Vibrant green peanut fields littered with stark, bare patches are a familiar sight for Southampton County farmer M.L. Everett Jr. The damage to his fields is caused by black bears searching for areas with mature peanuts in loose, sandy soil. They pull up peanuts and âchow down on them like theyâre at a buffet,â he said. âThey can do a lot of damage,â said Everett, a member of the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation board of directors. He added that recent black bear damage hasnât been as bad as the 3 acres heâs lost to bears in the past, but he noticed a new trend. Theyâve been eating peanut seeds shortly after planting.