# Electric Fence Wire vs. Ribbon



## Ardilla (Jul 17, 2006)

I use wire and have had good luck. It isn't too difficult to install IMO. Though I have never used ribbon or rope, so I can't tell you one is better than the other. 

I noticed your location is St. Paul MN. If you are in the city itself, I wouldn't do bear fencing. I can maybe see doing it if you are in the outer ring suburbs. I have lived in and around St. Paul in numerous places - bears in the city itself are rare.


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## oldenglish (Oct 22, 2008)

I purchased the ribbon because I thought it would be more visable and a better deterent. Another club member told me that it does not work so well because it is wider so the charge gets spread out, also they are prone to UV deterioration, they said the better way to go is with the twine type, usually orange in color.


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## TWG1572 (Dec 16, 2007)

I've always used the wire, the ribbon is prone to wear and stretching. Regardless of what you do, I'd recommend adding a ground wire around the fence That way you ensure a good shock, regardless of how dry the ground is or how furry the bear is...


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## Jeffzhear (Dec 2, 2006)

I use aluminum or galvanized, both work fine for me and have lasted for years and years.


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## Galaxy (Jun 10, 2007)

oldenglish said:


> I purchased the ribbon because I thought it would be more visable and a better deterent. Another club member told me that it does not work so well because it is wider so the charge gets spread out, also they are prone to UV deterioration, they said the better way to go is with the twine type, usually orange in color.


I doubt the advice about the charge being "spread out". Touching an individual wire in a ribbon will deliver the full charge. 

Delivering a full charge depends on how well the fence is grounded and the intruder's contact with the ground. An alternative is to use multiple wires. Make the bottom one hot and then ground every other one back to the fence controller. With this design, the intruder will be well grounded whether he/she crawls under the fence or between any two wires. And it will work even in very dry weather if the intruder attempts to go between any two wires.


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## Camp9 (Feb 7, 2006)

another thing you can do is put some peanut butter on the wire, it works great as they will hit that first before they try to get to the hives. And there ain't no better way to get their attention.

Camp


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## Eyeshooter (Mar 8, 2008)

I use wire and a solar charger. I've had every bird feeder in my yard destroyed while the hives remained untouched. I also bait the fence in the spring by putting a couple of pieces of bacon, as well as several pieces of aluminum foil with bird seed embedded in peanut butter on the wire.

If you are really worried about bears, you can also place sheets of plywood or carpeting with nails driven through it around the hives to give them sore feet. Helps them forget the sore nose they got from the fence....My 2 German Shepherds also help.

Betterbee also has a device called CritterGitters (http://www.betterbee.com/products.asp?dept=589) that has a light and a multi-sound siren that senses heat. Resets itself and advance to the next alarm sound automatically.


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## doc25 (Mar 9, 2007)

Put the peanut butter or bacon fat on the fence before you put the bees in there and let them have at it.


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## JohnK and Sheri (Nov 28, 2004)

The reason everyone talks about using peanut butter or bacon grease on the wire is you need to do that so the bear will sniff it because HE CANNOT SEE IT. Bear have very poor eye sight. The ribbon wire is it's own attractant, the bear will SEE it, then sniff , get zapped and get educated. 
We have used ribbon for decades with NO bacon grease or peanut butter and it works just fine.
In addition to that, deer, horses or cattle will not run through the ribbon as readily, because, again they can SEE it. 
Sheri


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## Da Yooper (Apr 13, 2004)

Eyeshooter said:


> Betterbee also has a device called CritterGitters (http://www.betterbee.com/products.asp?dept=589) that has a light and a multi-sound siren that senses heat. Resets itself and advance to the next alarm sound automatically.


Does anyone have any experience with this unit?

Although I've never seen a bear in our direct vicintiy I've heard of people seeing them. Never had our bird feeders taken out by bear. But just to be safe we are going to put up a electric fence and make the area big enough to protect some apple trees from the deer. Wondering if that CritterGitter (maybe more than one) might be the way to go????

Thanks,
Fred


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## JohnK and Sheri (Nov 28, 2004)

I have heard they do not work but have no personal experience (and not sure the person who said it didn't work did either ). They are heat activated? How close must a bear get to activate it? One would think motion activated would be the way to go.
I don't think I would risk my investment without talking to someone who has personally had good luck with these in an area they would have certainly been hit by a bear without some sort of deterrent. We all know fencers work.

Fred, I think you are being smart putting up a fence. We have never had bear take out our bird feeders either but they have come right into our yard for bee hives. 

