Do Bears Actually Have a Strong Affinity for Honey?

If your only experience with bears comes from the pages of Winnie the Pooh during childhood, you might imagine that these large animals would go to great lengths to get their massive paws on a jar of honey. And in a way, you’d be right. The portrayal of honey-loving bears in A. A. Milne’s work wasn’t entirely made up. However, their tastes extend far beyond the sweet nectar found in hives.

“Bears do have a fondness for honey and are indeed drawn to beehives,” explained Elizabeth Manning, an education specialist for the State of Alaska, who wrote for Alaska Fish & Wildlife News. “But contrary to what you might think from Winnie the Pooh, bears consume much more than just honey. They also eat the bees and larvae found inside the hive, which provide a valuable source of protein. Both brown and black bears are known to raid beehives.”

Wondering if attacking a beehive would lead to a swarm of painful bee stings? The answer is yes. According to the North American Bear Center:

“Bears endure painful stings to get to the prized brood comb of a hive, which contains pupae, larvae, and eggs. While adult bees sting the bears’ faces and ears in defense, they struggle to penetrate the thick fur on the rest of the bear's body. Once the bears grab the brood comb and possibly some honey, they quickly flee, shaking bees out of their fur just as they would shake off water.”

In simpler terms, bears find the benefits worth the pain, which has led to significant challenges for beekeepers globally. In the first five months of 2018 alone, bears destroyed over 370 beehives in Finland and parts of Estonia, forcing the Finnish government to spend $143,000 to compensate farmers whose livelihoods were ruined along with their hives.

While many beekeepers go to the expense of installing electric fences around their hives to protect them from bears, even an electric shock isn’t always enough to deter the most persistent bears. Last year in Finland, as reported by the BBC, a brown bear managed to bypass an electric fence and reach two beehives.

After years of battling with bears, Ibrahim Sedef, a beekeeper in Turkey, decided to adopt an ‘if-you-can’t-beat-‘em-join-‘em’ strategy. Realizing that bears might be the most particular honey enthusiasts, he transformed the bears into voluntary taste testers. He set up four bowls, each containing a different delicacy: flower honey, chestnut honey, Anzer honey, and cherry jam (as a distraction) to see if the bears had a favorite. He then set up a camera to watch as they chose Anzer honey, one of the world’s most expensive varieties, as their top pick.

Though Sedef estimates that his encounters with bears have cost him around $10,000 over the years, he can’t help but feel affection for these furry creatures. “Despite all the damage they’ve caused, when I watch the footage, I forget everything they’ve done to me, and I end up loving them,” Sedef told The Guardian.