The buzz about the bears and the bees

The poet Robert Frost wrote “Good fences make good neighbors,” and no where is that truer than when it comes to bees and bears.

UNR Extension Educator Dr. Lindsay Chichester said that’s the big lesson she took away from her experience raising bees in Carson Valley.

Chichester spoke at the Bee & Garden Conference conducted at the Carson Valley Inn over the weekend. She was one of 80 participants from across the Silver State at the conference.

She said one of the things she learned early on was that bears will find the hives.

“If you live in an area where bears are at, you’ve got to fence,” she said. “You’ve got to do something because bears will find you. Don’t believe that they won’t. They will, and they can destroy your hives. They’ll keep coming back. So, be prepared to fence for bears.”

With snow on the verge of melting off in the Sierra, bears that bothered to hibernate will be waking up hungry.

“Come spring, their body mass will have naturally decreased and as a result, bears will be on the lookout for easily accessible food sources to help rebuild those fat reserves,” according to the Tahoe Interagency Bear Team. “Bears will instinctively seek out areas where they can find fresh greens like grasses and forbs which can bring them into neighborhoods.”

Bee hives are far from the only thing attracting bears into Carson Valley. Bears will also get into bird feeders and garbage.

Vegetation tends to green up early in the lower elevations and that can bring bears down to lower altitudes.

Fourteen of the 45 bears killed last year were hit by cars, according to the Nevada Department of Wildlife.

“Please be vigilant about cleaning up and securing bear attractants,” according to the Bear Team. “Many people choose to feed birds in winter, but please do not let bird feeders attract and feed bears. Now is the time to take those bird feeders down completely.”

Bears are nature’s vehicle burglars and will break into a car to get at any food left inside.

“Clean out vehicles, and always keep vehicle windows closed and doors locked with no food or visible coolers inside,” according to the team. “In addition, remember to keep doors and windows locked on buildings to prevent bears from breaking into structures.”

Visit www.ndow.org/blog/living-with-bears about living with bears in Nevada.