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["Jim Fruth" <jfruth@tds.net>]

   Pet food had been disappearing overnight for several weeks so I decided 
to put a live trap out to see who my nocturnal visitors were.  The trap was 
sprung several times before I caught a (young) skunk - now they won't go 
near the live trap or the bait (dog food) that we used.  Once we saw momma 
skunk scurrying out of the yard (under a gate).
   I put sills under all of the gates and now they are burrowing under the 
woven wire fence.  When I plug one hole, they burrow another.  I can't put 
sills under 1,000+ feet of fence.  I baited them with Decon Rat Poison mixed 
in jelly and they ate the jelly leaving the Decon pellets.
   The skunks don't seem to be doing any damage but the thought of 
accidentally running into one gives me the creeps.  I have water set out for 
the honeybees (I have three hives) but the water bowls are atop 5-gallon 
pails; can skunks reach that high?  Could they be in the orchard because of 
being able to get a regular drink?  Otherwise, the worst damage they have 
done (besides the under-the-fence-holes) is tiny holes as though they dug up 
an acorn that some squirrel might have hidden.  The strawberries will be 
ripe soon and I wonder if they will eat them.  What would you do in this 
situation?

Jim Fruth
Brambleberry Farm
Pequot Lakes, MN  56472
For jams, jellies & syrups:
www.bberryfarm.com
(877)265-6856 [Store]
(218)831-7018 [My Cell]