Bears go after bee hives because the hives are a wonderful source of food. Honey is a delicious treat. The bears do enjoy it, but it’s not what they are really after. They are more interested in the young bees. The young bees in the brood are jam-packed with protein and fat. Honey, on the other hand, is mostly made of sugar.
Brood: bee pupae, larvae, and eggs
Bears are willing to endure bee stings to get the nutritious snack located in the brood. A bear can actually get away without too many stings because the bees have a hard time stinging through the bear’s fur. Only the bear’s face and ears are susceptible to multiple bee stings. A bear will go after exactly what he is looking for and then get away from the hive.
In late October the three bee hives at Woodrow’s Apiary were attacked by a bear. Jessica and Woody were taking an early morning stroll around the yard when Jessica saw the damage. It was a cold and rainy day, and Jessica immediately worried about the health of the hives.
The supers were uncovered, and a few were tipped upside down. Jessica took a picture and texted it to Kevin. The bees would not last in the cold air and wet conditions. So she pulled the hood of her sweatshirt down tight around her face and began to stack and cover the supers.
Super: a wooden box that holds frames for bee comb
The supers that were still upright were easy to deal with. The bees clung to the comb and allowed Jessica to stack and cover them. The supers that were upside down were another story. The bees were very agitated and on the defense. There was a smell of ripe banana skin in the air. When bees are being attacked, they signal other bees by releasing pheromones. The pheromone smells like bananas. Jessica managed to turn a super over, lift it off the ground, and cover it. The second super was heavy with honey. She couldn’t lift it. The bees were definitely on the defense and doing what they could to protect their hive. They headed for her eyes and nose, perhaps thinking she was another bear, so she quickly covered her face with the sleeve of her sweatshirt and stepped away.
Pheromones: a chemical substance produced and released by a bee to signal other bees. Bee pheromone smells like bananas and signals the other bees to go on the defense to protect the hive.
She headed back to the house to suit up properly. By the time she pulled on her veil Kevin pulled in the driveway. He suited up and headed to the hives.
