When these foods are in short supply, as in drought years or in areas where human development has encroached on their habitat, bears may turn to other sources of food such as honey and bee brood. The amount of black bear damage to beehives in Colorado varies each year, possibly reflecting fluctuations in food supply. Identifying Bear Damage Signs of black bear foraging in beeyards include broken and scattered frames, and supers bearing tooth or claw marks. A path may be noticeable if the bear has been feeding at the same beeyard for several nights. Damage Control Methods Black bear damage to beehives has a relatively minor impact on the overall beekeeping industry.
Bears can, however, cause significant damage to individual beeyards.
Once a bear develops a taste for honey and bee brood, it will likely continue to raid beeyards and methods to dissuade it become less effective. Therefore, it is important to prevent bear damage before it begins. Beeyard Location Avoid placing beeyards near areas frequently used by bears, such as berry patches, garbage dumps, heavily forested areas, riparian corridors, ravines, forested ridges and game trails. Bear use of an area can change depending on season, food availability and human disturbance. For example, during August and September black bears intensely forage on ripening nuts and berries in oakbrush habitat along the lower foothills of southcentral and southwestern Colorado.