Dangers of Skunks

Skunks can be frustrating to deal with. Now that it's Spring, more and more skunks will make their way out and search for new homes & food.

When a skunk sprays, you know it. It lasts forever!

It can take a whole week of aggressive washing to get it out of your skin, and months for your property without professional help. The spray can even temporarily blind you at close range!

It's important to get rid of skunks now because the kits will be born in April & May. If you have skunk kits nearby, you must have a professional get rid of the skunks.

Kits are especially hard to deal with, and have a tendency to spray as they're easily startled. If a female rejects a male, she will spray too!

In our previous post, we discussed how to prevent a skunk problem. In today's post, we will give you some at-home strategies for getting rid of skunks/

 

Strategy #1- Sealing Trash & Garden

Skunks, and also raccoons, will forage through your trash and garden. Skunks especially will dig holes in your garden or yard because they eat small insects in the Earth.

If you notice these small holes, try sealing your trash & garden to prevent any skunks from entering. This alone may deter them from coming back, but some skunks will be persistent.

 

 

Strategy #2- Fence

Creating a fence one foot deep and three feet high will prevent most urban wildlife animals such as skunks from entering your yard.

First check to make sure that there aren't skunks burrowed under your home or in your yard in a small hole before building the fence! It is important to make sure before sealing the fence that there are no skunks so they don't get trapped in.

Skunks are also primarily nocturnal, so you will not see them if you're working in the day. The damage done is usually at night or when it's darker out.

 

 

Strategy #3- Sealing Entrances

If you find that a skunk has nested in a hole under your home or in your yard, you could always seal the entrance when the skunk is gone.

You should combine this strategy with another though because a determined skunk will simply re-make or find another home nearby.

 

 

Strategy #4- Motion-activated Lights

Because skunks are primarily nocturnal, some will be deterred when bright lights are activated.

A bonus effect of this is that robbers/burglars are less likely to invade your home because of the lights turning on! The skunks also don't like light, and they may leave.

 

 

Strategy #5- Automatic Sprinklers

Setting an automatic sprinklers to randomly turn on for brief moments during the night will deter almost all nocturnal wildlife animals. This is one of the best methods for getting rid of persistent skunks.

The water does not cause them to spray, but instead just run off. This prevents the musty skunk smell from getting stick in your yard while also safely getting rid of the skunk.

 

 

Strategy #6- Natural Repellents

An example of a natural repellent is cayenne pepper. Most insects and wildlife animals do not like cayenne pepper, which can be easily purchased cheaply in most stores.

Mix a bit of cayenne pepper with a bit of water and spray the solution around the entrance to their holes, or around (not inside) your garden. Also spray it on your trash can!

This will deter wildlife animals from coming into your yard naturally.

 

 

Strategy #7- Professional Help

If all else fails, or you're worried about dealing with skunks, get some professional help- it's more affordable than you would think!

These at-home strategies can be time-intensive, and may not always work for persistent animals. However for most people, these strategies will work.

A professional can better survey your home and get rid of skunks faster. They will also prevent the skunk from spraying, which can be an issue with handling the problem yourself.

Skunks aren't dangerous in the long-term, but the spray is horrible to deal with in the short-term!

 

 

The Do-Not's of Skunk Removal

Do not engage a skunk directly. Trying to fight it or run it out may lead to the skunk spraying.

This can temporarily blind you, and leave you with a horrible stench that lasts for at least one week with intensive washing. Also, if the skunk spray gets "stuck" in the property, you will have an expensive washing bill coming your way...

Do not place live traps. If you choose to do so, you have been warned.

In some states/cities, it is illegal to trap & kill skunks, even on your own property. If you are able to successfully trap a skunk, you run the risk of it spraying as well.

Let the experts do the trapping (if needed). Unlike other wildlife animals, skunks have a powerful short-term defense system (spraying) which can lead to much more headaches down the line if the animal is not properly dealt with.

 

Be safe and have a great, skunk-free year!

-Wildlife X Team International