# Skunks



## Eman (Apr 14, 2002)

what if any threat do skunks pose to bee hives?


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## Tia (Nov 19, 2003)

Skunks are bee eaters. I read somewhere they will scratch at the entrance and when a guard bee comes out to see what's going on, he gets eaten! Apparently putting the hives on stands helps as does an entrance reducer. If you see scratch marks at the front of the hive, you might have a skunk interloper.


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## honeyman46408 (Feb 14, 2003)

***** will do the same I lost 10+ hives last spring to the varmets.If you will put a strip of carpet tac strip aon the landing board they wont scratch but a couple of times. I knew this last year but as they say if you snooz you loose








Ed


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

>>helps as does an entrance reducer

No an enterance reducer doesn't help, it makes it worse. It makes it easier for the skunks to lap up the bees. 
I use to have a skunk problem, until I started working my hives on pallets. 


Ian

[This message has been edited by Ian (edited December 07, 2003).]


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Evidence that you have skunks eating bees:

Really angry bees.

Scratches on the front of the hive. Skunks scratch until the bee flys out and catches them in it's mouth.

Little piles of dead bees. The skunks suck the juice out of a bunch of them and then spit them out.

Solutions to skunks eating bees:

Put the hives up higher. (as mentioned)

Put on a screened entrance. Brushy Mt sells them to close up a hive. You would need to then cut a slot exiting the top. Snelgrove describes a similar setup as a "robber screen". I agree reducing the entrance won't help but the screen door means the bees fly up when they fly out and it's higher than the skunk expects too. The skunk needs the bee to fly straight out to catch it.

Put something in front of the hive that the skunks don't like. Chicken wire in a little roll, a carpet tack strip etc. They like to step on something solid and they are suspicious of wiry things with give and of course no one likes to step on tacks.

Shoot the skunk. This is my favorite but sometimes the hardest to do. You can try a live trap with some chicken livers or anything else you think the skunks might like. Skunks like eggs. I haven't tried them for bait, but they eat a lot of mine. They also like taking a bite out of a chicken. I don't care for leg hold traps for this situation because, if a catch one of my chickens or my dog in the live trap, it's not a big loss. But it's difficult to get them out of a leg hold trap.


Probably skunks aren't a problem when the bees aren't flying. If the bees are clustered and won't fly out to defend it, then the skunks methods of getting bees fail.


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## mattoleriver (Sep 20, 2003)

Is it possible to shoot, or trap, a skunk without having the skunk spray? 
George


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## dickm (May 19, 2002)

I trapped a lot of them and the trap itself usually makes them spray. Leg hold traps that is. A Havaheart might not and if you cover it you could possibly move it with out triggering a spray. If you take this advice and put one in your car... let me know how you make out!







I was told that a brain shot would keep them from spraying in death but I can't remember ever doing it. Someone said that the higher hives require the animal to open it's vulnerable belly to the stings. I think it was Clinton Bemrose who told me that if you staple a 3-4 inch extension, made of screen, to your bottom board ... the animals don't like to lean on it. I think this is elegant. 

Luck,

Dick Marron


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I've shot skunks in the head and the chest and neither one sprayed at all, but I did it from a ways away in case.

I've caught them in live traps and they didn't spray either. My guess would be that they would spray when in a leg hold trap because of the sudden pain of getting caught, and Dickm has confirmed that.









Of course, just because none of them did when I caught them or shot them does not insure that one would not. I always try to keep my distance.


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## beeman 202 (Jan 8, 2003)

To deter skunks cut a length of carpet tack strip and place the full length of the opening of the hive with the sharp tacks pointed up. 

By carpet tack strip I mean the 1" to 2 1/2" wide wood lath that is full of extremely sharp tacks used to fix the edge of carpet to the edge of the room.

skunks that used to stop by nightly for a snack of fresh bees learn quickly to look elsewhere for dinner.


