After a week away I returned to find the grass in front of all 4 of my hives matted down and the ground scratched up quite a bit. I assume I have been having nocturnal visits by skunks, raccoons or possums. I have not seen the visitors. I understand that this can make the bees more agressive to work, but is it likely cause a serious reduction in the bee population? Has anyone had success in dealing this problem? I am thinking of placing the hives on 2 concrete blocks, which would get them about 16 inches off the ground in the hope that this will expose the underparts of the animals to more stings. I've heard of putting cayenne pepper or boards of nails in front of the hives. Do these really work? What about attaching a semi-circle of fence around the front of the hive? A full animal proof fence sounds like too much trouble. If I were sure it was not a skunk I'd try trapping the animal. I don't even want to think of catching a skunk. I'm sure glad we don't have bears around here. Any ideas would be appreciated, especially if they have worked for you. Thanks, Kevin D. Parsons Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania USA