Bears make a beeline to the hives for the sweet protein

It’s more than just a sweet tooth that directs bears to honey.

Beekeeper Christi Henthorn of North Carolina explained the relationship between bears and beehives — and how to protect your pollinators from a possibly disastrous bear attack — in a presentation at BearFest on July 29.

The Winnie the Pooh story popularized the idea that bears raid beehives to steal their honey, but this is only partially true. “Bears really want to eat, not just the honey, but the honeycomb and the bees themselves as well,” explained Henthorn.

Bee pollen is one of the most complete sources of protein available in...