Electric fence. Frustrated bears tore my trees up when they were irritated by the electric fence around my bees, now trees and hives are fenced in. I also wrap plastic construction fence around my trees to keep the deer from rubbing, very effective, and lets air to the trunk also. I have also seen hives set on elevated platforms, very effective. And up on electrified flat beds. In my isolated yard, roofing nails nailed with a air gun thru conveyer belt placed around my hives works well also. ,,,DonÂt worry, I love wildlife and only use the shorter ¾ nails. ;>) Here is a link that might be useful: Managing bear damage to beehives

Dorothy, I don't really have an answer for you, but just a couple of observations. Our native black walnut trees are like yours--they produce some nuts but not as many as some other similar trees in the county. Our trees are located on the western third of our property, in a mixed oak-hickory-cedar forest that is badly overgrown. I've often wondered if they'd produce better if they were in a less overgrown/overcrowded area. It is my understanding that the trees are not exactly self-fertile either, so they produce a better nut crop if pollinated by pollen from a different tree. However, even lone trees far removed from a similar tree will produce nuts...just not as many, so they aren't entirely self-sterile either. In our climate, black walnuts often bloom and pollinate in April when late frosts still can occur and can freeze-kill some or all of the flowers/nuts before they get a chance to grow. In general, if a late freeze gets most or all of our native pecans, it also gets most or all of our native black walnuts. And, like native pecans, and as Carol suggested above, their crop size seems highly variable from year to year. I don't know that there is anything you could do to increase the size of the crop. Fertilizing them might help--it sometimes does with native pecans. Dawn

Sounds like bear to me. The following was sent to me by a friend in Wyoming when he heard I was coming for a visit and some hiking... "Bears- Three things come to mind: Carry pepper spray and wear bells, Know their tracks and habitat, Know their spoor. Tracks are easy given their variation in size. Habitat is easy because they all frequent similar places. Spoor is a bit more difficult. Black bear spoor can resemble that of a very large dog. Grizzly spoor is unique because it smells like pepper spray and is full of little bells."

That feeding of deer is so, so very dumb. How do folks get to the point that they think they are "helping" the situation when feeding wild animals, the survival of which-at least as a species-absolutely cannot depend on handouts? In this state-since the repooplican takeover of state govt.-all wise management of natural resources, including deer, has been tossed into the fire (where they are also busy burning the books!) and what a surprise....as all efforts to halt chronic wasting disease-a serious disease of deer which apparently started out west but which traveled to Wisconsin via these ridiculous "deer farms", where many deer are together in crowded conditions, eating together, etc. have been halted, what a surprise! Now, following last fall's deer gun season, which is big business in a place like this, it is turning out that CWD is showing up all over the state, in something like 10% of animals tested. Good going guys! Bury your heads in the sand...maybe all problems will just go away! I'm thinking my venison-eating days may be over. Spongy brain disease, anyone?