Skunked

[DavesBees]

 
Our bees are all gone. We left Ohio with 3 hives; 1 overstuffed 10 frame and 2 - 8 frame hives. By the time we got to Maine the 10 frame had suffocated; it was a terrible mess. The smaller hives seemed to have made it just fine and were set on concrete blocks. We were worried about bears but our fears were misdirected. We were busy house hunting during the day and skunks were returning every night to dine on our bees as though we were providing them as a courtesy.  We figured it out too late.  It is never fun to lose bees but at least we'll be starting fresh with local bees in the spring.

[greenbtree]

Time to make up nail boards!

JC

[BlueBee]

I tend to agree with Michael Bush that the best way to solve a skunk problem is to use a top entrance.  A top entrance quickly solves the problem with a minimum amount of effort.

[tefer2]

Having your hives 16 inches off the ground will help too.

[AllenF]

Set some traps and start toting a .22.

[Rich V]

Set some traps and start toting a .22.

Ran a longline for awhile, if I shot a skunk in a trap I couldn't go near it for days.

[caticind]

Simplest is probably to elevate the entrance - top entrance or a taller stand - whatever works best.  You can't shoot them all (and best not to try, ugh!)

[DavesBees]

I read on one of the forums or in a book that you put chicken wire between the bottom of the hive and the cinder blocks or whatever.  Then stretch the wire out a little in front of the hive and pin it or stake it.  The idea is that the skunk won’t try walking on the suspended wire and therefore are unable to reach the landing boards.  No bees or skunks die with this process. 

[mikecva]

I have used 14" stands and then added tack boards. My tack boards are the ones that are used to hold down the carpeting on wall to wall carpeting near the wall.  -Mike

[BlueBee]

DavesBees, I have tried a version of the skunk screen in front of some of my hives.  It does work, but it’s so much easier to simply use a top entrance to defeat the skunks.  Actually I’m still using a skunk screen in front of my experimental super foam hives with bottom entrances now.  Here’s a photo from today.

If you look closely you can see where the dang skunks were digging into my bottom foam board under the entrance.  The skunk screen stopped that activity, but they were a pain to build. 

[splitrock]

A little golden malrin (fly poison) mixed in a little coke will stop the offender very in short order.

[DavesBees]

Fly poision in the beeyard!  Oh nevermind......aint worth it.

[Tommyt]

Dave your the Ace of cakes in KTBH and your not using them ???? :?

 :shock:  :shock:

 :-D

Tommyt

[splitrock]

"Fly poision in the beeyard!  Oh nevermind......aint worth it."

Unless your bee's feed at night like skunks do, or it is too much hassle to take it away come morning, you won't lose anything but your bee eating skunk problem. They LOVE the stuff!!! You'll just have a dead skunk very nearby who has licked the pan clean.

I am sorry I didn't go into great detail, but I was talking about a quick fix for a problem skunk, not suggesting putting it out for any and all to enjoy whenever all wise one. We kill them up here instead of letting them run along to become someone else's problem.

Have a great day!

[DavesBees]

Tommyt,
Ok, you got me… Couldn’t fit the top bar hives in the car as easy as the Langs.  I did leave a string of KTBHs in Ohio.  It is important to note as well that I have nothing against the Lang hive at all.  I believe you can keep bees in an old refrigerator if you leave them alone.

splitrock,
I just don’t feel the need to kill everything that does not dance to the beat of my drum.  And Poison is Poison no matter who or what drinks it…poisons are what is wrong with all pollinators, so I’m fully anti poison. 

[pembroke]

I too use a .22 to take care of skunks. The smell wears off after about 3 weeks.