Hay Swamp hive hit by black bear

Beekeeper Aaron Neeb inspects one of his hives in the bee yard where a black bear recently visited and destroyed a hive. A mother bear and two cubs have been spotted in the area.

By John Miner

South Huron beekeeper Aaron Neeb considers himself lucky that a black bear destroyed only one of his hives.

Other beekeepers have not been that fortunate.

Neeb, who runs three bee yards near Exeter, thought at first one of his hives in Hay Swamp had been destroyed by vandals.

The frames had been pulled out of the hive and the box dragged into the bush. Insulation was torn off two other hives.

The remaining 21 hives in the yard were untouched.

Neeb took pictures and contacted a provincial bee inspector, who determined the culprit was a bear.

“It is one of those things I would have never expected to happen,” said Neeb. “I’m thankful it wasn’t worse.”

He has seen photos of bear damage to hives in Bruce County and further north where all the boxes were knocked off and frames pulled out.

“They’ll go after everything they can.”

While bears will eat the honey, what they are really after is the protein from the young brood in the hive and the larva.

In the case of his hives, the bear hasn’t returned for more. He believes the incident was an opportunistic situation where the bear spotted the hives, got into one, and once they had enough, kept moving.

At the time of the demolition of his hive in mid-May a mother bear and two cubs were reportedly spotted in the Hay Swamp area.

Neeb plans to protect his hives with solar-powered electric fencing and also ensure he doesn’t leave empty frames or material in the area that might attract bears.

He has also posted a warning on Facebook that people living in the immediate area, or who walk their dogs there, should take these extra precautions:

- Keep pets on a leash at all times. A dog surprising a mama bear is a recipe for trouble.

- Secure your property. Bring in your bird feeders, secure your trash cans, and keep a close eye on outdoor pets.

- Give them space. If you see them, do not approach. Turn around calmly and leave the area.

The black bear incident in South Huron comes at a time when the province is considering a proposal to boost its bear population target for Bruce and Grey Counties.

The plan, posted on the Environmental Registry of Ontario, would set a target to increase the bear population in the counties from the current level of approximately 270 bears to a range of 400 to 600.