At 10:22 PM 3/15/1999 -0800, you wrote:
>>
>>What do the members think of landing boards?.
 
I think you have whimpy skunks in your part of the world.
 
Every skunk that I have ever seen eats guard bees (and gets stung - even in
the mouth and throat).  The skunk scratches at the entrance and
deliberately stirs up the bees.  Eventually things get a bit too much even
for the skunk, and it moves on to the next hive.
 
I have tried powders laced with pepper, entrance guards, tack bars in front
of the hive, etc.  The only method that appears to be 100% is to place the
hives on tall hive stands with the bottom boards overhanging or at least
flush with the stand.  Skunks are relatively short and don't seem to be
able to climb very well.  Thus, if the hive is higher than the skunk is
tall, end of skunk problem.  Now, this isn't a solution for commercial
beekeepers with lots of hives, but it works for hobbiest and the
occassional researcher.  Also, it is a lot easier on the back - providing
you don't stack the honey supers too high.
 
Cheers
 
Jerry
 
 
>
>I have skunks and have found that the landing board in fromt of the hive
>makes it too hard for the skunks to get the bees out without being stung
>themselves for them to bother the hive.  The landing boards also keeps the
>weeds down...
>
>Sarah Grew
>Richmond, California
>
>