Ground Rod Clamp

Prevention is the best medicine when it comes to fencing your hives. Bears are easily discouraged by electric fencing if they have not been previously rewarded with a brood or honey meal. If they have been successful they can be very hard to keep out of the apiary. If you know there are bears or other pests in your area, setting up an electric fence can save you the heartbreak and cost of replacing bees and equipment. We are happy to offer a selection of fencing equipment depending on the location of your hive and the number of hives you need to protect. These are the units we use and recommend.

The function of a good fence depends on a good ground rod. This ground rod clamp creates the ideal connection between your fence and the ground rod. It fits 1/4″ to 1 1/4″ ground rods. When used for 1/2″ or smaller rods, simply reverse the faceplate for a proper fit. For a fence to operate correctly, the energy must travel out the animals’ feet, through the soil, and then into the energizers ground terminal. Once this circuit has completed, the animal is shocked and trained to respect the fencing.

Tips from the Betterbee Apiary:

• Leave enough room to work between your hives and the fencing.
• Install your ground rod and energizer close to the fence netting when possible.
• For 12-volt batteries, place them in an empty nuc box to protect them from the elements.
• Overlap fence netting if it’s too long.
• Use 2 or 3 ground rods if you have dry soil.
• Take care when mowing or weed whacking! Fence easily gets caught and damaged.

Read more about how to install your electric fencing.