How do I get rid of a skunk?

Question

There's been a skunk living in my back yard for about 4 months now. the smell is really getting bad, everytime i pass by, it seems to spray the odor or something...im very sure it's not eating out garbage because we keep it locked up. weve tried flooding the hole where it lives with water, pouring baking soda all over the hole, detergent, etc. but it doesnt seem like its going to leave any time soon. any suggestions?

Answer 1

Get a wild animal trap.  Once you trapped the sucker, get a long pole and pick up the trap, toss it in the back of the pickup truck and take it to animal control.   pray it didn't make any babies in your backyard.

Answer 2

i had the same problem last summer and believe it or not get a old rag with  ammonia on it and poor it around the area and that should take care of it put the rag where they enter your yard or if the hole is visible don't stuff it just put it by it i would start with that and it is cheaper

Answer 3

You need to either live trap it or call animal control. If you live trap it and happen to catch it. I would call animal control  to get rid of it. They won't spray if you throw a towel or old blanket over the trap.There has to be a reason it is staying. A food source available near by.It may move if you find out where it is getting food , and cut it off from the skunk. Someone birdfeeder or garbage.

Answer 4

Warning: Skunks can carry rabies. Never approach a live skunk and if someone gets bitten try to capture the skunk so it can be tested for rabies. Keep the head intact as the brain is needed for the test.

1. Keeping skunks away… far away

Skunks are scavengers and will eat anything from bugs to garbage. If a skunk finds a tasty morsel on your land, chances are good that he’ll start visiting more often. This section will walk you through some steps to repel skunks from your property.

Eliminate skunk nummies

Skunks are nocturnal, so you’re most likely to see.. erm.. smell them at night and in the early morning when they’re out scavenging for food. Skunks can and do eat anything; bird eggs, bugs and larvae, human wastes, small rodents, you name it - they’ll eat it. Following is a list of the most common foods that attract skunks onto people’s property:

Unprotected garbage

When you transfer your trash outside for pickup, store it in heavy duty metal or plastic trash cans with lids that will stay on even if the can is knocked over. Never place unprotected bags out on the curb.

Grubs and larvae

Skunks love grubs! Grubs are beetle larva that live underneath of your lawn. Skunks are known for digging small holes in peoples yards as they hunt for them. Luckily, beneficial nematodes also love to eat grubs, and are easily deployed in your lawn and garden to eliminate this attractant.

Pet food

Never leave unprotected animal food outside at night, it’s akin to setting a place at your dinner table for Pepé le Pew. I had a neighbor once who would leave table scraps and cat food out for neighborhood strays. She ended up with a family of skunks living on her property.

Nuts, berries, and fruits

If you have bushes or trees that bear fruits, nuts, or berries you should periodically walk your yard and remove any that have fallen to the ground. Skunks will happily feast on them, and so will rodents… which skunks will also happily eat.

Other attractants

While the above food sources are the most common culprits that attract skunks, there are (of course) more. If any of these exist on your property, do your best to minimize or eliminate them.

Compost heaps containing bones, fruit rinds and egg shells.

Large numbers of ground dwelling insects under dead leaves and foliage.

Easily accessible water sources.

Bird feeder spills.

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Skunk repellents

Many folks swear by this or that for repelling skunks, but there seems to be little that delivers consistent results across the board. Here’s a list of the most effective repellents that we’ve been able to dig up. If you know of any not listed here, please add them with the ‘tips’ form at the bottom of this page.

Bright light - Skunks are nocturnal and prefer to stay hidden, flooding an area with light can be an effective deterrent. Use flood lights in combination with motion sensors.

Automated sprinklers - Contech manufactures a device called ‘The Scarecrow‘ which is essentially a sprinkler attached to a motion sensor that will spray any animals that wander into your yard.

Spicy pepper solutions - Pepper sprays are reported to work well but must be reapplied every few days to remain effective.

Commercial repellents - There are many available types, people have also reported success with commercial dog and cat repellents.

Skunk barriers

The good: Skunks are horrible climbers and they can’t jump very high.

The bad: Skunks can fit through openings as small as 4″ and they’re good diggers.

Strategy: Erect barriers around areas that skunks may find interesting in order to keep them out.

Skunks will make homes underneath houses, sheds, decks, and other above-ground structures. Seal them off as well as possible - remember that they can fit through holes as small as 4 inches. Skunks won’t burrow underneath them unless they can see that there is space on the other side. Fill in holes and ditches as well.

Enclose large, open areas with a three-foot high wire mesh fencing like chicken wire and it one foot deep to keep skunks from burrowing underneath.