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## Eman (Apr 14, 2002)

Skunks are nocturnal and would be out and about when the bees aren't flying. I wouldn't think the bees would come out at night. 
We have shot 2 already this year and both have gone off when shot. definetly some strong smelling stuff.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Yes, skunks are nocturnal. Try scratching on the entrance to a hive at night and see what happens. That's what the skunks do. They scratch until the guard bee flies out. That's the reason for the scratch marks on the front of the hive.


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## BWrangler (Aug 14, 2002)

Hello Everyone,

Skunks can decimate even large commercial yards here. Water is the limiting resource for both bees and skunks. They end up being concentrated in the same small irrigated agricultural areas around alfalfa fields. The bees can provide a major food source for the skunks and the mother will teach her kittens how to work the hives. 

The skunks will dig and scratch the ground in front of a hive. They squish globs of bees and eat them. They will work a couple of hives in the yard until the hive population is reduced. Then they will move to other hives where the feasting is better.

After a yard has been worked for awhile, the bees become very cross. A stale smell(urine?) will permeate the grass in the yard. And skunk feces composed mostly of bee parts can be found around the hives.

Once a skunk gets used to feeding on bees it's very hard to deter them with tacks,etc.

And if the yard is located in an area where trapping or shooting can't be done, then an aspiregg will work. Chip a small hole in the end of an egg and insert a couple of aspirin. Bury the egg directly in front of a hive that is being worked by the skunk.
No more skunk problem. The bees will keep other animals away from the egg.

Regards
Dennis
Sharing a darker side of beekeeping



[This message has been edited by BWrangler (edited December 07, 2003).]


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## aufingers (May 5, 2003)

We have a lot of skunks in this area. I had 15 hives at a large alfalfa seed farm two years ago and the skunks pretty well destroyed about eight. I tried leg traps and live traps, caught about a dozen but these were midsized ones that had been born that spring. I didn't catch any adult skunks. I was speaking to a local beekeeper about the problem and he said to take a pop can, cut off the bottom one third, make a mixture of 50% milk and 50% antifreeze, bury it to ground level and it should take care of the skunks. You should place it where your pets would not get into it. My dogs won't go near the hives and we don't let the bobcat out without being on a leash so no problem here. I did learn one thing the hard way (never never shoot a skunk at 2:AM in the middle of the sunner by your bedroom window).

Happy wintering,

Earl White


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## dcross (Jan 20, 2003)

When I was younger, I would catch skunks in a small Havahart, then pick the trap up with a pitchfork, carry it to the creek across the road and drop it in. I never got sprayed, but everybody knew what I was up to until I changed and showered. This only worked with the 7"x7" trap, I tried it once with the raccoon size trap and got nailed. Now, I think I'll give the Aspiregg a try.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I've always been afraid of poison (including antifreeze) because of the dog and the chickens and the horses. I didn't know that asprin was poisones to skunks. But, if it is, the aspireeg sound like it would work. Eggs seem to work for bait (I have a friend who uses them) in a skunk trap also. 

I think part of when they spray etc. seems to do with the space around them. Some of the ones I've shot were in the chicken house in a corner behind the nest box. They don't seem to spray when they are in a confined area. As I understand they hate the smell just as much as the rest of us.



[This message has been edited by Michael Bush (edited December 08, 2003).]


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

>>Chip a small hole in the end of an egg and insert a couple of aspirin. Bury the egg directly in front of a hive that is being worked by the skunk.
No more skunk problem. The bees will keep other animals away from the egg.

Very interesting. I will keep this in mind. A while back they use to lace eggs with cionide, very deadly, but worked wonders, even on neighbours dogs.

Ian


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## mattoleriver (Sep 20, 2003)

>>I was speaking to a local beekeeper about the problem and he said to take a pop can, cut off the bottom one third, make a mixture of 50% milk and 50% antifreeze, bury it to ground level and it should take care of the skunks. 
I would think that bees would also be attracted to antifreeze. Antifreeze is very deadly to cats, dogs, etc., I wonder what it will do to bees. Whatever, I wouldn't want it in the honey.
George


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## Curry (Sep 22, 2003)

I was deer huntin' the other day and could have shot a fox that walked right up to me. But I thought, why kill something that you're not going to eat? I say, just put your hives up on pallets (which are free from just about anywhere) and let the poor skunks do their thing...

