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Aspiring northern Ontario beekeeper loses hives to hungry bear

David Dubois was expecting a hive of lively activity in his brand new hobby apiary in Sudbury, Ont. this week, but what he woke up to instead was a scene of destruction, thanks to a hungry bear.

'I'm angry, more at the aerial spraying that has made [bears] not be able to have any food in the bush'

Hungry bear demolishes urban bee hives in Sudbury

8 years ago
Duration 0:48
David Dubois had his hopes for a small urban apiary in Sudbury dashed when a hungry bear obliterated his brand new hives in the search for food.

David Duboiswasexpectinga hive of lively activity in his brand new hobby apiary in Sudbury, Ont.this week, but what he woke up to instead was a scene of destruction thanks to a hungry bear.

Dubois who said he's been researching for this beekeeping project for four years received hisbeeson Sunday. By Monday morning, he'd lost all six of his hives.

"He destroyed every one. He opened every one," he said of the bear.

Sudbury's David Dubois stands in front of what remained of his six bee hives after a bear got through with them. "I'm pretty despondent, but it's not so much the money as I was looking forward to the experience," he says. (Markus Schwabe/CBC)

Dubois, who lives in the Donovan area of Greater Sudbury, said he had an electric fence on order and was going to pick it up this weekend. But, he figured in the meantime, no bear would be desperate enoughto root out the little bit of nutrition held in his brand new hives.

Despite the bear tearing apartabout $4,000 worth of bees andequipment, Duboissaid he can't fault a hungry animal.

"I'm angry more at the aerial spraying that has made [bears]not be able to have any food in the bush. And they have to forego all their natural instincts and resort to coming in to an urban environment to feed themselves."

Listen to the complete interview with David Dubois here.

A hungry bear devastated a brand new hive in the downtown area of Sudbury. David Dubois is the aspiring beekeeper that had just set up the hive. The CBC's Markus Schwabe paid him a visit to check out the damage.