Beehive fences keep elephants from raiding farms

Elephants are known for their loving, complex social structures and their excellent problem-solving abilities. However, in Kenya, they have become quite a problem for small-scale farmers. So, is there a solution that can help the elephants and farmers live together in harmony?

In a study spanning nine years, researchers have discovered that elephants are not big fans of honey bees.

The experts found that elephants would avoid beehive fences housing live honey bees up to 86% of the time during peak crop seasons. This not only helps to reduce the human-elephant conflict but also boosts income for local farmers.

The study was conducted by Save the Elephants (STE), Wildlife Research and Training Institute (WRTI), Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), and the University of Oxford.

The research offers new hope for using nature-based solutions to help protect livelihoods and wildlife.

Shrinking elephant habitats

Kenya is experiencing rapid human population growth, with an increase of 59.4% from 2000 to 2020. As human settlements and infrastructure expand, elephant habitats are shrinking.

It’s a very real problem – how can humans and elephants coexist? Agencies like KWS, who are tasked with protecting natural resources amid growing economic development needs, need to find solutions.

That’s where the innovative strategy from Save the Elephants’ Coexistence Program steps in, with beehive fences.

Beehive fences keep elephants at bay

Introduced in 2007 by STE and KWS, in partnership with the University of Oxford, beehive fences offered a very out-of-the-box solution.

The fences are a series of live beehives strung together between posts, creating a physical, auditory, and olfactory deterrent to elephants.

The thought of being stung keeps elephants at bay, and the fences also benefit farmers by providing pollination services and generating income through honey and wax production.

Deterring elephants from raiding farms

By monitoring 26 farms with these fences near Tsavo East National Park, researchers were able to analyze around 4,000 incidents of elephant approaches.

During six peak crop-growing seasons from November 2014 to January 2020, the fences successfully turned away an annual average of 86.3% of elephants.

Interestingly, even during a drought, the fences deterred an annual average of 76% of elephants. Yet, the drought did pose a challenge, reducing hive occupation by 75% during 2017, which in turn affected honey production and profits for three years after.

Beehive fences for elephants

Dr. Lucy King, who led the study for STE and the University of Oxford‘s Department of Biology, was thrilled with the results but also warned of future risks.

“Beehive fences are very effective at reducing up to 86.3% of elephant raids when the crops in the farms are at their most attractive, but our results also warn that increased habitat disturbance or more frequent droughts could reduce the effectiveness of this nature-based coexistence method,” noted Dr. King.

According to Dr. Patrick Omondi, director of the Wildlife Research and Training Institute, Kenya is facing increasing challenges with human-elephant conflict, and solutions like beehive fences empower communities to manage their own farm protection.

“We need more research and support for nature-based solutions to help our communities live better alongside wildlife,” said Dr. Omondi.

Tapping into elephant’s fear of bees

Now, you might be wondering, why are elephants, those giant creatures, afraid of tiny honey bees? Earlier research has shown that elephants run away from disturbed bee sounds and show behaviors like head-shaking, dusting, and rumbling to warn others.

Even though elephants have a thick skin, disturbed honey bees target sensitive areas like the eyes and mouth, and their stings cause discomfort.

This natural fear of bees has been harnessed as a practical tool to keep elephants away from farms, promoting a peaceful coexistence between humans and wildlife.

To date, over 14,000 beehives have been hung as elephant deterrents in 97 sites across Africa and Asia.

As we enter an era of increasing human-animal conflicts due to continuously encroaching habitats, it’s encouraging to see the potential of innovative solutions to provide a more harmonious situation for all.

The study is published in the journal Conservation Science and Practice.

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