Editing Beehive (section)

===Destruction===
====Animal destruction====
[[American black bear|Black bears]] destroy hives in their quest for honey and protein-rich larvae.<ref>{{cite web|work=Bear Facts for Homeowners|title=Beehives/Crops/Livestock|url=http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/pdf/bear/bearfacts_bee_crop_livestock.pdf|publisher=[[New Jersey]] Department of Environmental Protection|access-date=2009-07-22|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018074956/http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/pdf/bear/bearfacts_bee_crop_livestock.pdf|archive-date=2012-10-18}}</ref> [[Grizzly bear]]s will also eat beehives and are harder to dissuade from taking several beehives.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=wildlifenews.view_article&articles_id=371|title=ASK A WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST, Alaska Department of Fish and Game|last=|website=www.adfg.alaska.gov|access-date=2 May 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180501052521/http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=wildlifenews.view_article&articles_id=371|archive-date=1 May 2018}}</ref> Hives can be protected with an electrified enclosure and livestock fence "shocker" base. Systems available are grid plugged(120v) or solar (dc) for remote spots ([https://www.reddit.com/r/Beekeeping/comments/11cjim1/electric_fence_options more info]).

Hives erected as a crop shield against elephants are sometimes destroyed {{em|by}} elephants. These hives are hung on a single metal wire that encircles the crop field of some farms in African elephant territory. The installation is called a [[beehive fence]] and was conceived by Lucy King.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://elephantsandbees.com/publications/|title=Elephants & Bees › Publications|work=Elephants & Bees|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808172516/http://elephantsandbees.com/publications/|archive-date=2014-08-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://scienceblogs.com/grrlscientist/2007/10/09/africanized-bee-defense-agains/|title=Africanized Bee DeFense Against Hungry Elephants|work=Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151002155904/http://scienceblogs.com/grrlscientist/2007/10/09/africanized-bee-defense-agains/|archive-date=2015-10-02}}</ref>

====Human destruction====
{{main|Beehive#Ancient hives|Beekeeping#History of apiculture|Beekeeping#Wild honey harvesting}}
Humans have historically destroyed nests and hives of honey-producing bee species to obtain honey and [[beeswax]] and other bee products. Modern honey frame and centerfuge systems, such as Langstroth, are less harmful to the hive, assuming harvest will happen, and increase production at the same time.

Humans may also determine that a beehive must be destroyed in the interest of public safety or in the interest of preventing the spread of bee diseases. The U.S. state of [[Florida]] destroyed the hives of [[Africanized honey bees]], in 1999.<ref>{{cite web|title=Crawford Announces Destruction Of African Bee Hive |date=May 5, 1999|url=http://www.doacs.state.fl.us/press/1999/050599.html|publisher=[[Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services]]|access-date=2009-07-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000824043842/http://doacs.state.fl.us/press/1999/050599.html |archive-date=2000-08-24}}</ref> The state of [[Alaska]] has issued regulations governing the treatment of diseased beehives via burning followed by burial, [[fumigation]] using [[ethylene oxide]] or other approved gases, [[Sterilization (microbiology)|sterilization]] by treatment with [[lye]], or by scorching.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sec. 03.47.020. Importation of bees.|url=http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/folioproxy.asp?url=http://www.legis.state.ak.us/cgi-bin/folioisa.dll/stattx06/query=*/doc/%7Bt251%7D/pageitems=%7Bbody%7D?|publisher=[[State of Alaska]]|access-date=2009-07-22|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604000518/http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/folioproxy.asp?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.legis.state.ak.us%2Fcgi-bin%2Ffolioisa.dll%2Fstattx06%2Fquery%3D%2A%2Fdoc%2F%7Bt251%7D%2Fpageitems%3D%7Bbody%7D%3F|archive-date=2011-06-04}}</ref> In New Zealand and the United Kingdom, the treatment of hives infected with the disease [[American foulbrood]] with antibiotics is prohibited, and beekeepers are required by law to destroy such colonies and hives with fire.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Starting out with bees|last=John|first=Williams|date=2010|publisher=Bee Craft|others=National Bee-keeping Centre (Great Britain)|isbn=9780900147098|location=Warwickshire, U.K.|pages=33–4|oclc=768486360}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/index.cfm?sectionid=26|title=Beebase - Beekeeping information resource for Beekeepers|publisher=UK National Bee Unit|at=Control of Foulbrood|language=en|access-date=2017-07-22|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171012231231/http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/index.cfm?sectionid=26|archive-date=2017-10-12}}</ref>