Bears can be attracted to agricultural areas from backyard bees, gardens and large grain fields. Follow these tips to help avoid agricultural conflicts with bears.
Qualifying producers may be eligible for assistance under MN Statute 97A.028. Contact your area wildlife office for more information.
Secure your livestock and their feed
Livestock feed and pet food should always be stored away from the animals in a locked, bear-resistant shed or in a bear-resistant container.
Remove carcasses from the site and dispose of them by rendering or deep burial.
Standard chicken and rabbit coop designs aren’t strong enough to keep out a determined bear. Electric fencing works best to keep out bears and prevent structural damage. For larger livestock, secure them in a sturdy pen or pasture with electric fencing.
Crops and orchard sense in bear country
Make sure you pick your tree fruit as soon as the fruit ripens, or even before ripening.
Pick up and remove fallen fruit that makes an easy meal for bears.
Energized fencing is the most effective bear deterrent for your crops and orchard.
Keep bears out of the bees
Harvest honey crops as soon as possible after the spring, summer and fall nectar flows. Bare hives reduce their appeal to foraging bears.
Install and maintain electric fences. Consolidate hives and then fence them in to form the smallest apiary that can be practically managed. The more scattered the hives are in large areas, the more difficult it is for beekeepers to protect them.