African Farmers Using Beehives for Protection

In many countries, the pests that invade farms are rather small but in Africa, they have a seriously large problem on their hands. One of the difficulties that many African farmers face is the devastation of their land by elephants, who like to wander through.

There are a number of solutions that can help with elephant invasions, and some farmers have even resorted to digging large ditches or buying reinforced fencing. That is impractical for all farmers, as it can get expensive and time-consuming.

Without some type of protection, however, African farmers have to deal with defending their crops manually. In turn, this can lead to injuries and death, not only for the elephant but for the farmer as well! A zoologist named Lucy King is about to change things for the better.

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King noticed something remarkable about elephants, they are afraid of bees! Like humans, when they get stung by bees, it hurts so the elephants want to avoid them as much as possible. This is especially true when an elephant is stung inside of the trunk, as the skin is quite tender and there is little they can do to stop the pain.

When an elephant hears the buzzing of bees, they avoid the area at all costs. In fact, it doesn’t take much of the buzzing noise send the entire herd running for cover immediately. King began to wonder if it was possible to suspend the beehives at set intervals and use them as a barrier against invading elephants. The Elephants and Bees Project was put to a test run in 2009 and it was a great success!

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Today, beehive fences can be found in many countries throughout Africa, including Kenya, Botswana, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda and Sri Lanka. The farmers have found that these are not only ideal for keeping elephants away, they also pollinate the crops and the honey adds to their revenue significantly. Although it may seem like a rather simple solution, it is one that can solve a huge problem.

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Via: This Is Colossal

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