Honeybees - 'warriors' protecting crops from elephants' destruction

On October 29, a study published in the journal 'Conservation Science and Practice' found that keeping honeybees on fences around small farms in Kenya helped repel more than 86% of crop-raiding elephants during the peak harvest season.

Scientists have found that as conflicts between elephants and local communities increase in Kenya due to factors such as shrinking habitats, poaching, and harsh climates, honeybees have proven to be an effective nature-based solution to the problem.

The nine-year study, conducted by scientists from the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and international partners, found that the bee noise and distinctive scent created a natural barrier, scaring away the large elephants and keeping them away from the fields.

Farm protected by beehive fence in Sagalla. (Photo: Save the Elephants).

Live beehives are connected together with stakes, creating a fence that combines visual, auditory and olfactory elements to prevent elephants from entering farms.

Meanwhile, local communities benefit from the bees pollinating their crops, as well as income from honey and beeswax production. As such, beehive fencing is also a cost-effective way for subsistence farms to prevent elephant intrusion.

During the study, scientists monitored 26 farms protected by beehive fences in two villages near Tsavo East National Park in southeastern Kenya and analyzed 4,000 instances of elephants approaching the farms.

Elephants roam freely in and out of the park throughout the year as they search for mates, food, water and are attracted to the scent of nutrient-rich agricultural crops, according to researchers. During the six peak growing seasons from 2014 to 2020, 3,027 elephants attempted to enter farms, and about 86% of them were kept away by beehive fences.

Throughout the study period, including the drought season, the beehive fences prevented an average of 76% of the annual elephant incursions, protecting farms and preventing confrontation between the iconic animals and local communities.

As Kenya faces increasing challenges in human-elephant conflict, solutions like beehive fences help local communities proactively protect their farms, said Patrick Omondi, director of the Kenya Wildlife Research and Training Institute (WRTI). Omondi stressed the need for scientists to explore nature-based solutions to help communities live peacefully with wildlife.