A Bear in the Bee Yard!
We live in rural BC. Bears are a part of nature here. We know it, accept it, and make plans accordingly. We see bears nearly every year, sometimes multiple times.
As beekeepers, we have four permanent bee yards where we keep hives year around. Sometimes they get moved for a week or two to pollinate local cherry orchards, but then they go back to their yard. Each is situated in a farming area where there’s a good mix of wildflowers, alfalfa, clover, etc.
Two of our yards are near bear habitat. Thus, these bee yards have fences around them as advised by both the Conservation Officer and the honey board. The other two yards are in much areas much less likely to be visited by bears.
Winnie-the-Pooh is not the only bear that likes honey! But frankly, they’re more interested in the protein to be found in the brood chambers of a hive than the honey. They can totally destroy a hive.
We found an overturned hive at one of our unprotected bee yards a couple of days ago, with evidence that a bear was the perpetrator. $600.00 and a few hours later Jim had erected an electric net fence around the perimeter of the bee yard, hooked up to a solar-powered battery.
The Conservation Officer came around and set up a bear trap. The main bait, hanging at the front of the trap, is part of a dead lamb, drenched in molasses. When the bear tugs at the bait, the door slams shut behind him.
The CO brought along a piece of pork belly as well, which he chopped into bits outside, near the entrance of the trap. He tossed these into the trap, emptied in a can of sardines, and drizzled more molasses over these.
Then he showed Jim and our mentor, Lew, how to set the trap’s mechanism. It needs to be opened in the evening but closed in the daytime.
Did you take that photo of the bear??? It’s HUGE! Once they trap the bear, do they relocate it? Can’t imagine seeing that in my backyard.
I did take that picture of a bear, but he is NOT the bear in the bee yard. We haven’t seen that one yet. Yes, the plan is to relocate him once we catch him.
Okay, so how often do they have to replenish the food in the trap if the bear doesn’t come back immediately? It seems to me that would start rotting and smelling pretty quickly!
The trap is checked daily and more bait is added as required. A bear has a different sensitivity than you or I, so the smellier the bait, the more likely it will entice a bear. They have a reputation for digging through garbage dumps for a reason.
Thankfully it is in a rural area, not too close to any homes.
Can’t wait to hear about the one you trap! Hopefully life will settle down for you!
Peace, Julie
Still on the loose!
Bears are a part of our rural living, too, as are deer, ‘coons, coyotes and cougars, but I don’t think we’re quite as rural as you. Still, we’ve had them on our deck looking for birdfeeders and in our fenced side yard hoping for garbage. They can be such a nuisance, and a danger. I have a bear bell I sometimes remember to wear when I’m out doing quiet gardening things, because I don’t wish to surprise them or have them surprise me! I hope you have a resolution soon.
Whoo, Valerie, exciting post, and I enjoyed it very much. Hope to hear more about your bees and the bear! 🙂
LOL. I hope there is no more to the story! The bear never triggered the trap. The trap has been removed. Hopefully the bear wandered away up the mountain. 🙂
I know you don’t find this that cool…but really it is. Sorry about the hive and I’m glad he’s moved on. Or she moved on.
Oh, I definitely find it interesting, or I wouldn’t have posted about it! Though I do know that people in other parts of the world are more fascinated by bears because they don’t see them as often as we do. As it was our first time with one getting in our hives, it was worth a write up.