Bears

[Brad W Wi]

I built a new sugar shack this year and it's on some land I own a mile from home with only one neighbor with in 1/2 mile. The question I have is for people in bear country as I am. With no one around most of the time, I'm wondering if the smell of syrup will hang in the building and if bears might try to enter or just be a pest around the building? I know this sounds like I'm kidding but I'm not. We have a pretty good population of bears in N.W. Wisconsin and if this is a possible problem I'd like to know how other people might handle it. If it's nothing to worry about it won't be the first time I've asked a question that makes me look silly.

[mountainvan]

Brad, OH YEAH!!! I've had too many bears around the saphouse to count. My front door "bears" witness that they want to get in. I need to get a steel door before this summer. One corner is semi shredded from one trying to rip the plywood off. I've had one on the roof trying to get in the cupola, one on the back tank during sugaring season( there was $1000 worth of concentrate in the tank, luckily the lid is 3/4" plywood and it was a small bear), but only one ever got in. He was about 400lbs!! The time to watch out is if you bottle syrup in the summer. If you spill any clean it up with bleach, if you don't the smell will attract them. I'd hate to see how much damage a bear could do once it figured out where the syrup is, bottles, bulk containers. I've never had one breack a window or try the back door, but where I bottle is right by the front door. It does give me good stories to tell the tourist, and the longer I keep them in the saphouse the more syrup they buy!!!

[oneoldsap]

We have had black bears chew through 3/4" main line, I think they hear the sap running in the pipe and think it's bugs. Wood Peckers will pe
ck right through the main line looking for those bugs he thinks he hears.
Good house keeping is always a good idea

[maplehound]

I will have to keep this in mind. We had a bear spotted in ur area this past summer. Mostly they stay over in PA but ocasionally one does wonder over here. ( wish someone would tell them were the line is) Everyone in the area thinks it is just a matter of time till we get a population of them.

[mcsap]

We have plenty of bears in w Mass. I'll bet no matter what you do you'll have a the odd bear try to claw his way into the sugarhouse (and probably succeed). Not much you can do to keep them from clawing up the doors or any posts. As long as you don't leave any barrels of syrup inside, they probably won't be too much of a problem. Likely, porcupines will be more of a pest, chewing holes in your walls.

John

[Bucket Head]

The best way to keep bears out of the saphouse is to keep them occupied with something else. Put a yoke with a couple pails on them and teach them to collect the sap. You can be boiling while they are out collecting. It took a while to train the ones around here, but they got it down now. While training, talk to them, do not yell at them. Remember, patience is key. Good luck.

Steve

[Bucket Head]

The best way to keep bears out of the saphouse is to keep them occupied with something else. Put a yoke with a couple pails on them and teach them to collect the sap. You can be boiling while they are out collecting. It took a while to train the ones around here, but they got it down now. While training, talk to them, do not yell at them. Remember, patience is key. Good luck.

Steve

[archangel_cpj]

I have friends who have bees in bear country and what they did was to run a electric fence with a solar powered Low impedance fencer arounf the apiary. pit some pie tins on the fence with peanut butter / honey on em bears got the hint and tend to keep away. Need to keep up maintanance on the fence though as they challange it here and there.

[lmathews]

The electric fence worked for me.3 years ago I had 2 diff ones try to get in.

[ennismaple]

Keep a radio on while you're not there. We used to have problems with raccoons getting into our pans. Now, we crank the country music when we leave the sugar house they've never come back.

[brookledge]

It must be the country music that keeps them away

[Russell Lampron]

Kieth I have to agree with you. It would keep me away.

Russ

[HanginAround]

LOL, me too :)

[Fred Henderson]

Someone should start apoll on who likes what kind of music. Me I would rather listen to natures critters.

[Russell Lampron]

I like listening to the sound of sap hitting the bottom of a just emptied sap bucket.

Russ

[Fred Henderson]

I like being out the a night when everything is all dark and and quiet and hear that drip.

[super sappy]

In the summer we take a couple of rusty old buckets and stick them under the eve so we can hear the bucket song in the morning when the dew drips off the roof.It might sound crazy to most folks but it starts my day off on the rightfoot.-super sappy

[Fred Henderson]

SS; What a great idea.We have a stream about 100 ' down the hill. I built a weir in it so we listen to the water falls, except when the level gets real low.