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See
the
Badger Bulletins
for
innovative and cost effective ways to protect your beehives from honey
badgers. Developed by beekeepers for
beekeepers
Overview
of beehive protection methods:
For
thousands of years Africa’s traditional beekeepers have had to contend
with honey badgers raiding their beehives. The fixing and suspension of
hollowed log and basket hives in the upper branches of tall trees to
protect against both theft and badgers is commonplace (Fichtl 1995;
Kigatiira 1984; Robinson 1982; Rosevear 1974). Satisfactory results have
also been obtained using wire stands and it was suggested that hives far
from habitation should be placed on a trestle 1,5 meters above the ground
with an overlapping platform (Kingdon 1989; Clauss & Clauss 1991). In
Zambia and Tanzania guards and thorn bush barriers are sometimes
constructed round a tree trunk to prevent badgers from climbing up to
hives (Ansell 1960; Kingdon 1989). In Tanzania it has been shown that
preventative measures, including chemical deterrents, can be effective and
by suspending beehives by wires from trees, attacks can be avoided. (Neal
& Cheeseman 1996; Neal 1986). In Israel beekeepers stake down beehives
to prevent the badgers from toppling them over (Mendelssohn & Yom-Tov
1987). In Europe various smell and taste (consisting primarily of
aluminium ammonium phosphate) repellents have been marketed for European
badgers (Meles meles). However, none of these products are very
effective and electric fencing has proved the most effective way of
deterring European badgers (Cheeseman pers. comm.).
Some
beekeepers in the Western Cape resorted to extreme measures to protect
their hives, including attaching treble fishing hooks to hives and the use
of trap guns. 78% of the beekeepers surveyed in the Western Cape who were
experiencing problems with honey badgers had protected their hives in one
form or another. After hive protection, badger damage was reduced from
21.8% to 6%. While most beekeepers sustained negligible damage after
protection, those that made no such effort continued to sustain high
losses of between 10% to 75%.
Beekeepers
(N=20) that could provide figures before and after hive protection were
able to show that hive damage dropped from 23,8% to 1% once suitable
protection was incorporated. In
monetary terms this equates to a saving of R79 072 per annum (See Economic
implications of badger conflict) for the average beekeeper. 70% of these beekeepers reported no
further damage after protecting their hives.
The
cost of protecting hives ranged widely from an estimated R3 to R150 per
beehive. Of the 19 beekeepers that provided cost estimates for building
stands (the most expensive form of protection), the average cost was R37
per hive. This means that each beekeeper (who owns on average 493 hives)
would have to outlay approximately R18 241 to protect all hives for many
years from badger damage. This is significantly less than the annual
outlay of R13 370 that the same beekeeper has to incur to chemically treat
hives against the potential threat of the parasitic Varroa mite (S.
Algera, Zilex International pers. comm.).
The
raiding of domestic beehives by honey badgers can be considered to be a
learnt behaviour. Therefore, the sooner a beekeeper adopts some sort of
hive protection measures the less effort he will need to expend in the
future. While each beekeeper had different designs and costs, there were
two recurring themes when protecting hives from badgers. Hives were either
protected while still on the ground or they were raised well above ground
level on a stand or trestle.
The
first protective measure was to ensure that the beehive itself was in good
condition and of sturdy construction. Botha (1970) mentioned that he had
never known a badger to “rob well constructed hives”. This action was
the approach adopted by 19% of the beekeepers surveyed. Badgers typically
rolled the hive over and then ripped the super or lid from the brood box,
particularly if the bottom board and lid were weakened due to moisture and
the resulting wood rot. To prevent the badger from succeeding, the various
sections of the hive must be fastened together. Simply wrapping baling
wire (2,4mm) around the entire hive is effective, but could involve an
excessive amount of wire and wastage. In addition, badgers were often
strong enough to shift the lid or super sufficiently to gain purchase and
ripped the box and frames apart.
A
more effective technique, at a cost of R1 per hive, was to insert 3 screws
placed triangularly across each section of the hive. The
“Pozi-drive” chipboard screw (size 8x50mm) was found to be ideal for
this purpose. A short piece of baling wire could then be wrapped around
the protruding head of each screw. This enabled the hive to be inspected
easily and the same piece of wire reused. To prevent badgers rolling the
hive, half (70cm) of a standard fence dropper was used to peg two opposing
sides of the hive and a section of wire attached to the protruding eye of
the dropper and wrapped around a Pozi-drive screw set at each corner of
the bottom board. Pegging the hive in such a manner costs approximately R7
per hive.
Photo:
This hive's lid has been secured to the brood box with binding wire
wrapped around 3 "pozi-drive screws. The bottom board is fastened in
a similar fashion to a half section of standard dropper pegged on both
sides.
