American black bears and bee yard depredation at Okefenokee Swamp, Georgia Joseph D. Clark1'4, Steven Dobey2, Darrin V. Masters3, Brian K. Scheick3, Michael R. Pelton2, and Melvin E. Sunquist3 1US GeologicalSurvey, Southern Appalachian Field Branch, 274 Ellington Plant Sciences Building, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA 2Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries, 274 Ellington Plant Sciences Building, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA 3Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA Abstract: We studied American black bears (Ursus americanus), on the northwest periphery of Okefenokee Swamp in southeast Georgia, to assess landownerattitudestoward bars, estimate the extent of damage to commercial honey bee operations by bears, and evaluatemethodsto reducebear depredations to apiaries. We collected 8,351 black bearradiolocations and identified51 bee yards on our study area. Twenty-seven of 43 home ranges contained>1 bee yard, averaging 11.3 and 5.1 bee yards/home range of males (n = 7) and females (n = 20), respectively. From 1996 to 1998, we documented 7 instances of bears raiding bee yards within our study area and 6 instancesin adjacent areas.All but 1 of the 13 raided yards were enclosed by electric fencing. In the 12 cases of damage to electrically fenced yards,however, the fences were not active because of depleted batteries. Based on compositional analysis, bearuse of areas 800-1,400 m from bee yards was disproportionately greater than use 0-800 m from bee yards. Bears disproportionately used bay (red bay: Persea borbonia, loblolly bay: Gordonia lasianthus, and southern magnolia:Magnolia virginia), gum (water tupelo: Nyssa aquatic and black gum: N. sylvatica), and cypress (Taxodium spp.) and loblolly bay habitats, however, compared with slash pine (Pinus elliottii) or pine-oak (Quercus spp.), where bee yards usually were placed. The distribution of bearradiolocations likely reflected the use of those swamp and riparian areas, rather than avoidanceof bee yards. Distances to streams from damaged bee yards (x = 1,750 m) were less than from undamaged yards (x = 4,442 m), and damaged bee yards were closer to unimproved roads(x = 134 m) thanwere undamaged bee yards (x = 802 m). Our analysissuggests that bee yard placementaway from beartravelroutes (such as streams and unimproved roads) can reduce bear depredation problems. Our results strongly indicate that working electric fences are effective deterrents to bear damage to bee yards, even in areas frequented by bears. A survey of beekeepers indicated that apiarists often relied on more expensive, less effective, and sometimes illegal methodsto protect theirbee yards from bears. Beekeepers within bear range should be urged to considerelectric fencing, which can almost eliminatebear damage to their yards. Key words: American black bear, apiary, bees, damage, electric fencing, Florida, Georgia, habitat, Okefenokee, Ursus americanus Ursus 16(2):234-244 (2005) Beekeeping is an important industry the US. More cause of damage to apiaries in North America than 82 million kg of honey was produced in 2003, (Huygens and Hayashi 1999). Damage is difficult to worth >$255 million (National Agricultural Statistics estimate, but losses to individual beekeepers can be Service 2004). Unfortunately, high quality bee range economically devastating (Lord and Ambrose 1981, often coincides with black bear habitat; American Maehr and Brady 1982, Jonker et al. 1998). It is, black bears (Ursus americanus) are the most significant therefore, important to better understand bear behavior relative to bee yards so that effective management techniques can be developed to reduce losses to 4jclarkl@utk.edu apiarists. 234