We've got lots of skunks here but I've never had a problem with one because all my 60 hives are on pallets. (I guess the skunks tummy is unprotected as it reaches up to the entrance... so it won't).


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## hoosierhiver (Feb 27, 2003)

antifreeze is deadly poisenous,i sure wouldn't be pouring it on my soil,especially if you have well.


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## denise_ky (Aug 29, 2002)

Someone mentioned that raccoons can be destructive to a hive. Be aware that possums can be too! I've had the skunk problem. Ended up shooting it really early in the AM at daybreak. They really do make the hive angry.
D.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I don't just kill an animal unless it IS my food or it's EATING my food. But I have had to shoot possums and skunks because they do eat my bees and my chickens. I wouldn't mind losing a chicken now and again, but they take a bite out of them and leave them to die. The coyotes, on the other hand, take the whole chicken.


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## Daisy (Jul 24, 2003)

This post is a Goddess send...

I had clumps of squashed bees piled in front of one of my hives and didn't know what it was and now I know. 

I'm sad about it but had I not read this I would have never known.

This is the best source for learning about bees. I am very grateful to all you folks.

I'm working to solve the problems... 

I'm just feeling so sad........

;^(


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## BWrangler (Aug 14, 2002)

Hello Everyone,

My hives are on pallets and still get attacked by both skunks and racoons. Some years, the damage is minor. Other years, almost half the hives can be destroyed.

I think the skunks won't bother the hives too much if other food sources are available and the skunk population is low. Under these conditions tack strips, hives on pallets, etc., work ok. 

But when skunk populations increase, the pressure on the hives changes, especially if food resources are limited. I see the same dynamics at work with the deer population and my landscaping.

Bees are harassed by lots of pests such as fungi, bacteria, mites, ants, wasps, dragonflies, birds, skunks, bears and even man. The bees can handle most normal situations by themselves. But sometimes intervention is needed. To routinely destroy animals, even mites and ants, because they can become damaging pests is senseless. 

Regards
Dennis
Wondering if beekeepers who tremble at the thought of skunkacide freely inflict miticide :> )


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

>>To routinely destroy animals, even mites and ants, because they can become damaging pests is senseless. 

It is nessicary to control populations of pests. You usually find out when they become damaging after the fact. I cant afford that to happen. Keep the pests under control, keep losses under control and keep peace of mind knowing things are under control.

Ian


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## BWrangler (Aug 14, 2002)

Hello Everyone,

Skunks are so populous here at times,that they are considered a resource by some. They trap the skunks and remove the scent glands which are air freighted with dry ice to perfume makers on the east coast. No kidding.

Yet, they can't trap them all and hives can be devistated by them. I only bury aspireggs in front of hives that are being damaged. That way I get the responcible culprit and no others.

If I routinely set out them out for skunks control, its possible someone would consider my beeyard a pest and maybe setout some insecticide. I know that happens in town based on converstations I've overheard in the gardening centers.

Regards
Dennis
Who occasionally commits skunkacide but trembles at the thought of miticide.

Now is this the really dark side of beekeeping or what :> )


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## loggermike (Jul 23, 2000)

Skunks are the main carriers of rabies in Kalifornia.The population is out of control here after years of low fur prices then Kalifornia voters banning steel traps.I hate the d*** things and have even been known to aim my bee truck at them on the highway.Kill em all I say(laughing maniacally).
--Mike(the skunk hater)

[This message has been edited by loggermike (edited December 13, 2003).]


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## WineMan (May 16, 2003)

My friend who is known as a little eccentric and spends too much time shooting blackpowder at rendezvous has an interesting full length skunk coat. Its very eye catching and draws lots of attention....and its one of only two good uses I have ever seen for a skunk.


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## loggermike (Jul 23, 2000)

OK whats the other?


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

The other is the scent is used to make perfume. Seriously.

I thought I was having my leg pulled when I first heard it, but it's true. The old carpenter I worked with talked about how to skin a skunk and how much the fur was worth and how much the scent glands were worth. In the depression they used to shoot them and skin them and sell the hides and the scent glands for quite a bit.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

The other is the scent is used to make perfume. Seriously.

