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"This is a True Story: One our commercial beekeeping customer put
us to this device. He runs bees around the Catskills and was
experiencing a lot of bear damage, despite his electric fences.
He now has 20 Critter Gitters and his bear problem has stopped." Betterbee 2008 catalog, p-33 "This battery operated motion detector emits loud noises and flashes red eyes when any movement is detected! High and low volume settings make this an option for bee yards that are close to the house or near neighbors. 90 degree radius and 50 feet of depth. Batteries included." - $49.95 |
Electric Fencing for Apiaries
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"...Since electricity will only travel through a closed circuit,
the fence wire, energizer and ground rod are three parts of
a circuit waiting to be closed; when a bear touches the wire,
it closes the circuit, and electrical current flows through
the bear. Consequently, the bear will feel a shock, really
rather a sharp jolt of electricity, which strongly discourages
him from touching the fence again. Most bears I've witnessed
getting shocked cannot put enough distance between themselves
and the fence fast enough. The strength of the shock depends
on the energizer's voltage and amperage: Voltage, measured
in volts (V) or kilovolts (kV), is the force or pressure with
which a current flows through the
circuit. The higher the voltage, the farther the current can
travel through the wire before resistance slows it down;
higher voltage also causes a stronger "zap" from the shock.
Amperage (amps) measures the magnitude, or strength, of the
current flowing through the wire. The higher the amperage,
the greater the sensation the current will cause when it
enters a body..." (Source:http://www.absc.usgs.gov/research/
brown bears/safety/electric_fencing.htm) There are tree types of Electric Fence Chargers/Energizers/Controllers: AC powered, DC powered and Solar powered. |
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SACO I Fence Charger (10 acres of fence) and ZAREBA B25LI Low Impendence Electric Fence Controller (25 mile range) Model SACO-50 charges up to 50 miles of fence under ideal conditions. Voltage: 16000 +/- 20% |
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The main component of SACO-I fence charger is "toy-grade"
transformer. In most cases copper wire is used in transformers.
Since copper has gone up in price in recent years, usage of thick wire in transformers became expensive. As a result, most transformers for fence charges/controllers use thin wire, which burns out in some short circuit situations. This makes the fence useless. This charger doesn't even contain a fuse or any overload protection. |
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The XR-12 Solar Powered Pet/Livestock Fence Charger is for fencing large
size areas to keep livestock either in or out. And, because
it's fully solar-powered, you don't have to worry about
accessibility to AC power or charging batteries. Simply hang
the charger unit in a relatively sunny place, install
non-insulated wire or fence tape, drive a ground rod into the
ground, connect it up and turn it on. This unit produces a
charge of 8300 volts. XR-12 Solar Powered Fence Charger (includes battery)- $348.00 XA-12 Replacement Battery for XR-12 - $95.00 |
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Improved solar panel uses free energy from the sun to provide maximum shock, longer life. No operating costs! Power line convenience with a battery fencer. Charges over 30 miles of fence. The sun's energy charges the fencer by day. A sealed 12 volt rechargeable battery powers the fencer at night. Battery included. |
How is My Bee Yard Protected
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Black bears visited my bee yard many times. I tried many standard fence chargers/controllers from different catalogs and stores, but they are not very effective against big bears. Most of them contain non commercial grade parts and are not durable. Therefore I cannot rely on these devices any more. Since 2006, I have mite-resistant ARS Russian bees. I designed two new defense devises, because I think, that my bees are priceless. |
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Motion Detector with Radio (radio connected to bulbs!) |
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My Homemade High Voltage System contains: 1. Commercial grade High Voltage MOT (Microwave Oven Transformer) - $20 or free (from an old microwave oven); The Primary winding of MOT is connected to an Inverter. The Secondary winding - to my fence. You can combine two MOTs, if you need higher voltage; 2. 175 (350 Max) Watt DC to AC power Inverter - $30 (you can use 400/800 Watt Inverter, if you need more power. An Inverter has "over load" protection; 3. 12V battery - $30 to $60; 4. Solar Battery Charger. I think, I designed a very durable and efficient fence charger. |
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Plan - electrical connections |
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This picture relates to the above Plan. It's better to use a deep-cycle (marine) battery. |
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NOTE: MOTs are very dangerous due to their high output current.
Touching the high voltage end will probably result in death, at least
in very severe burns. Although the voltage is not very high, it is high
enough to jump an air gap and thus makes the 'one hand in the pocket' rule useless. (Source:http://www.kronjaeger.com/hv/hv/src/mot/index.html) Therefore: 1. Do not connect MOT to your home 110V outlets! 2. Show the design of your fence charger to a licensed electrician! 3. If you want to make the system less dangerous for yourself and others around you, consider connecting the primary winding of MOT to a motion detector's output (similar to the one shown above). The power to the motion detector is provided by the inverter (once again, not the standard home 110V outlet). Most motion detectors can be set to active only in dark conditions (at night). |
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Polycrystalline Solar Panel/Charger - $59.99 Power Rating: Up to 5 Watts Current: 350 mApps @ 15V Works in all weather conditions. Voltmeter shows 22 Volts of Open Voltage. |
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Electromagnetic Field Detector (shows 5 Milligauss field strength at
1 inch distance). NOTE: 1. You have to use rubber gloves for your safety! 2. All types of electric fences (fence Chargers/Energizers/Controllers) are very dangerous for people, especially for kids! |
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External defense line #1 - Electric fence March 17, 2008 |
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Internal defense line #2 - Electric fence March 17, 2008 |
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Wet snow or freezing/heavy rain could damage your charger/controller
if the charger doesn't contain overload protection. March 27, 2008 |
| There are two different opinions about bacon bait: |
Protection from small animals
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This is the Dura-Poly Plastic-catch, solid walled, box trap. It is available in white-ONLY and is being made in Canada. This trap measures 12" x 12" x 32". It has a solid metal galvanized door. This trap will hold the largest raccoon, and would be an excellent raccoon, skunk, woodchuck. Easy to set. Easy removal of the animal. Price: $72.95 |
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I have a metal catch trap to protect my bee-yard from small animals such as raccoons and skunks. This trap is helpful, especially if you have soft polystyrene hives such as BeeMax. Price: $63 |
An Idea on Protection Against People
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GPS Hive Locator/Protector Operates on 4 AA batteries Stays charged up to 90 days (at 10 updates per day) Small, compact 3.6 oz. unit No external antennas or wires Water resistant rugged case Location reports via Internet or cellular phone Monitor multiple hives remotely with confidence |
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"This unit is perfect for monitoring your bee yard, Swinger
or loads of bees in transit. Small and easy to use, your hive
locator is dependable and on guard no matter how far away you
may be. The Hive Locator has a special motion detection
feature that can alert you by cell phone if your hives
are moved or damaged by vandals, would-be thieves or even
wild animals. Set inside our Tracker Frame your unit is
undetectable from outside the hive! Monitoring plans start
at just $145 per year for 6 months usage plus a one time
activation fee of $75. HT-105 Hive Tracker Unit ship..................$375.00 HT-120 GPS Tracker Frame.....................$ 19.95 " Mann Lake Ltd. |
Electric Fencing for Apiaries
Managing bear damage to beehives
Fence Builder
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