An
alternative to wire was the use of industrial steel straps but the initial
cash outlay was high. The two
tools necessary for crimping and tensioning each strap together cost
approximately R2000. A bulk roll of strapping along with attachment clips
cost R1400 and an extra labourer needs to be employed to release or fasten
each hive. The same section of steel strap could be reused for one season
only. Steel was preferred
over galvanised straps as they are cheaper and biodegraded faster once
abandoned. To return rolled hives to their correct position, hives were
routinely checked every 3 to 4 weeks. Bees seldom absconded from hives
that had been rolled.
Photo: This hive's
lid and bottom board is constructed from thick timber and secured to the
brood box with a metal tab. The strap securing the hive with clips costs
+-R1 per hive. A badger can roll the hive but cannot break in.
Hives were often placed
inside or between bushes to prevent them being rolled. To improve the
hives structural strength 50mm Pozi-drive screws were preferred over
nails. Steel tabs or large staples were used to ensure that a hives super
or lid was fastened securely to the brood box. A standard hive tool was
used to quickly remove the staples, and one beekeeper carried a cordless
electric screwdriver to speed up the process of removing screws and steel
tabs. Hive bottom boards and roofs were constructed with “Panelite” or
20mm solid wood and joined together with epoxy and screws.
The alternative method of
protecting hives, particularly hives in poor condition, was to raise them
onto stands or trestle tables. Some 81% of beekeepers surveyed had opted
to protect their hives using for this method. Many of them mentioned that
hives on stands were easier to work with, offered protection against
baboons, helped keep the hive dry and last longer, aided in avoiding ants
and stopped undergrowth covering the entrance to the hive. Typically hives
were raised between 0,8 to 1,5 meters above the ground. It was essential
that the stand was secure and that the hive was fastened to the stand by
some means. While a badger could often reach the hive by standing on
it’s hind legs, providing it had been properly secured it seemed to lack
the leverage or power to topple the hive or stand if correctly secured.
With some designs the badger was capable of climbing up the stand, but
could not break in if correctly secured.
Photo:
This hive is situated within a 5x5 meter diamond mesh fenced perimeter.
Diamond mesh was buried in trench with earth and packed rocks. A trestle
made from old tar drums and scrap pipes was covered in razor wire at R10 /
meter.
Many
beekeepers visited scrap yards and municipal dumps to salvage steel and
wire for constructing hives. Old fence poles, 200 litre drums and used car
tyres (figures 13, 14 & 15) were often obtained free of charge to
create a trestle. In these instances it was considered important that
tyres and drums were filled with sand and stone to secure them properly.
Photo:
Old car tyres were regularly used to raise hives. The tyres must be packed
with stone and gravel and secured together with bailing wire. While
inexpensive to erect, tyres were prone to fire and labour intensive to
move again.
Photo:
This apiary was located in a private nature reserve and was aesthetically
pleasing. Discarded fence posts were treated. Each post must be at least
20 cm higher than the crossbars to prevent the secured hive from being
pushed off by badgers.
Photo:
This platform was erected for less than R10 per hive. The platform was
welded together from scrap metal and nailed to the upright pole. The eucalyptus
pole was self felled and buried approximately 40 cm into the earth. These
stands were reported to have fared well during recent fires.
Steel
stands, while relatively more expensive, often looked better than drums or
tires and were expected to last longer.
Photo:
This trestle, made from old irrigation pipes will last many years and
will not be damaged by fire or badgers. The solidly constructed steel
pipes were treated with non-corrosive paint. Greased tins prevent ants
climbing up the legs.
Photo:
These steel stands cost R150 each and were cemented into the ground.
The stand's low height means that it was essential that hive each hive be
well constructed. The bottom board bolts directly onto the stand.
Photo:
This robust, easily moved hive stand cost R76. Badgers have never been
known to damage hives protected in this manner. The steel platform can be
easily removed from the dropper when needed in other apiaries.
Two
concerns were raised by beekeepers about raising hives onto stands. The
first was that when elevated above surrounding vegetation the Western
Cape’s prevailing winds (particularly along the coastal lowlands)
lowered the temperature inside hives and this decreased honey production.
The second concern was that bees would not readily return to the hive if
the beekeeper used the technique of “stamping” the super onto the
ground during honey harvesting. This was done to remove the bees from the
super and normally the bees congregate on the ground and many walk back to
the hive.
Opinions
vary but Hepburn & Radloff (1998) drew attention to the rule of thumb
that “the higher the hive, the higher the occupation rate”, suggesting
that bees may indeed prefer being off the ground. Many beekeepers
mentioned that bees do not like damp conditions and preferred being off
the ground (this is borne out by the location of hives in the wild). The
fact remains that many beekeepers successfully keep their hives on stands,
and that any small decrease in production is far out weighed by
substantial losses incurred by badgers should hives remain on the ground.
Beekeepers
in the Piketberg district used timber stands successfully for more than 50
years, and at least one of these stands was currently still in use. Many
commercially successful beekeepers, operating more than 1000 beehives each
were using stands with excellent results. Some beekeepers found it
beneficial to buy old second hand hives and protect them on well-made
stands. A summary of beehive protection methods is listed below (table 7).
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