Male Ferret and ears

Question
Amy
I have a male ferret, that I have had for 4 years now, my female I have had for 6 years. In december we moved from Pa, to MO with my sister, and at the time we put the ferrets in with her two female ferrets. About a month or two ago, my male started acting very strange. He pins the females down(one by one) and bites, and licks their ears. He forces them to stay there till he is finish. He has even started to drag them, around by their ears and he sucks on their ears so much he makes them bleed.

Why is he doing this?

Angie

Answer
Hello,
one of two things could be the problem. First, check their ears for infection, or earmites, and clean them thoroughly. These things can cause excessive licking by other ferrets.
Since he is BITING and DRAGGING, then my best guess is that it is dominance. Frequently a dominant ferret will drag the other ferrets out of a hammock, or by the scruff, and rough biting and grooming can cause bleeding.

First, wash the cage down thoroughly, to remove any scent of any of the ferrets. Wash ALL the bedding, food bowls, everything. Next, all the ferrets get a bath. This way it is clean cage, clean ferrets. Everyone starts on neutral ground.
very often you will have a new ferret come into an already establish area (the cage) and try to "take over"... This can be the cause of the behavior you are seeing. Also, after their bath,  take a little "Bitter Apple" (this is a bite deterrent you can find in the dog training isle of your pet store) and spray it on your finger, and rub it on the female's ears,(wash your hands thoroughly!) .It is an alcohol base, so it may sting a tiny bit, but it dries fast. It is safe for your ferrets, because is also used for a "chew stopper" for dogs with skin problems.It has a bitter taste, and should stop him from excessive licking and chewing on their ears.
I hope the combination of these things helps. If he continues, write me back, and I can help you further.
Thanks
Amy