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Author Topic: Bear!  (Read 2033 times)

Offline tomofreno

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Bear!
« on: October 16, 2013, 02:50:20 pm »
A bear got my hive last night.  I live south of Reno NV, fairly far from the mountains so we don't normally get bears down this far, but it is a very dry year and several neighbors have apple trees full of fruit.  I think that may be what attracted the bear, and then it caught scent of the hive.  It left two piles of apple scat near the hive.  The hive was knocked over and about half the comb removed.  The yellow jackets are robbing big time.  Don't seem to be as many honey bees as yellow jackets.  Maybe a bunch died stinging the bear?

Any thing I can do?  Seems a lost cause to me.  I'm sure the bear will be back, and even if I move the hive on my property it will smell it.  I righted the hive and put the top back on. Still holds together well, but the yellow jackets are going in and robbing. Sigh.  I'm thinking just let the bear finish the job...

Offline nella

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Re: Bear!
« Reply #1 on: October 16, 2013, 02:53:01 pm »
Electric fence around the hive. Hang some bacon on the hot wire of the fence.

Offline rober

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Re: Bear!
« Reply #2 on: October 16, 2013, 04:47:14 pm »
do you have enough frames of comb left to fill a hive body? did the queen survive? if so i'd wait til sunset ( so most of the foragers are home ) & move the hive home & add a robber screen or at least reduce the entrance. if there's no queen or not enough bees to defend the hive i'd freeze & store the surviving frames & store the equipment & buy a nuc in the spring. don't leave anything else for the bear or you'll end up a regular stopping place when it makes it's rounds.

Offline RHBee

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Re: Bear!
« Reply #3 on: October 16, 2013, 05:15:44 pm »
"A bear got my hive last night."

Friend, I really hate to hear about this kind of thing.

"Don't seem to be as many honey bees as yellow jackets.  Maybe a bunch died stinging the bear?'


More than likely you did lose a lot of bees, it's still earley some of them may come back later this after noon right at dusk.

"The hive was knocked over and about half the comb removed. Any thing I can do?"


Gather together what you can and move the hive well away from there. Evaluate the colony and try to find the queen.

"Still holds together well, but the yellow jackets are going in and robbing."

Reduce the entrance to just 1/2"X3/8", move the hive not only to fool the bear but to also get it away from the YJ invasion.

"I'm thinking just let the bear finish the job..."

I'm thinking if you have a queen you still have a chance.
Later,
Ray

Offline Oblio13

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Re: Bear!
« Reply #4 on: October 17, 2013, 07:20:06 am »
It would be safe to borrow money from the mob and bet that the bear will be back.

They're my biggest problem. I've had them walk through electric fences and tear apart a chain link enclosure.

When does bear season open? Fill your freezer and get a nice rug for your wife.

Here in NH, it's legal to shoot problem bears out of season, too, but they won't let you keep the meat or hide.

For next year, put up an electric fence with a serious charger and alternating hot and ground wires, and strap your hives to pallets. If the fence doesn't discourage them, then hopefully they'll make enough noise trying to get the hive apart that you'll wake up.

Offline trapperbob

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Re: Bear!
« Reply #5 on: October 17, 2013, 08:29:43 am »
Electric fence with bacon drooped over the wire . Bear eats bacon or tries lol ZAP!!! And bear is gone

Offline RHBee

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Re: Re: Re: Bear!
« Reply #6 on: October 17, 2013, 12:35:03 pm »
Here in NH, it's legal to shoot problem bears out of season, too, but they won't let you keep the meat or hide.

I was under the impression that you couldn't own a gun in NH let alone kill something.  Just funnin Oblio13. :-D
The mob money bet comment was spot on.
Later,
Ray

Offline AllenF

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Re: Bear!
« Reply #7 on: October 20, 2013, 03:33:46 pm »
Bear season in Nevada ends on December 31.