Hi:  I have tried all of the skunk remedies.  The carpet strip, nails in
board, barricades only work with really dumb skunks.  The rest find a way
around them, reach over them, etc.  Short of a mine field in front of the
hive, we haven't found this approach to work for more than a short time.
 
We also tried flour laced with pepper, still not much help.  Poison eggs
under the hive work, but are illegal in many areas and pose a risk to
other animals and possibly to kids - don't leave the egg in the kitchen.
Lead bullets also work, but again not without considerable risk.  And who
wants to kill a skunk in the yard next to all that stored honey - better
break its back.
 
 
The best answer was simple.  Too costly for commercial or large
operations, but great for a few hives.  Place the hives on tall stands.
We build elongated sawhorse stands.  Just make the stand taller than the
skunk and don't leave projections for the skunk to climb on.  It appears
that skunks aren't good climbers.
 
We tried this two years ago, end of skunk problem.
 
Also, easier on the beekeepers back.
 
Cheers
 
Jerry Bromenshenk
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