Bear and the Apiary - Electric Fence Saves Bees 07-03-2020!!

Well, our not so friendly neighborhood bear wanted another meal last night just as we are recovering - thankfully the electric fence did it's job! I learned more yet again - don't have any smells on your battery cover, don't let them have a chance to pull it apart!
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[@topspinaurelius]

That is a smart, patient bear, he will be back!

[@leroyrussell8766]

And if he doesn't move that battery into the enclosure, the bear will eventually knock it over enough to disconnect it. I've seen other videos where the bears, through persistence, end up knocking out the power source, and then do their damage when they realize the fence is no longer a problem. And yes, this bear realized that fence was a problem, and likely knows it because of experiences with other people's fences, and yet here it was, trying to crack this puzzle. Likely because it has been successful on occasion, at knocking out the power.

[@KF4ALO]

Very satisfying to anyone who’s lost multiple hives.

[@FrederickDunn]

OH Man! Bears have great memories and that experience was a valuable one! They have great hearing and know that "ticking" sound that the fence chargers put out. Some bears have learned to swat at the charging system until it stops ticking, then they go right in. Did your bear come back? I'm hoping NO. This showed up in my recommended video views, glad I watched it! I enjoy seeing bears get routed away from bees :)

[@Jerfish1]

Thanks so much! There were a number of revisits by a few different bears, none of which tempted fate by touching the fence again so far... that was about a week after a bear took down hive 1 (which survived eventually!). I moved the charger behind the fence after that happened last year. Last week I put up a new perimeter that is extended out from the bees and able to incorporate the chicken coop as well-and give some breathing room for the bees!

[@FrederickDunn]

@@Jerfish1 Excellent all the way around! Thanks for the response :)

[@joshkoh5143]

@@Jerfish1 i seen cats avoid electric fences when its live ,its because their whiskers can sense it ,maybe its similar with bears ,thats if bears do have whiskers tho

[@polemera]

Close call! The fence earned its keep. Might want to put the battery and peripherals inside the fence. Great videos!

[@Jerfish1]

I did exactly that! I might’ve had a little jolt once or twice turning it off but worth it! I may eventually put it on a switch I can reach over the fence to

[@sirtango1]

@@Jerfish1 this is a good time of the year to buy remote controlled outlets! Put everything inside the fence and use the remote to turn it on and off. No more getting shocked 😁

[@seanmon9853]

That was a very cool thing to be able to witness! Boy he took off pretty quick!

[@saguaro_farm]

That is an amazing sight to see! Looks like he’s got a lot of weight on him, like he’s gotten into other hives before!

[@Jerfish1]

Ya, Yogi certainly seemed to know all the hotspots for food!

[@burklander3338]

One real possible reason that the bear was suspicious of the setup is that the electrical charge running through the system causes a creation of small amounts of ozone gas as ionization occurs between the air and the wire. Sometimes people can smell this, if we can smell it, the bear surely can. This could be what was spooking the bear and made it suspicious.

[@Jerfish1]

Good point!

[@claytona8962]

Put fencer battery and all connections inside your fence to keep a smart bear from knocking it out(disabling it).......Clayton

[@laurallinas-lux2052]

Omg fascinating but very scary how close the bear got! Thank goodness the fence worked!

[@rogerjoseph2532]

thats right. We only have black bears in Northern Ontario and their scary enough, lol. I'm so glad my entire yard, out in the country, is protected by electric fence.

[@robinrobyn1714]

Bears 🐻 are extremely intelligent. I saw a video where a 🐻 used a pair of wire cutters to get through a fence. In another video, the 🐻 happened to come upon an electrified fence like this one, and it simply dug a tunnel under the fence and destroyed, completely, the apiary inside the fence line.

[@RootTea1]

Video links?

[@WJack97224]

You are likely aware of other folks who have put mesh ground plates at the base of the fence. Thanks for the video.

[@Jerfish1]

Ya I've heard of that - seems so far so good with the new setup :)

[@mohammadimranhasan5265]

One time animal dig the ground and was able to get in. That night I lost about 70 chickens. Then I start thinking and found the solution. Never lost a single one. I put two row fence(1 feet away). Also some net on top. Only outer fence is powered. I saw wild animals observing but never tried to cross the fence. They do not know 2nd fence is powered or not. It was a big puzzle for them.

[@Terralynsparrow]

Really neat footage!

[@rogerjoseph2532]

good job. thats how I protect my chicken coup

[@Jerfish1]

Funny you say that, I was planning on getting chickens the spring and doing the same! I’m probably going to use Electric netting

[@rogerjoseph2532]

@@Jerfish1 great. Let me know if you need any advice

[@muchimi]

double layers!!!

[@CrimeVid]

of course the bear was suspicious, electric fences make a noise.

[@eliinthewolverinestate6729]

I use unwelcome boards for bear on my Lazutin hives. Anchored to tree stumps and 4x4 stands.

[@annwithaplan9766]

I don't know why more people don't do this.

