Feral Hogs and Bees

[millipede]

 I have a friend who is going to plant several fields in on his property. We frequently hunt there and see wild pigs all the time. We were discussing placing a few hives around his plantings and we started wondering if hogs would knock them over to get at the honey inside? Anyone have any experience with this?
Thanks

[10framer]

i've got hogs on my place and haven't had a problem yet.  i googled it a few months ago when they first showed up and couldn't find any cases of it but it seems reasonable. 

[asprince]

I have hives on a farm that has lots of wild hogs. I worried about the same thing since a hog will eat anything. So far no problems.


Steve

[hankdog1]

Guys I'd be more worried about bears myself then the hogs.  Know a guy to keeps bees around wild hogs and so far haven't heard him say a word about the hogs but the bears on the other hand tore up one of his bee yards.

[GSF]

Could you build something similar to a deck with removable stairs to place them on? (then you'd have to worry about falling off of it) Or make solid higher stands to set the hives on? (Oh my back!) I know it doesn't sound practible but it would probably be better than investing all that time and effort just to have your hives tore up.

[Michael Bush]

I think it is always best to put an electric fence around the hives.  A solar charger solves the battery issue.  Any large animals can and sometimes do tip over hives.  The likely hood goes up as the density of animals goes up.  In other words having some hives in with cattle on open range is a slight risk.  Having some hives in with cattle in a small fenced area is much higher.  I don't have a lot of experience with wild hogs, but the density would be the issue to me.  Even horses will eat the entire hive, frames and all once they get a taste for the honey if there aren't a lot of bees in it.  I have chewed up boxes that a ruined from horses...

A fence is cheap insurance.

[10framer]

I think it is always best to put an electric fence around the hives.  A solar charger solves the battery issue.  Any large animals can and sometimes do tip over hives.  The likely hood goes up as the density of animals goes up.  In other words having some hives in with cattle on open range is a slight risk.  Having some hives in with cattle in a small fenced area is much higher.  I don't have a lot of experience with wild hogs, but the density would be the issue to me.  Even horses will eat the entire hive, frames and all once they get a taste for the honey if there aren't a lot of bees in it.  I have chewed up boxes that a ruined from horses...

A fence is cheap insurance.

i'm lowering the density every chance i get.  my mini 14 is earning notches.  when it cools off i'm going to put a night vision scope on my  .204 and have some real fun.

[jaseemtp]

I have hives out on a farm that has hogs.  They stayed there for several months and the pigs didn't touch em.

[10framer]

I have hives on a farm that has lots of wild hogs. I worried about the same thing since a hog will eat anything. So far no problems.


Steve

steve, i was at the forestry department today and those guys were telling me we have bears around.  something ran across the road the other day during one of our downpours and i told myself it was a big hog and not a bear cub but now i'm wondering.  anyway, if you have bees near the flint you might want to run a hot wire around them.

[Mbeck]

There are lots of hogs in a couple spots I keep hives.
No problems so far..

[BeeMaster2]

We have hogs in Osceola national forest and the commercial beeks never had fences until the bears moved into this area. Caused a lot of damage the first year they returned.
Jim

[millipede]

I don't think we have bears yet but they are trying to get the populations back up. I might follow the electric fence advice as well as put them on a hefty stand and strap it down.
Thanks for the advice guys.