I thought I was having my leg pulled when I first heard it, but it's true. The old carpenter I worked with talked about how to skin a skunk and how much the fur was worth and how much the scent glands were worth. In the depression they used to shoot them and skin them and sell the hides and the scent glands for quite a bit.


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## loggermike (Jul 23, 2000)

I did quite a bit of fur trapping back in the 70's.A skunk pelt was worth 5 bucks from this section.I would skin them to pay for gas.I guess I didnt know about saving the scent glands(I always gave them a wide berth when skinning!)I did save beaver castors however.


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## loggermike (Jul 23, 2000)

I did quite a bit of fur trapping back in the 70's.A skunk pelt was worth 5 bucks from this section.I would skin them to pay for gas.I guess I didnt know about saving the scent glands(I always gave them a wide berth when skinning!)I did save beaver castors however.


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## loggermike (Jul 23, 2000)

This forum is really messed up today.Anyway.I consider skunks to be my number 1 predator problem,worse than bears from an economic point of view.They seriously damage bee populations in the fall when the queens are slowing down so no replacement bees are available.They put a constant stress on hives,and stress makes bees sussceptible to AFB and other diseases.I wish landowners would get their skunk populations under control(a few do for which I am thankful).


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

>>>>>yet to hear of a beekeeper who doesn't wrap their hives in
>cold
>winter conditions.

You got the culprit then, good. And next time you will get the next culprit.

>>If I routinely set out them out for skunks control, its possible someone would consider my beeyard a pest and maybe setout some insecticide. 

A little far fetched now, isn't it. 

Ian


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## WineMan (May 16, 2003)

Yep....the scent glands. Back throughout the 80's before fur prices dropped we collected them but only took the scent out with a syringe and didnt pull the whole gland. I recall that one that hadnt sprayed contained about an ounce of scent and worth way more than the hide which isnt that fun to get off.....like a greasy version of a coyote. Taking that gland out must be entertaining....just one small slip!!!!!!


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## BWrangler (Aug 14, 2002)

Hi Ian and Everyone,

>A little far fetched now, isn't it. 

I know lots of people who are 'deathly' allergic to bee sting. Yet,I don't know a single person who is 'deathly' allergic to skunks. Which do you think would be considered a worse pest by those people, especially since most people would never observe the skunk in their yard at night but would readily see the bee in their yard during the day?

I know of people who routinely spray the flowers in their yard with insecticide to get rid of the bees. But I don't know of a single person who commits skunkacide, except for myself and a few other beekeepers.

I'm thinking maybe it's time to turn lemons into lemonaide. Maybe beekeepers should wear full length skunk coats as our mark of distinction. Just be careful when crossing any roads. :> )

Another question. Has anyone ever tried using skunk smell on a fume board? It couldn't be any worse smelling than bee go :> ) Maybe over time beekeeping would take on a new ambiance akin to that of the perfume industry. :> )))

Regards
Dennis
Knowing of beekeepers who paid the bee trucks fuel bill with skunk skins and glands harvested from their beeyards, although it must have been a pretty messy business.


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## denise_ky (Aug 29, 2002)

<<My friend who is known as a little eccentric>>

I thought WE were known as a little eccentric!
D


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## dickm (May 19, 2002)

As long as we're on the subject you all could be interested in a piece of folklore that states that:"if you pick a skunk up by the tail, he can't spray you". I'm here to tell you that it is the truth.
It happened this way. My (somewhat weird) next door neighbor had a skunk in a havaheart trap which he used as a cage. It was there for a month or 2 and I'd assumed it was a descented pet. My kids were around 10 at the time and accidently let the animal out. Fearing the loss of my neighbors pet I tried to catch the animal. In a sort of suicidal daze I picked it up by the easiest handle, it's tail. I made it several strides back toward the cage without incident. I really think he couldn't spray. What the old wives didn't tell me was that one should hold your captive at arms length because he twisted and got a claw or two into my clothing. Then he climbed up my pant leg. THEN he could spray. In that second the world changed. I threw that animal as far as I could. I could have killed him with my bare hands. Then I would have started on my children. Then the neighbor wasn't safe. Especially when he told me that if I'd left the skunk alone he'd have gone back to his cage by himself! All this flashed through my mind as I stripped naked before I went into the house. 

