# Hello from Montana and the bee fortress in progress.



## Specialkayme (Sep 4, 2005)

Welcome to the site!


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## carnme (Apr 6, 2012)

Definitely sounds like you did some good research for a fortress to keep out those determined Montana bears. 

I hope you will be able to post some pics for everyone to see all your hard work.


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## Mtn. Bee (Nov 10, 2009)

Welcome to the Forum!


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## Allen (Oct 5, 2011)

Aerindel said:


> This time nothing is getting through.


Amen! :thumbsup:
And btw, welcome to the Hive.


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## Terra Vita (Mar 4, 2012)

Welcome to this great community and pictures would be great to see


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## BGhoney (Sep 26, 2007)

Welcome to the site. Often around here, we use, plywood with nails in it. Can a bear claw past, chainlink fence ?


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## Aerindel (Apr 14, 2012)

Bears can go through chain link if they have a little time. Heck, I had a dog that chewed her way through a chain link in about fifteen minutes and bears are probably ten times stronger at least.

I've read about the plywood with nails idea but I also have several dogs and I don't want them getting hurt. I've also heard that smart beard can flip over the plywood and I've learned to never underestimate them. When I was a kid we had a bear tear the front door off the house, go inside and then tear the door off the refrigerator. I still have no idea how the bear got leverage on the house door without using a prybar.

I'll post some pics as soon as its done. I've found that a bear can get through anything thats not thick welded steel if given enough time and leverage. During the summer I have bears trying to get into my garbage on an almost nightly basis and have gone through a wide variety of "bear p designs until just biting the bullet and going for all welded steel. In a single night I once had one tear through a wall of solid 2x8's to get to an empty garbage can. It didn't just pull the boards off either, I had them bolted down and the bear somehow broke the boards in the middle and levered them away.

The idea behind the platform is that even if the bear figures out how to climb it and get past the barbed wire and spikes that it will be hanging onto the side of the structure and won't have the leverage to bring its strength to bear. The platform itself is anchored to a 3000lb concrete slab so they shouldn't be able to push it over.

I know it sounds like over kill but seeing my nice orderly beehive torn open with all the bees getting rained on as they struggled to survive was just too heartbreaking to risk it happening again.


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## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

Welcome A! Don't let the bears win again, best wishes!


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## thebalvenie (Feb 25, 2013)

reading about your fortress and your dad's experience....have you thought about in investing in an electric fence? i keep reading about hindering stubborn bears and electricity seems to be the go to answer....i think you get into for under 150 bucks all said and done.

hope you're doing well.

rod


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## Lazer128 (Dec 15, 2012)

Welcome to the site! I am building a "bear proof" fence too. I finished the post, cross members and wire braces this past weekend. Next weekend I will start stretching electric fence wire - 12.5 gauge with a high tension design. I will have a wire every 6" for a few, then 8", 10" 12" and 14". I am alternating pos/neg/pos/neg. I plan to bait it with bacon before the bees arrive in hopes of getting them to get popped in the mouth. We'll see. Bears never do what I expect.


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