2. How to get rid of a skunk that’s moved in

Be cautious when around skunks - they could have rabies. If you see one acting strangely, disoriented, foaming at the mouth or overly aggressive - get away from it and call animal control. If someone gets bitten by a skunk, do your absolute best to capture it so it can be tested for rabies. It’s brain is required for the test, so keep the head intact.

Forcing skunks out

Skunk removal isn’t hard. The trick is to do most of the work while the skunk is out foraging so you don’t risk getting sprayed. Sprinkle a light layer of flour, chalk, or other white powder around it’s den and wait until nightfall. After dark, return and look for tracks leading away to indicate that the skunk has left in search of food and then get to work sealing up all of the entrances (barriers were covered in the previous section). If you do this right the skunk will not be able to get back in. If he does, wait until the next evening and try again.

Skunk traps

If you can’t seem to coerce your skunky buddy to leave willingly, you may need to trap him. First, check with your local authorities to make sure you’re within the law to do so and then invest in a box trap that is small enough to keep the skunk from raising it’s tail all the way up.

When you set the trap, secure a few old towels or blankets to the outside to make it safer to approach once it catches a skunk. Bait the trap with anything that has a strong odor; sardines, tuna, giblets, and canned cat food are all good choices. Check it often, you’re just as likely to catch a stray cat or raccoon as you are a skunk so don’t depend on your nose.

Once you’ve got your skunk, cover up the trap so it cannot see outside (don’t smother it) and secure it in the back seat (or open trunk) for a nice long ride out of town. When you’ve located a suitable secluded area, place the trap on the ground, open it up and wait for the skunk to leave. Skunks will often be confused and scared so it might take it a while to work up the courage - be patient. Sometimes you can coax it out by sitting the trap so it’s floor is angled towards the door.

If that doesn’t work, consider leaving it for a few hours and returning later to retrieve the empty trap.



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Margaret Says:June 26th, 2008 at 4:48 am

Black Cat fire crackers and Roman Candles scare them off my property ( make sure a water hose is handy in case of drought conditions)

K SAYS Says:June 20th, 2008 at 5:35 pm

CALL THE GAME COMMISSION OR HUMANE SOCIETY FOR IDEAS

THEY ARE GODS CREATURES AND MEAN US NO HARM

THEY DO WHAT SKUNKS DO…DON’T KILL THEM!!!!!

canadianclair Says:June 19th, 2008 at 7:57 pm

I guess my sensible idea didn’t go over big, sorry folks, I just can’t buy into all that killing and maiming you got going on, I’m outta here, SC Canada

canadianclair Says:June 19th, 2008 at 2:07 pm

live release cage, with a paper towel soaked in paul newman salad dressing ( sorry paul) that way you don’t get the friggin’ neighbourhood cats. Blanket with a peep hole, walk slow, peep hole comes in handy for guidance and site line to cage. Cover cage in one slow motion. When covered, grab cage and shake lightly, skunk settles, put in back of half ton ( NOT CAR) and drive skunk to country locale, ( DON’T KILL THEM!!!)Rlease is still covered cage,a short stick holds door open and watch him/her leave.

Moved over 35 in the last two years and never smelt a single one. They do have a bear’s face and dullest black eyes. Cute

applehustler Says:June 19th, 2008 at 5:16 am

pellet gun to the face

Skunkilla Says:June 18th, 2008 at 8:13 pm

I’m going to try what got rid of my possums and coons. Fly bait with molasses. I got rid of two possum and 3 racoons this way. Now the skunks found their old den and have taken over.

Mike Says:June 18th, 2008 at 6:58 am

I have paid to have an extermintator try to get rid of them or it. I have tried traps, moth balls, pepper mixed into vaseline, chicken wire, concrete patio stones over top of gravel, sulphur bombs, loud radios tuned to talk stations, brite lights and they keep digging holes under my shed. I’m running out of patience, options and money. I’ve tried to be civilized, but they are not getting the message.

Amy Says:June 12th, 2008 at 8:43 pm

My mother just found out she has a skunk burrowed underneath her porch. She first discovered a small hole by the side of her porch in February. Not paying much attention to it, she put 2 bricks to cover the hole and didn’t think of it again. Well upon working in her yard today, she discovered a skunk sitting on the front porch. She ran inside and tapped on the glass door. The skunk then ran into the hole that it had created on the opposite side of her porch. She then threw a bottle at the hole to lure the snunk out but the skunk stayed put. Now it’s a question of what to do. There are so many different tips online but reading thoroughly, none seem to be guaranteed. What do we do?

Skunks underneath Sunroom! Says:June 5th, 2008 at 12:12 pm

We have skunks underneath our sunroom. We