To the OP, does MN have a wildlife abatement program? Here in WI they supply fencing material. They provide ribbon wire, fence posts, clips and grounding rods, the whole shebang, although there may be a certain amount of colonies to qualify.
Sheri


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## gingerbee (Jul 22, 2006)

We have no bears in the area and I have no experience with electric fences. Would like to keep critters (deer, groundhogs) out of the garden.


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## France (Apr 5, 2007)

I have my hives in the thickest bear country there is. I have electric fence, but in the fall I remove the battery and it depends on when the road is dry enough to be able to drive in and bring it back.
While the fence is nonoperational, I do have critter gitter and it keeps the bees safe, until the fance is up and running and I think that it also chases many a bear away before it gets too close to taste the wires.

Definitely a wise investment...


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## lars1322 (Mar 24, 2009)

Thanks for the replies.



> To the OP, does MN have a wildlife abatement program? Here in WI they supply fencing material. They provide ribbon wire, fence posts, clips and grounding rods, the whole shebang, although there may be a certain amount of colonies to qualify.


MN does not have a program that I am aware of, but even if it did I doubt that I would qualify with 2 hives. I already have the solar fencer and grounding rods I just have to purchase the wire or ribbon.



> I noticed your location is St. Paul MN. If you are in the city itself, I wouldn't do bear fencing. I can maybe see doing it if you are in the outer ring suburbs. I have lived in and around St. Paul in numerous places - bears in the city itself are rare.


My hives are going to be located about 35 miles north of St. Paul, I hadn't even thought about a fence until bears were seen in the area (within a 1/4 mile) last year. Also I was hoping that if I put a strand close to the ground it would help prevent any skunk and raccoon issues along with keeping the bears out.


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## doc25 (Mar 9, 2007)

If you have only 2 hives then I would put up a small fence as well. Pound in a couple of posts and some 2x2" mesh will help to keep some of the critters out. Dig that down a ways also so they can't dig under it if you have then energy. The ribbon is more visible usually white and you twist it a bit when you put it on. The wind will spiral it and it will move a bit, very visual. My neighbour has that, I have the black and yellow wire. My pigs learned where the wire was easily enough. There is also a bare wire that you can run electric through. If you buy the step in posts there are little clips and you can alternate hot and ground wire all the way up or go with the ground rod. The nice thing about putting a small wire fence with the electric on the outside is it might slow the critter down long enough to get a shock. I guess you could hook electric up to the 2x2" fence as long as it wasn't grounded and you would have quite a bit of coverage.

Sheri, the infrared sensor is probably a Passive infrared unit (pir) which detects motion and a heat signature like the motion activated lights and house alarm systems.


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## bnatural (Aug 10, 2008)

I use an electric mesh fence, also called a portable sheep fence. It is almost 10 years old and still works great. I leave it out all year operating off of a solar charger. One 80 foot length is enough for two rows of six to eight hives (I use it for one row of hives and one row of nucs). I have been hit by bears three times, since I started in the mid-90s. The first time, I had no fence. So, got a fence with a battery-powered charger and took it down every fall. When I moved to my new house, I got lazy and figured I would be okay without it until the move in July. Memorial Day weekend, got hit by a bear. At my current home, I did not not know the battery-powered charger had failed. Got hit by another bear. But, the fence was undamaged. Now, as I said, I use a solar charger (since 2005 and still on the first battery), and I keep the fence up all year round. The mesh fence has the added benefit of keeping out skunks. It is only three feet tall, and I can step over it. I have never baited it, but the first time a bear touched it, he/she left a pile of bear poop exactly one bear-length away from the fence, so I guess it really did shock the sh#t out of it.

It is really easy to set up, does not need a grounding rod or insulators and can be easily moved. If you add up the cost of posts, insulators, wire, cinches, etc. I think the mesh fence is cheaper. I think it is also more effective. In fact, after a pair of fisher cats wiped out my chickens this winter (surrounded by three strands of hot wire which shorted out in the snow, in front of four foot chicken wire, which only had one foot above the top of the deep snow), I am replacing everything around the chickens with a high, positive-negative, mesh fence. Alternating strands are positive and negative, so it never grounds out. Should have done it five years ago and saved myself a lot of expense and grief.

Bill


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

For horses I'd use the ribbon. For bears I'd use barbed wire so the points will get into the fur to make contact to shock them better.


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## JohnK and Sheri (Nov 28, 2004)

Michael Bush said:


> For horses I'd use the ribbon. For bears I'd use barbed wire so the points will get into the fur to make contact to shock them better.


