Related Topic: Honey Bee Parasites, Pests and Predators - New slide set, viewable on Web

In some localities, skunks are a serious threat to successful beekeeping, since they hamper the development of strong colonies. Being insectivorous (insect-eating), skunks will raid the bee yards nightly, consuming large numbers of bees. While such attacks are most common in the spring, they also can occur throughout the summer and fall. To capture their prey, skunks scratch at the hive entrance; when the workers come out to investigate the disturbance, they are knocked down and eaten. A successful skunk will repeat the process several times and may feed at the hive entrance for an hour or more. In addition to rapidly depleting the bee population, skunks make a colony very aggressive and mean since they usually return night after night. Besides the front of the hive being scratched up and muddy, the grass in front of the hive will be packed down or torn up and there will be small piles of chewed up bee parts. The skunk chews the bees until all the juices are consumed, then spits out the remains.

Strong colonies sometimes put up a good fight but weaker colonies usually fall victim. Therefore, maintaining strong colonies is a partial deterrent to skunk attacks. Skunks also may be discouraged by screens or queen excluders attached to the front of the hive above the entrance. These devices hamper the skunk in scratching at the front entrance, and if it climbs up the screen over the entrance, its belly becomes vulnerable to stings. Fencing the bee yard or placing the colonies on stands would be an effective technique but the cost may make it prohibitive. Moving your bees to a new location is another approach considered impractical in most cases.

Currently there are no chemical repellents or toxicants labelled for controlling skunks. Since the skunk is classed as a fur-bearing animal in Pennsylvania, it is protected except during the annual trapping season (late autumn). However, the landowner has the right to kill wild animals engaged in the material destruction of cultivated crops, fruit trees, vegetables, livestock, poultry, or beehives.

Opossums and raccoons sometimes attack apiaries in the same way skunks do. These animals are also protected by state game laws.