Bears

I had this bear on my trail cam in 2008. A little creepy looking.

This is the time of year when a mother bear chases off her two year old cubs. The mother is going to look for a mate and no cubs can be with her.
 The cubs must find an area to live in. The females are easily accepted as a possible mate and are not chased off by rivals.
 Male cubs on the other hand are constantly challenged by other male bears if they are in an established male's bear territory. The young male bears, are chased out of their home area and must find a new territory to live in.
 What does this mean for beekeepers? These young bears can pick a territory that normally doesn't have bears. So, a beekeepers that has never had a bear fence is a ripe target for these young bears.
 If you are near any areas that have had bears, you may want to consider a bear fence. This is a link to the MN DNR and their bear fence design. The material costs are way off, but the design is solid. A bear fencer should be 12 volt and put out at least 2 joules of energy.
http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/assistance/backyard/privatelandhabitat/beehive_protection_with_electric_fence.pdf