I have had good results at deterring skunks by placing a piece of
stiff screen wire (hardware cloth) in front of the hives. Make it
as wide as the hive, and long enough to extend both just under
the hive and stick out in front like a landing strip. One of the
ways  skunks catch the bees is to roll them in the dirt in front
of the  hive. I could always tell when the skunks were working
the hives by the tell-tale bare and scratched area on the ground
in front of the hives. The screen wire makes this technique
difficult. I can't confirm, but suspect that any scratching of
the screen gets the quick attention of the guard bees.
It is simple to make, and easy to use. And it works for me..

Leland Hubbell, Central Ohio