Farmers use bees to stop elephants from destroying crops

[Amish Country]

African farmers are using top bar beehives to successfully keep elephants from damaging crops. The hives are suspended from fence wires strung between fence posts. The profit from the sale of honey and wax from the hives provides financial incentive for the farmers to maintain the hives. Top bar hives are inexpensive to make and can be put together by most people who have some wire, nails/screws, scrap wood, corigated metal and rough carpentry skills. The hives work best in warm conditions. At higher altitudes or where it is cold, snowy or wet the bees have less inclination to leave the hive and swarm intruders. In warmer areas they will attack at night when most of the crop damage is done.

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2...campaign=Feed:+wired/science+(Wired:+Science)

A link to an instruction manual is includec with the article.
http://www.savetheelephants.org/files/pdf/ 2011 King.L.E Beehive Fence Construction Manual .pdf