Here’s looking at you, kid.
Image source: WWF, supposedly.
Asian elephants in Sri Lanka like to eat crops, which, despite local respect for elephants, leads to conflict. The obvious question gets an elegant answer, as detailed in NewScientist (19 October 2019, paywall):
[Zoologist Lucy King of the University of Oxford] has since designed elephant-deterring beehive fences. With 15 beehives and 15 dummy hives strung along a 300-metre wire, the fences are elevated so that people and cattle can pass safely beneath. But if an elephant tries to push through, the wire swings, triggering a flurry of buzzing wings and stings. King’s studies suggest the bees are an effective deterrent. The fences reduce crop raids by 80 per cent, on average, which explains why they have now been installed at 62 sites in 20 countries.
King is currently experimenting with introducing the concept in Sri Lanka, where human-elephant conflict is particularly intense. She found that Indian bees are more placid than African ones, reducing the effectiveness of the fences. But beehive fencing could still be a worthy investment for Sri Lankan farmers, who would enjoy a reduction in elephant raids, ensure their crops are well pollinated and get honey to sell. As King says: “This is the only fence that, once you build it, makes money for you.”
It’s a delightful idea, and sounds like it works. No unintended consequences, beyond perhaps the honey, are mentioned, and getting the hives near the crops might be a plus for the bees as well.
Now I’m wondering if putting the hives up fifteen feet makes them more vulnerable to their predators …
