Caught on video: Bear breaks into Bazetta Township bee hives

A beekeeper in Bazetta Township was bewildered to find a bear in his apiary this week, and it was all caught on video.

It was just another day for Jeff Bonner when he got an unusual notification on his phone.

"There was a video, a motion-triggered video, here in the beehives," said Bonner.

Something he couldn't believe he was bearing witness to.

"So I looked at it, and, "Oh my gosh,' it was a bear, and never had that experience before." Bonner stated.

Jeff made a beeline to the apiary. By the time he arrived, the bear was gone, but the brunt of the damage had already been done.

"I found the hive way out there in the woods. The frames I found were basically clean. It looks like he ate the frame, the wax that was there, and the bees. Everything was gone," said Bonner, adding that it was about 100 yards away from the bee enclosure.

The hive the bear took carries anywhere from 10,000 to 50,000 bees. 

"He literally ate a whole hive of bees." Bonner exclaimed.

Bonner buzzed the Ohio Department of Natural Resources the next day. "The wildlife officer told me this is considered bear country." 

Ever since, the beekeeper has been busier than a bee, putting up an electric fence, motion-detecting lights, and straps to hold down the hives.

"It's jury-rigged right now because I had to get it up quick because I didn't want to lose another hive." Bonner says.