to secure your garbage in a garage (which doesn't always work) or in your basement until the morning of collection.  I can't blame the bears they're just going where the easy meals are.  And Fish and Game won't do anything and people get very frustrated, I've seen many times where one person with kids has bears in the back yard at noon because they're neighbor leaves the bird feeders and garbage out because they don't care if the bears are around and once bear starts coming it keeps coming until "something" stops it or fish and game traps and moves it.  When I worked patrol as a police officer we had these shotguns shells that basically had a firecracker in them.  When you shot them at a bear the round went off and then the firecracker would explode near the bear.  It really got them moving.  Hopefully the fence works and I can get some sleep.

To answer the question:  What do bears prefer more honey or porridge? 

The answer is used baby diapers!!!! nice huh!!

Offline TwT

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Re: tragedy
« Reply #26 on: July 05, 2007, 07:41:44 pm »
I don't know how Bears do it, I knocked over a hive one day and was covered from head to toe, I know them gals get made when you do that, I walked about 200 yards and they weren't fling but stuck to me like glue, yes I had a bee jacket with veil on but they were going for the ride, needless to say I was walking kinda fast because I had a hole around the knee on my blue jeans and about 12 found it  ;) (ouch) and that's what sent me a walking.... them Bears are tough!!!
THAT's ME TO THE LEFT JUST 5 MONTHS FROM NOW!!!!!!!!

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Offline jl

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Re: tragedy
« Reply #27 on: July 05, 2007, 10:01:27 pm »
When I finally got about 30 feet from the bear, the bear didn't even know I was there because he was rolling around on the ground and you could see the cloud of bees around him and on him.  When I hit him with the rock he then noticed me and took off running before the neighbors dog started chasing him.  It was quite a sight, but not as much as me trying to put the hive back together with a t-shirt, gloves up to my elbows and just my veil loosely over my head.  I can admit I ran when the bees got on my arms and in my veil.  Glad the wife wasn't home to witness it or I never would have lived it down.  Big tough guy running from some little bees.

Jeff

Offline Cindi

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Re: tragedy
« Reply #28 on: July 06, 2007, 09:25:50 am »
I've been doing so much reading while I have been away for my neice's wedding.  Interesting stuff.  Keep reading about  when bees are guarding, they usually don't bother things that are not moving.  Mark Winston's book, The Biology of the Honey Bee is the one I have been attacking  :-D.  He contends that one should stand still, don't move, and the bees are not as aggressive, it is motion that they go after.

And, remember, John was talking about that too in a post a few days ago.  That must be why they say when one works with the bees, to do things slowly, no fast motions, gotta be some kind of truth to that.

That is how I try (and sometimes I know I want to run) to work always with the bees.  So slowly, deliberate actions.  I know for a very fact that I could not outrun a bee.

This is a great thread, some interesting little ditties from everyone, have a wonderful day, great life.  I am home and off to some serious adventures around my yard with my camera, its gonna be a bright, bright, sunshiney day.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline Robo

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Re: tragedy
« Reply #29 on: July 06, 2007, 09:27:17 am »
I don't know how Bears do it, I knocked over a hive one day and was covered from head to toe, I know them gals get made when you do that, I walked about 200 yards and they weren't fling but stuck to me like glue, yes I had a bee jacket with veil on but they were going for the ride, needless to say I was walking kinda fast because I had a hole around the knee on my blue jeans and about 12 found it  ;) (ouch) and that's what sent me a walking.... them Bears are tough!!!

Next time try it wearing your wives full length fur coat :-P  Oh she doesn't have one? Sounds like a good reason to get her one :-*
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison



 

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