[@masonhidari]

The battery placement is like a video game weakness for the player aka bear to exploit 😂

[@Jerfish1]

Luckily we patched the exploit before anyone could fully utilize it!

[@masonhidari]

@@Jerfish1 yep . wish EA could learn a thing or two

[@liftingweights]

Bear barely touch it to know he could not bear it

[@Jerfish1]

Perfect!

[@piethecatfunnies2137]

Put the battery inside the fence if you can

[@acmr3215]

Most animals hear the click, click, of the charge, that probably put him on edge for awhile.

[@kirbywaite1586]

It's said they are the smartest land animals next to humans

[@pois3689]

Recinto perfetto.

[@Fester_]

The cut in the tape just before the bear ran - was the bear actually unconscious or convulsing that was kept from YT eyes.?

[@Jerfish1]

Oh gosh no! But good question! The game cam shut off after the time that it’s programmed to record with movement, and turned on again with the new movement-0.5-2J of shock is not enough to cause significant damage or anything to a bear (as even my chickens tolerate the occasional zap without harm).

[@frankmeyers7304]

Put the charger inside the fence

[@noahriding5780]

So... there's a lot of different fence charger kits on the market. Is there a certain number of joules stats that you need for bears? What stats do you need on the charger for it to drive off the bear? I've heard of some beekeepers having fence chargers work. But I don't think all of them have succeeded. I don't know if this is related to the charger's stats or just determination of the animal though (?).

[@Jerfish1]

I think 1J fence chargers are a good one for bears, although even .5 can probably do it - just a deterrent after all. When the fence doesn’t work, it’s usually the result of a grounding issue (like not enough of a grounding rod for the water content of the dirt or distance from fence) or how it’s connected (all Hot vs every other for making the connection combined with the ground issue again - as snow will not conduct generally for instance). The bigger issue is, once a bear gets a taste, or if it reallllly wants it, they’ll go through just about anything. The Charger that worked on this guy was a 1J low impedance, but I use a 2J one now (it’s plugged into 110AC so can go bigger easier compared with solar or battery). There are a lot of 1J DC battery ones on the market, some with solar built in.. Personally - I’d try to get a 1J minimum. Some people ‘bait’ the Bear to ‘train’ them (they have amazing memories, year to year even) by putting peanut butter or bacon on the hot line so they get a zip on those moist mucus membranes that really will impact them - I haven’t done that and so far they’ve been jolted a few times and left it alone w/o doing that.

[@noahriding5780]

Thank you.

[@greenvilla7]

you should use a sturdier setup like an electrified barbed-wire fence instead with the battery placed inside your perimeter ...

[@MrOramato]

Why isn’t the battery inside the protected area ?

[@olddave4833]

I've had several bears visit my hives and had only one make it thru and I think that it was because he was so hungry or mad as he tried digging under the fence in several places before he actually took a fence post down, then he only took one hive, he was getting zapped all the way as the ground was very wet and he had to stand on the wires laying on the ground. the fence was putting out 9000 volts and is now down to 7.5 and probably needs a new ground rod., besides the fence, I now have motion detectors that set off a shotgun blast plus other weird noises. up in the town about a half mile away people set up a smorgasbord for the bears every Sunday night so the garbage truck can come about 5 AM on Monday. everyone complains about the garbage all over the streets every Monday morning and the town fathers are to stupid to have the people put out the garbage at 7AM and have the truck come before 5PM or dark. if they get a meal, they will be back..

[@Jerfish1]

Wow that’s quite a setup! So far so good over the last two years with a couple different setups (I added chickens so using poultry electric net fence now and have a hard-wired 2J system).

[@11304800]

Question--WHY have the battery OUTSIDE the fense?

[@Jerfish1]

At the time? Ease of shut off w/o reaching through the fence, threw it together last minute after the first fence charger went down, etc. Changed immediately after, less than a week after throwing it together after the first bear ripping through the old fence when the charger failed.

[@john1cheree]

My brother raised hogs at one time. He installed an electric fence around his field, One evening when I was visiting him he said, I wonder if this fence really works. So he whips out his UUUU thing and commences to pee on the fence. When his stream hit the fence wire I Could see electricity go up his stream and make contact, Then my brother is sent flying backwards into the weeds and he is moaning in pain. I laughed till my sides hurt. He cussed me for laughing saying it wasn't funny, which of course it really was. Especially that electric shock wave. I am 68 now, And I can still the whole thing as if it were yesterday. And I still laugh.

[@skakpedersen]

You had the batteries OUTSIDE the fence ? ?

[@Jerfish1]

Live and learn. Didn’t think bears played with batteries. They play with everything apparently

[@RockyPatrol]

Bear: I'll be back with my rubber boots on ...

[@Jerfish1]

Then he’d be Smarter than the average bear? I would have to call him Yogi then for sure!

[@nemo227]

Electric fences may be a better value than insurance. You pay an insurance premium over and over and over.

