Don't Underestimate Skunks by Dan Osmond
Maple Ridge Farm, 462 Merrill Rd., Roseneath, Ontario, Canada | Email: Daniel.osmond[at]utoronto.ca
     My wife Faith and I have been keeping bees, part-time, on a small commercial scale since 1985. Being part-timers, we are able to attend the bee yards only during peak periods and weekends. So in between various wild 'critters' are free to cleim ownership. For the first 10-12 years we were blissfully unaware of any skunk problems - our hives were generally strong and our honey harvest very satisfactory. For several years, we didn't lose a single hive over the winter.
     The early summer of 2000 was unforgettable wet. In addition, we were away from the farm more than usual, so the grass around the hives did not get mown regularly. It was therefore doubly easy to spot the patches of well trodden grass and bare earth in front of several hives. Here and there, there was scat that looked different from the scat of raccoons, dogs, or cats. Besides, it had bees in it -- lots of bees! But I still couldn't picture much more than a skunk swallowing a few isolated bees here and there, now and again! I attached a prepared nail strip towards the front of each bottom board with the points facing upwards. This is supposed to deter the skunk from pawing the front of the bottom board to draw out the bees.
     The nail strips seemed to do some good, but some hives remained unusually weak and I blamed it on the wet cool weather, scarcity of feed and Varroa mite infestation. Then I got a rude shock. In early September, when I took off the honey supers, hive after hive told the discouraging story. Brood chambers revealed depleted clusters of bees to match the light honey supers. Puzzled, I combined some brood chambers, treated them all against Varroa mites, and placed feeders. With generous feeding, some good weather and second crop flowering red clover fields coming on well nearby, as well as goldenrod, I expected marked improvement before winter.
     One day I noticed that the bare patch of earth in front of one hive was very distinct. A skunk was obviously getting at the hive entrance to one side of the nail strip. So I added a second nail-strip to protect that side, making the barrier of nails continuous, front and side of the hive. Getting serious, I also tried to set the live trap but our friendly barn cats kept getting into it for the bait all evening, so I had to leave the thrap in place un-baited and un-set.
     After dark, at about 9:30 p.m. I returned to set the trap and, from about 25 paces away, I caught site of him! It was a big skunk working the hive to which I had added the second nail strip. He was so preoccupied that he ignored me, even though I'm sure he was aware of my presence. I ran back to the house for my rifle. Faith followed with a flashlight. At about 25 paces, she shone the flashlight at the skunk. He started back. In the dim light, I managed to get him in the cross hairs of my scope and pulled the trigger. He dropped like a stone with the nail-strip he had dislodged still draped over his body. It was over so quickly that he had not fully discharged his scent and I could get close enough to photograph and measure him. He was 25 inches from his nose to the tip of his tail. Consider the flash photograph taken immediately after the skunk was dropped and evaluate my interpretations, suggestions and questions.
     1) Note the well-worn, bare patch of earth tothe right, as you face the hive. The bare patch is lengthened, like a runway angled to the right, indicating the skunk had systematically approached the hive from the right side. That side had been unprotected until I had added the second nail strip. Any blades of grass still visible are well trodden and distinctly orientated lengthwise in the direction of the runway, consistent with the pattern of numerous darting attacks and retreats.
     2) The bare runway must have been the product of skunk attacks on previous nights, probably many nights, because its appearance was well established for several days previously. In other words, this skunk had a pattern of returning repeatedly to his favoured feeding place and working it over in a consistent manner.
     3) The skunk had dislodged the loosely attached nail strip (because the irritable bees had driven me off at the time of installation), enabling it to attack the hive. Clearly, it is advisable to protect the exposed sides of the bottom board.
     4) A substantial cluster of bees is visible on the attacked side. It was a cool night and there were no bees visible at the entrance of any other hive. But here there was an impressive cluster, leaning towards the attacker side. The cluster was quiet, like a swarm in summer, approachable and sticking together. It must have taken a considerable amount of some unusual sort of provocation to induce such a cluster to form out in the cold. The cluster did not break up even while I was photographing it by flash and flashlight. At the same time, with all the illumination and commotion going on, several bees from neighbouring hives started flying about and one stung Faith inthe leg. Since she was standing at the edge of the bee yard, several paces away from the cluster, the bee that stung her was probable from a hive closer to her. The bees in the cluster were strangely quiet and immobile now though they had been irritable and agressive at the time when I placed the nail strip.
     5) A large proportion of the cluster stayed in place for at least 2 hours after the skunk was shot. Why? Was it the smell? Or was it the particular manner in which the skunk had teased the bees out of the hive? Nothe the depth of the cluster in side view.
     6) One thing is sure. With a cluster this size the skunk would be able to snatch a big mouthful at a time, darting back each timeout of harms way, back and forth. Trodden down runways suggest a great number of intense attacks.
     7) If skunks do indeed grab a big mouthful at a time, not just isolated individuals, these bees would be squashed together and possible unable to sting the skunk's mouth effectively. Whether the skunk's mouth is too slippery to receive effective stings, or is insensitive to stings, is also open to question. Once swallowed, the powerful acid and digestive juices of the skunk's stomach would probably inactivate the bees very quickly.
     8) The proposed scenario of a skunk repeatedly snatching big portions of clustered bees, makes it likely that hundreds, maybe thousands, of bees would be removed from an attacked hive at each visit. Many visits would soon weaken even a very strong colony, never mind one that was struggling because of inclement weather, lack of food, a weak queen, Varroa infestation, or other factors.
     9) Judging by the number of bare runways in front of hives, I believe that maybe 8 of our hives were severely depleted this year. More skunks are still visiting the bee yard.
     10) Close examination of our hedge revealed two skunk dens. The first was within 10 paces of the nearest hive. The second one appeared after I had plugged up the first.
     11) The determination with which skunks establish dens very close to hives strongly suggests that bees are an important part of their diet.
     12) Final score: 3 skunks shot dead, 4 dens detected, persistent well-worn runways in front of several hives, the poorest honey crop in 15 years, 8 hives dismantled because they were too weak to winter, and some nasty cases of wax moth infestation of weakened hives.
     I've heard that some beekeepers place a 3-ft high chicken wire fence in a circle around each hive, and/or use tall hive stands to make the bottom entrance less reachable by skunks& #185;. Dogs are probably a deterrent. Our problem did not reach its present proportions while our dog was around. Our second bee yard is fairly close to two farm dwellings with dogs present and the skunk problem is less evident there and the hives are much stronger. If, as claimed, great horned owls are the main predators on skunks, is this year's proliferation (note the large number of roadkills this year) because these owls are scarce? Do coyotes² prey on skunks? Are they getting scarce?
     | From: Canadian Beekeeping, Vol 21 No 10, Winter 2000, pp. 224-226 - Photo by Dan Osmond ³
     Comments:
      ¹ This is the only reason all our hives have top hive entrance that you may notice on the video and pictures. We had the same level of problems with skunks at our own bee yard.
      ² There is information that foxes are among the main predators on skunks.
      ³ Full text of this article is available by request sent to beemi[at]mycybernet.net.