Deterring Bears using Electric Fencing with John Rath (S6, E16)

Fall is here. No amount of denial no longer can hide that fact, now.  There is lots to do to prep the bees for the coming cold months. You should be well down that task list of colony preparation. In this episode, we talk with Betterbee co-owner, John Rath, about constructing bear fences.

Fall is a time when all animals across the Northern Hemisphere prepare for the coming winter. Many find our carefully maintained bee colonies a great sweet energy source… with a crunchy coating. OR… there are those critters that find the hive box a great shelter from the winter cold winds, with warm food just above their head. Either spell problems for the bees and the beekeeper.

Bears are notorious for damaging bee yards across many parts of the country. Once a bear gets a taste for honey and bee larvae, it is hard to dissuade them. However, you can take steps to stop them before they get into your bee yard. Primarily, by building an electric fence around the parameter. While not an absolute defense, a well-constructed bear fence will deter many bears from destroying your yard.

In today’s episode, we talk with John Rath about what it takes to build an electric bear fence then perhaps just importantly… how to train a bear to fear the fence!

If you don’t have bear problems now, you may in the future. This episode will help you prepare for the possibility.

Leave comments and questions in the Comments Section of the episode's website.

Thank you for listening!

Links and websites mentioned in this podcast:

• Betterbee - https://www.betterbee.com/
• Honey Bee Obscura - https://www.honeybeeobscura.com

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Betterbee is the presensting sponsor of Beekeeping Today Podcast. Betterbee’s mission is to support every beekeeper with excellent customer service, continued education and quality equipment. From their colorful and informative catalog to their support of beekeeper educational activities, including this podcast series, Betterbee truly is Beekeepers Serving Beekeepers. See for yourself at www.betterbee.com

This episode is brought to you by Global Patties! Global offers a variety of standard and custom patties. Visit them today at http://globalpatties.com and let them know you appreciate them sponsoring this episode! 

Thanks to Strong Microbials for their support of Beekeeping Today Podcast. Find out more about heir line of probiotics in our Season 3, Episode 12 episode and from their website: https://www.strongmicrobials.com

Thanks for Northern Bee Books for their support. Northern Bee Books is the publisher of bee books available worldwide from their website or from Amazon and bookstores everywhere. They are also the publishers of The Beekeepers Quarterly and Natural Bee Husbandry.

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We hope you enjoy this podcast and welcome your questions and comments in the show notes of this episode or: [email protected]

Thank you for listening! 

Podcast music: Be Strong by Young Presidents; Epilogue by Musicalman; Walking in Paris by Studio Le Bus; A Fresh New Start by Pete Morse; Wedding Day by Boomer; Original guitar background instrumental by Jeff Ott

Beekeeping Today Podcast is an audio production of Growing Planet Media, LLC

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