[@SantaPlaysPickleball]

Helpful video. Thanks. I’m researching fencing for this exact purpose in Northwestern CT. May I ask what your setup is? What brand of fence & power source? Thanks!

[@Jerfish1]

Sure thing. The fencing is just 12 gauge wire that I strung up using tea posts with insulators no specific brand really. I have some plastic disconnects also for getting in/out easy. Energizer is a Zareba EDC25M-Z 25mile/1 output joule DC energizer that I picked up at tractor supply, connected into a deep cycle marine battery. I wired a voltage/battery life gauge into the battery terminals to see life left, and have to charge it once a month. They make solar ones also (little bit less output though) if you have a good unobstructed sun view (although in CT you are like I am as far as lack of sunshine and a low sun/short day in winter). I have a ground rod (steel) sunk 4K into the ground (it’s not long distance so not much of an issue). My first one was a premier one netting bear fence and their solar energizer - the energizer died after a month and a bear took out one of my hives before I could replace it (while i was working with them). I was sick after that...

[@SantaPlaysPickleball]

@@Jerfish1 very helpful. Thanks!

[@stevleykoshy7388]

That must have felt great

[@DJOzYBoY]

Best idea is to keep the battery on the outside of the fence lol

[@Jerfish1]

Hindsight...lol I didn’t think the bear would say “I bet this Powers it!” Smarter than the average bear? Luckily when the battery was knocked over things kept running and Yogi was discouraged... battery is certainly behind the fence now!

[@Palanthon]

What fence system did you use? I need to get one of these as well. Been hit twice now.

[@Jerfish1]

The one that went bad was a premier 1 solar charger and fence. The part of the unit that put the shock out went bad after two months despite a full battery. The secondary fence from this video I put together using non-conductive poles and electrical fence wire plus a DC powered fence charger from tractor supply (pieced it together).

[@keithmartin1017]

get the hottest chili sauce you can find. paint all battery covers, trash lids... etc with the sauce. boy howdy it works.

[@minerran]

put the battery, etc, INSIDE the fence! If you can't step over the fence then put a switch on one of the poles. Bears are smart, you must be smarter.

[@Jerfish1]

Yup, have done that.

[@jesusblaster435]

Bro why don't you put the battery inside the fence? You can turn it off and on with a switch nearby! Have you ever tried this ?

[@Jerfish1]

Yes, it was changed the next day after that video was taken last year.

[@aussieprincess]

I just can’t imagine living where bears do. It just spins me out. I do have a question though, in states where there are bears what are the gun laws like? I know some states are more relaxed that’s others. I’m an Aussie so most of our things that can kill you can generally have their heads chopped off (we don’t do that though, they’re protected, yes some snakes are protected here) or squashed, or you just stay away from them.

[@Jerfish1]

Our local Department of environmental conservation says we can shoot a bear if it is actively attacking one of the hives. They protect apiaries that way in New York State at least. But if you shoot one in your front yard and your bees are in your backyard, if they find out and decide to investigate, they can take issue with it. Not necessarily would, but they could. Luckily overall the local blackbear population tends to avoid actual humans. They won’t avoid the garbage cans or the beehives, but actual humans they will...usually. There’s a very high population of bears in this area. On game cams around my house alone probably saw five different ones this summer, Plus a mother with three cubs.

[@rafishaikh3598]

BEAR: should have PAMPERS OR HUGGIES ON. RAFI MAINE USA

[@jamesturner7728]

Why would you not put the fence unit in side the fence

[@Jerfish1]

Easier access for me to turn it on and off, but I did after I saw that! I was figuring it out as I went/reaction after he attacked the last fence when the energizer failed. I didn’t figure he’d play with the battery. Trial by fire, I never had an electric fence before 😂

[@saldada6928]

🐝👍

[@arty-mt5wt]

The bees would have defended themselves.

[@Jerfish1]

Ya there were a lot of dead bees at the hive when the bear 90% destroyed one of the hives a week prior where they tried to fend it off (since they die when they sting). Queen also was killed. The second hive wasn’t touched luckily, and the first hive it mostly destroyed thankfully recovered over the year and raised a new queen.

[@savagebastard191]

Put bin on the inside of the parameter

[@Jerfish1]

Done

[@TABULAMPOTRUDI]

😂😂😂 smarts

[@anthonywashington2492]

Put the batteries on the inside of fence

[@Jerfish1]

Done!

[@tgapj6968]

Put battery inside fence out of reach.

[@eastwood111]

What if you put bear spray connected to a sensor? You can mount bear spray around the bees and if he trips a cord he will get sprayed

[@Jerfish1]

I like it! It’s like home alone for bears! Only problem-at least five different bears around here.

[@Hulktom2000]

i would put a double fence

[@Jerfish1]

I thought about that! like a tower defense game

[@tomchch]

That edit when the bear gets zapped is the worst edit i have ever seen.

[@Jerfish1]

I would agree, except It wasn’t an edit - unfortunately the game camera didn’t catch the exact moment and triggered when he moved after he got hit