Deer

[grizzly]

Also placed a hive on my new site today (empty of bees), i put a strap around the hive and weighted the underside in anticipation of it being a scratching post for local Deer.

I wanted to see how it gets on, does anyone know of a good deterrant ? something that may startle them ?

There are a number of things that are reliant on wind to work, such as lengths of silvery plastic which rustle and flap about, but do they really work.

Or are Bees themselves the biggest deterrant.

 

[Finman]

If you piss onto some tree trunk and show to the deer that it is your territory. Try high!

I have heard that it works with bear.

 

[Hivemaker.]

A good deer fence.

 

[grizzly]

A good deer fence.

Dont think the farmer can afford one, i certainly cant, perhaps if i just run around the Apiary weeing everywhere that might be a cheap and readily available option.

lol

 

[Hivemaker.]

Strings of bird scarers,bangers.

 

[grizzly]

Is that what you use Hivemaker ?

 

[tony350i]

A gun with a good sight, and a big freezer

 

[Hivemaker.]

No, fencing. but never really had any probs with deer around here,even if not fenced in. plenty of deer though,red deer mainly,roam all over Exmoor. sheep and cattle are the only one's that really need to be fenced out.

 

[ian]

Hi

Plenty of dear around us and never had probs, got a friend who this year had some mini nuc's turned over by Badgers and this Winter they have had a go at some 5 framers.

First time I have actually seen eveidence of that one.


Regards Ian

 

[Hivemaker.]

Only ever once had a problem with badgers in one place in winter,they did no real harm except kept pulling mouse guards off. Also you could see the long claw marks down the fronts of the box's. Cured this with an electric fence,same as they put round the pheasant pens at low level. So thats a cheap way to guard your hives if your worried sweetums,couple of strands of electric fencing.

 

[grizzly]

Cured this with an electric fence

Cant believe i didnt think of that, assuming the deer become a problem (farmer has claims in for about ?18,000 worth of damage) the missus uses electric fencing for the horses, i could nab some of that gear.

 

[Hivemaker.]

I did not think of it either Sweetums, until i read Ians post,then it just reminded me of what i did when i had the badger prob.

 

[grizzly]

went to check that hive today, to see if it was still standing, thankfully it was, lots of deer tracks around it, but it would seem they dont feel the need to scratch against it. no woodpecker damage either. bonus

Funnily enough i had been so concerned with what the deer may or may not do i didnt think about any other animals, as the hive strap came away in my hands...... bastard mice !!!!!!.

 

[MJBee]

The area I cleared in the woodland I have just bought showed loads of deer tracks, but a bigger potential problem is the local "Chasse" (hunters on foot with dogs) trawl through all the woodland. So I have fenced a 10 x 15 meter area with sheep netting to stop anyone blundering into the middle of my colonies. I am in two minds about putting up warning notices - "warning" v "advertising"
Mike