Our Furry Smelly Friend…The Skunk
Skunk habits and solutions
Respect
Skunk habits and solutions. The very idea of skunks make people nervous. A skunks natural defense mechanism – you know the spray, makes them a very undesirable neighbor. But, there are so many skunks around it is almost impossible to avoid them or at least the smell. I get numerous calls about skunks in my business. Especially by irate dog owners. Or from folks who have those great little cat or dog doors and end up with a skunk in the kitchen eating kibble.
I want to share some ideas to avoid problems associated with skunks. And offer some understanding of these beautiful animals that we live with.
Skunk habits and solutions. Why is there a skunk under my…?
First of all, there are times of the year when skunks move their dens to warmer places than the woods. The oncoming colder months often drive them under decks and into basements. Then, in the early spring, they need a safe place to rear their kits.
A lot of spraying occurs during mating and then again to protect their dens. I receive the distress calls at these times. Sometimes it is just unpleasant for people. Sometimes people are allergic or sensitive to the odor and they have to vacate until the smell goes away.
When I get the call…
When I get a call, the first thing I do is discover for certain if there is a skunk residing under a house or deck. This is usually easy to detect if there is a lingering odor. I also detect skunks by signs of skunk digging and an obvious point of entry. For example, a basement vent that is torn open. Sometimes, as with decks that are open all around, the only sign is the odor.
Once I am fairly certain the skunk or skunks are there, I determine if the space can be closed up and the animal(s) eventually evicted and excluded. This is easy in the case of a torn open vent but can be more difficult around decks. In the case of decks harboring skunks, I recommend digging a trench around the edge and putting in a wire barrier about 1-2 feet deep with an “L” bend at the bottom facing out.
Start the eviction process
Once there is an exclusion option, or even if there is not, the next step is to start the eviction process. I like to use Pine Sol. I spray it into the area using a fertilizer bottle on a garden hose. I put the Pine Sol in at full strength. Set the fertilizer bottle at highest level. Then, I wait until the evening, just before skunks usually emerge and spray the area trying to reach the deep, dark places. Don’t worry, I never see them come running right out, skunks are very cautious, they come out later when things are quiet. They are rarely seen emerging. The next day, and especially if there is a barrier with one opening, I put a piece of cardboard over the exit and see if the cardboard or paper is pushed in or out to determine if the animal returned.
At this point I install a one-way door on the opening to ensure that if an animal is still inside it can exit. I leave the door open and continue to spray for a few more nights. The mom will relocate the kits and then the sealing up time is right. In the case of an area like a deck that cannot have a barrier, constant spraying will do the trick.
Through the doggie door!
Skunk habits and solutions: In the event of skunks or other animals getting into the house via a cat or dog door, there are a few ways to handle this…
• Bring your animal inside at night and not use the door.
• Close the door as early as possible in the evening.
• Get an animal door that require your animal to wear a magnetic collar to get in.
• If you feed your animals outside, particularly cats, then put the dish away at night so you don’t attract other animals.
Trapping as a last resort
There are only a couple of reasons to resort to trapping a skunk. One, if the animal is obviously sick. A skunk that is seen out in the daytime or is behaving aggressively should be considered most possibly sick. Reason two, if eviction attempts fail. In this case, we ascertain if kits are present. Trapping will be used if there are no skunks kits.