Michael I am shocked; shocked I tell you! I never thought you were so _mean_. This sounds like the personal vendetta talking here, .

Seriously tho, I have read barbed wire is discouraged as animals can get seriously injured if they become entangled. [ouch]
Sheri


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## Galaxy (Jun 10, 2007)

bnatural said:


> I use an electric mesh fence, also called a portable sheep fence. Bill


Bill, where do you get the positive negative mesh fence? I also use a electric net fence around my vegetable garden. But, it is all positive. It does work well to keep the critters out. I bought it here;

http://www.kencove.com/fence/Electric+Net+Fencing_products.php


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## bnatural (Aug 10, 2008)

Galaxy said:


> Bill, where do you get the positive negative mesh fence? I also use a electric net fence around my vegetable garden. But, it is all positive. It does work well to keep the critters out. I bought it here;
> 
> http://www.kencove.com/fence/Electric+Net+Fencing_products.php


I haven't bought it, yet. Will in a month or so, when I work on the chicken enclosure. Kencove actually sells one:

http://www.kencove.com/fence/Electric+Net+Fencing_detail_NSG12X.php

Maxfence sells one that is a little taller:

http://www.maxflex.com/Nets_page2.htm

I beleive Premier1 also carries it, but I could not access the site this morning:

http://www.premier1supplies.com

I am probably going to to with the Kencove, since I like the design better. Having the charged wires go all the way to the bottom will be better for skunks, I think. But, you can convert the Maxfence to all positive, so all lines are hot with the typical circuit completion via earth ground, which could be a nice option in some circumstances. Hmmm, I have to think about it......

Bill


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## Damonh (Mar 20, 2008)

I use the bacon also. I was lucky to watch a bear. I must be a red neck it was really funny when the Bear's tung hit the fence.


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## Cessna180 (Jan 31, 2009)

I use a 30.06 or my sons 300. Let me know how it works out. The only thing you feel is a slight kick.
Just kidding, we use the wire up here in Alaska.


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## Bobb (Jan 22, 2009)

bnatural;409415
I beleive Premier1 also carries it said:


> http://www.premier1supplies.com[/url]
> 
> 
> 
> Bill


They do. About $100 or so for 164 feet.


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## chillardbee (May 26, 2005)

We bring our hives up to the mountians for fireweed on the logging roads to where areas have been cleared out, anywhere from 15-30 Km from the highway we are truely in the middle of no-mans-land out there. We use a flexi net that stands about 3' high and makes a 50 meter perimeter that can hold 30- 60 hives depending on how you place them. we use chicken wire layed on the ground out side the fence for our ground. We use a 12 volt battery energizer (mine is a old style gallegher B-150) w/solar panel to recharge the battery.

Everything here is quite portable, easy to maintain, and easy to set up and dismantle. we have used these fences in our stationary yards as well, but the battery should be checked at least once a month unless you can somehow get a 120 V unit working for you if your near a power source.

our fence tester has lights lights that light up starting at 3,000 volts to a max of 10,000 volts, when we put the tester direct from fence wire to ground wire all lights flash brilliantly. More then that, I have first hand knowledge on what that kind of energy feels like ands it's enough to just about make you jump out of your shoes.


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## bnatural (Aug 10, 2008)

chillard willard said:


> Everything here is quite portable, easy to maintain, and easy to set up and dismantle. we have used these fences in our stationary yards as well, but the battery should be checked at least once a month unless you can somehow get a 120 V unit working for you if your near a power source.
> 
> our fence tester has lights lights that light up starting at 3,000 volts to a max of 10,000 volts, when we put the tester direct from fence wire to ground wire all lights flash brilliantly. More then that, I have first hand knowledge on what that kind of energy feels like ands it's enough to just about make you jump out of your shoes.


A tester is essential, and they are cheap. In a pinch, I just touch the fence, but not in bare feet.

I am running only solar chargers, which work well. Four years old and still on the original batteries. For the bees I use a little Fi-Shock SS440 which only has a 4v battery and only costs around $100. Puts out 5,000 volts, but that fence is only 82 feet perimeter. For my chickens I use a Parmak 6-volt unit. A little more expensive, but has more juice. For the larger apiary I am building, I will use another Parmak unit.

As CW says, they can give you quite a jolt, especially if you lean over the fence without a shirt on and unexpectedly make contact just under the armpit. I swear I heard In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida for the next couple of hours.

Bill


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