Dick Marron


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

The caretaker at the church camp I spent my summers at, said when he was a child, his Uncle told him that skunks can't spray if you catch them by the tail. He and his brother found out that's not true. They had to sleep outside for a week.


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## dcross (Jan 20, 2003)

Kinda reminds me of the time our neighbours little girl brought her new "kittie" into the house, her mom got really frantic when she saw the stripe.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

When I was about 10 we were at Shakamac State Park near Jasonville, IN and my sister and I saw two kids playing with a skunk. They ran up and petted it and then picked it up and ran off with it. We were stunned at first, but concluded that it must have been a pet. I hope so, anyway.


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## hoosierhiver (Feb 27, 2003)

skunks will only spray you if they feel threatened.


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## Hillbillynursery (Nov 13, 2003)

An old man up on the mountain kept 3 skunks in the barn much like cats. The oldest one he found as a kit while logging. The oldest one was mother of the 2 younger ones. All males would leave but the female kits would stay. I always had problem with them killing my chicken and stealing eggs. He had no problem with this yet he never seemed to have a mouse/rat problem. Some theives were surprized and sprayed when they broke into the tack room. He said they are the best watch dogs and cats a person could have. I never did learn how he kept them out of the hen house. I have alway been able to steal trap them when I have a problem with them. We put our pets up. The bait is a chicken in a wire box hung just above the traps. I have caught a few dogs and many coyotes(sp) this way. But the way I see it is if they were afer the chicken they need to be gotten rid of anyway.


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## hoosierhiver (Feb 27, 2003)

skunks are pretty smart,they can be trained for a litter box,they are actually in the weasel family.individual skunks sometimes have different markings,for example,instead of a stripe along their back,they may have a white tail,or a white patch on there head.i once had the pleasure of knowing a big fat albino skunk named snowball,a really neat and gentle animal.


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## atxbees (Mar 28, 2013)

I hate to revive an ancient thread, but I'm pretty concerned about the possibility of skunks decimating my hive. The girls arrive in a couple weeks and I've always had issues with skunks on my property. Last fall, I had a trapper come out and catch 3 and I still see some late at night. _The Beekeeper's Handbook_ says that an 18-inch hive stand is the easiest way to prevent skunks from being a problem. Can anyone verify/disprove? Thanks.


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## KPeacock (Jan 29, 2013)

it is supposed to allow the bees to do what they do. The elevate stand exposes the skunks belly, which the bees can easily sting through. My personal preference for dealing with skunks involves ballistics and a shovel. I understand that some folks might not agree with this though.


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

To deal with skunks, an alternative to hive stands is to simply switch your hives to top entrances:
http://www.bushfarms.com/beeslazy.htm


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## squarepeg (Jul 9, 2010)

atxbees said:


> I hate to revive an ancient thread, but I'm pretty concerned about the possibility of skunks decimating my hive. The girls arrive in a couple weeks and I've always had issues with skunks on my property. Last fall, I had a trapper come out and catch 3 and I still see some late at night. _The Beekeeper's Handbook_ says that an 18-inch hive stand is the easiest way to prevent skunks from being a problem. Can anyone verify/disprove? Thanks.


the elevated stands have not kept the skunks from chewing up my bees.

this trap has worked well for me:

http://www.snareshop.com/prodinfo.asp?number=ADC6

once trapped they can't spray, and can be easily drowned.


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## JDeVore (5 mo ago)

Ian said:


> > >Chip a small hole in the end of an egg and insert a couple of aspirin. Bury the egg directly in front of a hive that is being worked by the skunk.
> 
> 
> No more skunk problem. The bees will keep other animals away from the egg.
> ...


Try marshmallows' and add vitamin d 3 and PeanutButter to hide the aspirin.


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