# Need electric fence info



## lkrash222 (Jun 30, 2019)

I got hit by a bear this past February (20 below zero) here in the Hudson Valley of NYS. I am now using an electric fence for the first time that gets juice from a long electric cord plugged into the house. Do I need to take any special precautions for when the snows come and bury the cord and pile up to the hot wires? 
EnCon told me that juvenile male bears are like teenage boys, in that they are always hungry, and cold weather does not necessarily mean your hives are safe until spring.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I have a cord running to my electric fence. USUALLY rain has not been an issue. I have had one cord burn completely at the connection and blow the breaker, once in seven years. I have also had a couple of connections that corroded enough that they were not making a good connection anymore and had to be cleaned up with some emery cloth. I can't help you on first hand information on bears as I don't have any to deal with.


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## roberto487 (Sep 22, 2012)

This year, I am trying a DC electric fence connected to a deep cycle battery. The battery usually lasts 8 weeks in warm and mild weather. In conjunction with the electric fence, I use two ratcheting straps per hives, in a way that if it is knocked over the hive does not come apart.


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

roberto487 said:


> This year, I am trying a DC electric fence connected to a deep cycle battery. The battery usually lasts 8 weeks in warm and mild weather.


You can buy a small solar panel and attach it to the battery. Wellscroft sells them for about $40


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## gnor (Jun 3, 2015)

If you use an extension, make sure it is rated for outdoor use, & keep the connections off the ground in case of flooding. You can protect them with something like these: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Twist-a...d-Plug-Protection-Green-TSCP-G-1000/207139731
Always plug them in to a ground fault outlet.


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## wildbranch2007 (Dec 3, 2008)

no matter what you do the snow is going to bend the wires down and short them out, I disconnect the bottom wires for winter, battery doesn't make it that long any way.


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## Kenora beeman (Mar 10, 2020)

I live in Northwestern Ontario. The bears go to sleep sometime around the end of October and don't wake up until mid April. I have a good quality plug in electric fencer and still have had bears go through my fence. I have found the best recourse is to wrap sardines in tin foil around the barb wire in several locations. A bear gets its wet nose on the foil and you will never see that bear again. Extension cords will work as long as they are not submerged in water and plugged into a GFI receptacle. I have tried solar fencers for my remote yards with success as long as the solar fencer is a good quality


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## Colobee (May 15, 2014)

I have the charger in my shop. High & Dry. The ground attaches to the base plate of the wall. The hot wire is just one stranded #12 electrical wire. 36 years with nothing more than a curious cub visit. We have 2-3 resident sows, one big boar, and usually 2-3 cubs every year. They all seem to have given up after getting blasted once. Good luck. Our bears are just starting to wake up, judging from the trash messes recently.


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