Bees Used To Scare Off Elephants From Crops

Small creatures such as a mouse are now not going to be the only living thing that will make an elephant head for the hills in as fast as a blink of an eye. Recent studies have concluded that a swarm of bees will have the elephant run for cover as fast as possible and also alter the elephants that are nearby.

This was the news African farmers have been waiting to hear since they have experienced plenty of trouble from these large-eared creatures feeding from the farmer's crop fields. Farmers have reported elephants taking the entire crop in the fields in just one night. A smooth harvest season is very crucial to the survival of their crops and consequently their income so a close eye will be kept on the fields during this period. If an elephant comes near the field, the farmer will go after the large feeding creature with fire sticks or create loud noises with clanging pots and pans to scare off the intruders.

Although this current method is somewhat effective in guarding the crops, it has also caused numerous deaths to both parties. Elephants will sometimes be killed by the farmer if they are not frightened by the initial scare of the flames and loud noises. Similarly, when an elephant is frightened, they can scramble in a frenzy thus trampling anything around it. The Kenya Wildlife Service receives about 1,300 complaints annually regarding elephant-human contact.

Fortunately, to resolve the issue many theories and experiments have been tested to lessen deaths from these situations. One of the most effective experiments was conducted by Stacy King who studies animal behavior. She conducted two experiments to learn more about the relationship between the insect and the mammal. The first experiment consisted of playing recorded bee sounds near the elephants which resulted in the elephants backing away. Also, groups of elephants that could not hear the bee sounds began to run away. The conclusion was drawn that elephants will warn others that surround them with a sound that is inaudible to humans. Mrs. King wanted to prove her theory of elephant emitting an inaudible sound to humans by recording the noise with a high powered microphone.

The second experiment included hanging ultra-sensitive microphones on the trees to record the alarm the elephants produced when frightened. King then replayed the low rumble to find the elephants fleeing from the area.

So in a nutshell, the theory is to put up a wire fence that is connected to poles that are about 10 yards apart. The bee hives will be connected to the wire so when the elephants try to cross they will be cause the hives to sway thus provoking the bees. The swarm of bees will attack the elephants causing them to run away and alert others around them. The crops are saved!