Bear Fences: a Beekeeper's Insurance Policy

• #1- Why we need to protect against Bear.

• #2- The Elements of an Electric Fence (made easy).

• #3- Actual Footage of a Bear Fence working!!

Now let’s get into the core of each point! Pictures and video to help you on this one if needed .

Point #1- Why we need to protect our Hives from Bear.

Bears like honey! Right? Well, they will eat honey but they are actually after the protein in the hive; The Brood!! Bears turn over logs and dig into mounds constantly looking for grubs, it’s their protein. They will eat other things like berries and pop-tarts too. They can smell an apiary from miles away!

In order to get to the brood, a bear uses its powerful paws to tear a hive apart, ripping out the frames and will even drag the equipment away from all the stings in order to eat in peace.

I have never witnessed a bear attack on an apiary but I have cleaned up the aftermath on two separate occasions:

• The first was in Florida. A yard of 36 hives and we were able to salvage less than 10 and if I remember correctly they dwindled to nothing.

• The second time was a student’s apiary in Helen, Georgia. They were out of the country at the time and someone saw the damaged hive parts spread out everywhere. So they called me and I hunted down equipment way off in the woods, salvaging what I could but the colony died.

When it comes to bear, our bees really stand no chance against them. They require extra help in the form of electricity. Let’s learn how to do that now!

Point #2- The 5 Elements of an Electric Fence.

If you’re anything like me in the beginning, the thought of an electric fence was overwhelming. I didn’t understand the components or how it worked, much less how to set one up myself. These doubts kept me without protection around my first apiary for two or three years.

However, now that I have grown to multiple apiaries throughout the county, I decided that my mind needed to grow as well. I have since learned how to set up an electric fence and how they work. Here are the five components that make an electric fence work in order to protect your beehives.

Each component is linked to Amazon where you can see it for yourself OR you can go directly to Premier One Netting and see what they have. It’s a game-changer from traditional Post & Wire electric fencing.

Component #1- The Fencing.

This is the most obvious component because it’s the one we can see as the thing that wraps around the stuff we’re trying to protect. My 100’ fences (or two 50’ fences put together) give me enough room to maintain 16 hives comfortably.

It needs to be long enough to surround your apiary AND give you enough room inside the fence to work your hives comfortably without bumping into the fence. The energizer has an alligator clip that attaches to the fence, sending that jolt of electricity through the fence day and night.

Component #2- The Energizer.

This is the part that sends the electric punch through the fencing and to the nose of a nosey bear. It’s highly recommended to use an energizer that delivers at least 1 joule of energy. I use energizers that power 1 joule and others that give 2 joules.

However, the energizer needs a power source in order to function. Energizers come equipped for AC power OR 12V DC power (not both). If you’re near your home or an outbuilding, run an electric cord and plug your energizer to it. The energizer has two alligator clips: the red one attaches to the fence and the black one to the ground rod.

If you are not located to an energy source, you will need to off-grid it which is when the remaining components come into play.

Component #3- a Deep-cycle, 12V battery.

This is the part that powers the Energizer and gives it the juice it needs to stay working for months to come.

Now that you have a battery, you can power your energizer to give the power through the fence needed to protect against bear. However, over time the battery alone would simply be used up, get low on power and die. That’s why we need a solar panel! It helps to maintain our batteries with charge.

The battery has the energizer and solar panel hooked to its terminals via alligator clips.

Component #4- the Solar Panel.

This is the part that recharges your battery so that it doesn’t get wimpy and run out of energy.

Now your battery can continue to provide energy to the energizer for months to come before needing recharged or replaced.

Note: If you use a 10 watt solar panel directly hooked to your battery, it will not become overcharged. HOWEVER, if you use any solar panel stronger than 10 watts then you will need to incorporate something called a Charge Controller. It regulates the power from the solar panel going into your 12V battery so that the battery is not overcharged.

The solar panel charges the battery via alligator clips.

Component #5- the Ground Rod.

This is the part that completes the entire electric circuit so that the fence delivers the biggest wallop of energy possible to any would-be intruders.

A ground rod is hammered down into the ground for several feet. It comes into contact with the moist, wet ground and creates a very conductive circuit of energy.

The energizer is hooked to the ground rod via one alligator clip.

Point #3- Actual footage of my Bear fence working!!

Okay so the moment you have all been waiting for!!

I was at one of my apiary locations when I caught on camera what you’re about to see! It’s at the end of my latest YouTube video on the Bear Fence.

My YouTube video covering this article in visual detail here!

Get everything bee-related that you need this year from Blythewood Bee Company. Check out their inventory here! Blythewood Bee CO. Btw, the owner is the guy who invented Swarm Commander! Get yours and attract some free bees this year!

Thanks for reading all the way to the bottom 😉. I want to hear from you!