title: How Bees Deter Elephants: Beehive Trials with Forest Elephants (Loxodonta africana cyclotis) in Gabon.
abstract: In Gabon, like elsewhere in Africa, crops are often sources of conflict between humans and wildlife. Wildlife damage to crops can drastically reduce income, amplifying poverty and creating a negative perception of wild animal conservation among rural people. In this context, crop-raiding animals like elephants quickly become "problem animals". To deter elephants from raiding crops beehives have been successfully employed in East Africa; however, this method has not yet been tested in Central Africa. We experimentally examined whether the presence of Apis mellifera adansonii, the African honey bee species present in Central Africa, deters forest elephants (Loxodonta Africana cyclotis) from feeding on fruit trees. We show for the first time that the effectiveness of beehives as deterrents of elephants is related to bee activity. Empty hives and those housing colonies of low bee activity do not deter elephants all the time; but beehives with high bee activity do. Although elephant disturbance of hives does not impede honey production, there is a tradeoff between deterrence and the quantity of honey produced. To best achieve the dual goals of deterring elephants and producing honey colonies must maintain an optimum activity level of 40 to 60 bee movements per minute. Thus, beehives colonized by Apis mellifera adansonii bees can be effective elephant deterrents, but people must actively manage hives to maintain bee colonies at the optimum activity level.
authors.affiliation: Axe Gestion des Ressources Forestières, Département Biosystem Engineering/Ingénierie Des Biosystèmes, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Université de Liège, Gembloux, Belgique.|Laboratoire de santé et production animale, Département de Zootechnie, Institut de Recherches Agronomiques et Forestières, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique et Technologique, Libreville, Gabon.|Precision Livestock and Nutrition Unit, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Gembloux, Belgique.
authors.forename: Steeve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ngama
authors.affiliation: Gabon Biodiversity Program, Center for Conservation Education and Sustainability, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Gamba, Gabon.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Korte
authors.affiliation: Precision Livestock and Nutrition Unit, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Gembloux, Belgique.
authors.forename: Jérôme
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bindelle
authors.affiliation: Axe Gestion des Ressources Forestières, Département Biosystem Engineering/Ingénierie Des Biosystèmes, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Université de Liège, Gembloux, Belgique.
authors.forename: Cédric
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vermeulen
authors.affiliation: Nicholas School of the Environment Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America.
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Poulsen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001516:Bees / Q000502:physiology*; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D018556:Crops, Agricultural; D004606:Elephants / Q000502:physiology*; D005681:Gabon; D016014:Linear Models; D011891:Rain; D013696:Temperature