A beehive fence is a
fence which is built to deter
elephants based on their natural fear of
bees.
The fence is set up off the ground at chest height and contains hives spaced every 10 metres.[1] If an elephant disturbs the fence, then the hives shake and the bees become agitated, and the elephants are deterred.[2] Elephants communicate the presence of bees to other elephants and thus tend to avoid the area.[3]
The approach has been largely successful, reducing conflict between humans and elephants by up to 85%.[4][5] In addition to minimising
conflicts between humans and elephants, the beehives can also serve as an additional source of income via the sale of the
honey produced.[2]
Beehive fences have a comparatively low startup cost, with costs around $22 for a single beehive compared to over $1 million for
electric fencing.[8]
Criticisms of beehive fences include difficulties and costs involved in maintaining large colonies of bees, as well as the potential for ineffectiveness if there are too few bees or if the elephants knock over beehives while advancing.[8]