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Author Topic: Bear Control  (Read 7215 times)

Offline watercarving

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Bear Control
« on: January 23, 2008, 10:39:24 pm »
I want to put in a couple of hives at my house but know there will be bears around. If I put them close to my dog run is that good enough or do I need some kind of electric fencing? I need to go as cheap as possible without losing my bees. Would need to do solar because of location.

Thanks.
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Offline Kathyp

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Re: Bear Control
« Reply #1 on: January 23, 2008, 10:58:42 pm »
there is a pretty good portable charger called a yellow jacket.  it runs on 4 D cell batteries.  i take it to run portable horse fencing when i'm camping.  works pretty well.  cheaper than solar in the short run. 

do a search on here about bears and fencing.  it's been discussed a lot and you'll probably get some good ideas.
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Offline Brian D. Bray

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Re: Bear Control
« Reply #2 on: January 24, 2008, 01:56:39 am »
My choice for a Bear deterent is a 375 Whetherby.
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Offline JP

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Re: Bear Control
« Reply #3 on: January 24, 2008, 03:05:15 am »
My choice for a Bear deterent is a 375 Whetherby.

How's that work Brian? You just wave it at them and they run away? :-D

That's gotta hurt, JP
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Offline Paraplegic Racehorse

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Re: Bear Control
« Reply #4 on: January 24, 2008, 12:42:19 pm »
I want to put in a couple of hives at my house but know there will be bears around. If I put them close to my dog run is that good enough or do I need some kind of electric fencing? I need to go as cheap as possible without losing my bees. Would need to do solar because of location.

Placing them next to the dog run is not very effective. A friend of mine has brownies constantly moving across his property and they completely ignore the dogs (next the stream where the salmon run).

Personally, I would wait on fencing (while setting aside some money for it, later) until you actually have a bear incident. There is a pretty good chance they wont find your bees for quite a while. Your local farm feed store should have some good suggestions on fencing.
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Offline watercarving

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Re: Bear Control
« Reply #5 on: January 24, 2008, 03:36:30 pm »
My concern is that once they attack I'll be out my investment which I can't come up with again for a while. I can put up a small, solar powered fence for around $150.00. I'm afraid to start without it.
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Offline mark

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Re: Bear Control
« Reply #6 on: January 24, 2008, 08:43:44 pm »
   i want to tell you that boards with nails through them will keep bears at bay but i am concerned that children may frequent the area so i won't.   the boards must be turned over so YOU can gain access to the hives too.   were it my problem i may op to use my .58 cal longrifle (more fun than the weatherby).   

Offline pdmattox

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Re: Bear Control
« Reply #7 on: January 24, 2008, 09:06:12 pm »
We build a 3 wire electric fence around the bee yard and use solar fence chargers on some and others we set a lawn mower battery up to be a power source. We keep the charger and battery in a empty hive body and lid to keep the weater off the fence charger. If you have bears in the area then I would put up a fence.

Offline alfred

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Re: Bear Control
« Reply #8 on: January 29, 2008, 10:56:13 am »
 I am also interested in what people think contitutes an adequate bear fence. I have a 6 wire fence with the wires about 10 inch apart.  I have seen pictures of much more elaborate set ups.

I have also read that one should bait the fence so that the bear actually gets its mouth or nose on it. But this seem both excessive and also seems as though baiting would become possibly attract bears or other critters.

If you are concerned about kids. Put a fence around the electric fence to keep the kids off. I have my fence right next to my garden so I put up a fence around my electric fence just to keep me from wandering into it when I'm not paying attention.

Alfred

Offline Robo

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Re: Bear Control
« Reply #9 on: January 29, 2008, 11:18:32 am »
From someone that has major bear issues, the only thing that I have been successful with is baited electric fence.   I have had bear climb up on the roof of the garage to get to the hives.  I electrified the posts and had them tehn climb up the back of the building and over the roof.  Had to electrify around the whole perimeter.


I would highly recommend a quality solar or battery powered charger and baited wire. I have found that AC chargers, at least the cheap feed store one,  don't hold up in the long run and get taken out by lightning surges thru the power line.

Here is the portable setup I use when moving my hives.   This was taken in the Spring when the hives where still in my yard.   It went untouched even though I had 4 bear in my yard and they ripped the door off my chicken coop to get the birds and feed.   They also ripped thru my 8 foot garden fence to get to a couple of nucs I had in their.   I have a more permanent fenced in area with hives that also went untouched.  I bait the wire with hardware cloth smeared with peanut butter.


The problem with rifles is that it is usually too late and the damage is done,  and real determined bears will continue to come back and even deal with  the pain from buckshot.  Anything more than that with a rifle brings on too many headaches.
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Online Michael Bush

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Re: Bear Control
« Reply #10 on: January 29, 2008, 08:07:12 pm »
Try a search here on "bears" and on beesource. There are many discussions by people who have been there and can give excellent advice on how to set it up and how to bait it to get the bear to get shocked so they won't come back.
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Offline beebalm

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Re: Bear Control
« Reply #11 on: February 03, 2008, 07:12:16 pm »


     my father in law has used a system he learned from an old timer. the old timer is gone
  now. my father in law has used this for many years now, and has not had any problems
  with it, and we live in major bear country NE PENN.   he uses three strands of barb wire.
  the barb wire is used so  he can then wrap strips of bacon on the barbs. two strips on each
  side is enough. bacon will last a couple of weeks or longer. barb wire is cheap. talk to farmers!
  bacon does not cost much.  just need juice.  he seen one bear get hit. works well.
     watch where you put hives. one man i know put under tree with good fence and juice.
  bear climbed tree and climbed out on limb and dropped in.

                      hope all works out     bill
 

Offline peggjam

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Re: Bear Control
« Reply #12 on: February 10, 2008, 09:48:48 pm »
Bear fence around one of my outyards.  Remember, bears can climb trees, so you don't want your fence to be close to trees that are big enough for a bear to climb over.



Offline pdmattox

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Re: Bear Control
« Reply #13 on: February 10, 2008, 10:22:26 pm »
nice yard. are your hives on pallets?

Offline peggjam

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Re: Bear Control
« Reply #14 on: February 10, 2008, 11:18:56 pm »
Yes the hives are on pallets.  One of the few "level" yards I have.... :-D.

Offline Cindi

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Re: Bear Control
« Reply #15 on: February 12, 2008, 09:51:17 am »
Peggjam, nice picture of the apiary, love to see these pictures, have an awesome day, great life.  Cindi
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Offline blckoakbees

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Re: Bear Control
« Reply #16 on: April 08, 2008, 12:34:08 am »

We used 4 rows of electric tape for horse fencing and a solar charger.  I went with plastic fence poles along the sides and metal on the ends.  All equipment was purchased at local hardware\feed store.  It took us about two hours to put up and about $325 for everything with alot of leftover tape. Person at store advised us on how to put it up.

We have had no bear problem and we know there are bears in the area because we have seen alot of tracks and scat a little ways up the path.  I don't want to see the Bear given the size of the pile of scat.