Booo, Local Roots is just down the hill from me. If there is one thing I have learned in trying to raise or grow anything out here: Electric fences are your bestest friend.
There is no real way to keep bears out of apiaries once they know the hives are there. The best solution is to put an electric fence up before the bears go poking around.
Trying to do so now would be shutting to door after the horse has left the stable. A bear might be deterred by a painful zap if it's just curious, but a determined one that knows it can find honey on the other side of the fence will just power through it.
My brother had problems with bears in his hives. He put the hives on the roof of his house. It worked fine until he left a ladder leaning against the house. Then he had bears on his roof. Waved a shovel at them and they left, and after that he always remembered to put the ladder away.
(yes, I know, I know, the second amendment only concerns the arming of bears.)
Trying to do so now would be shutting to door after the horse has left the stable. A bear might be deterred by a painful zap if it's just curious, but a determined one that knows it can find honey on the other side of the fence will just power through it.
We're clear.
We don't want any more bears.
It's:
We're here! We're Queer! We don't want any more bears!