Tuesday, May 7, 2024

How to get rid of skunks : to protect your lawn and pets

how to keep skunks away from your house

Mothballs are a cheap product to buy, and all you have to do is throw them out in the yard and let them work their magic. "Burying underground fencing or having a professional do so limits their ability to dig underneath those structures," says Fyffe. "It is really the number one way to prevent skunks from denning on your property." Additionally, sprinklers scare a skunk when they are motion-activated, making them perfect as a natural deterrent. As the skunks pick up on the citrus odors, they move as far away as possible.

Q. Are skunk repellents safe around my pets and children?

Pay close attention to when skunk activity is highest, and note what seems most efficient. Once you find one technique that works, stay consistent to ensure they don’t return. Skunks enter torpor during cold winters and re-emerge either in spring or on particularly warm winter days. They're more active in spring and fall, when it’s cool enough for them to move around without overheating. They spend their days hunkered down in their burrows and come out at night to forage for food.

How to Get Rid of Skunk Odor

Skunks have a wide range of natural habitats, but tend to avoid densely packed forests and wetlands. You will often find them in meadows, open forests, prairies, and some even enjoy canyons and other rocky terrain. They have a shorter firing range, but more pungent musk than striped skunks.

When to call a professional to get rid of skunks

While many animals will dig holes in the ground, such as moles, skunk holes are typically smaller. Because skunks use their noses to dig and search for food, holes in the ground are typically more cone-shaped and only 3 or 4 inches in diameter. Sometimes, many of these holes will be near each other and it might look like the dirt has been turned over. These features distinguish a skunk's holes from that of another animal. Another dead giveaway that skunks are hiding in your yard is a musty smell around your property.

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What is the best skunk deterrent?

how to keep skunks away from your house

They also may disturb your plants while digging for these grubs. However, according to Roger Dickens, bird and wildlife technical services manager with Ehrlich Pest Control, they’re not good climbers. “They will often forage for food in trash cans that have been turned over by raccoons. A skunk’s diet consists mainly of insects like grubs, crickets and beetles. They’ll also eat small rodents like mice and voles, and even attack wasp nests for their larvae. And if you leave dog food, garbage and other easy-to-access items outside, skunks will go for that, too.

how to keep skunks away from your house

Those who want to deter skunks from their property without breaking the bank can make a DIY skunk repellent that is an effective and eco-friendly solution. Skunks are put off by strong scents, and several household items can help achieve this. Sometimes getting rid of skunks takes more than the options listed above.

He writes how-to articles and product reviews in the areas of lawn and garden, home maintenance, home improvement, auto maintenance, housewares, and technology. Skunks are night-dwelling animals and therefore do not typically appear in the daytime. It is not uncommon for skunks, with their climbing abilities and weak eyesight, to become trapped in a window well or similarly deep pit. Keeping skunks from living under buildings requires structural alterations and/or fencing to block access. Use concrete, sheet metal, chicken wire, or wood to close the openings. The best way to prevent grubs is to practice diligent lawn maintenance.

Dead Giveaways There's A Skunk Secretly Living In Your Yard

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What better way to fight a stinky skunk than to make an even stinkier concoction to scare them away? Learning how to get rid of skunks isn’t always easy, but it can be a fun experiment. One proactive method to eliminate skunks is to learn what plants keep skunks away and add some of them to your garden and yard areas. If you don’t take care of the situation quickly, an infestation may take over and require you to call wildlife control. The last thing anyone who has a home wants to do is pay a huge bill to get rid of these wild animals. The good news is skunks may not be quite the menace that you think they are and can actually be a benefit.

Remove other food sources

Clear away any debris in the yard that the skunk might use for shelter or want to check for food sources. Close off any crawl spaces under your deck or shed using chicken wire, as these are excellent spots for skunks to build a den or nest in. Skunks will squirt animals and people with an oily, musky substance if they feel threatened.

Trapping a skunk can be quite risky, as they will panic and may become aggressive, even if they aren’t rabid. When simple exclusion isn’t an option, you can attempt to trap the skunk. In the event they’ve set up home on your property for the winter, a skunk will usually leave in the summer once any kits have grown old enough to survive on their own. Thus, it may be best to just wait it out when you find skunks in the winter to late spring. Skunks will dig a conical hole one to three inches deep looking for grubs to munch on. Skunk poop is usually between one and two inches long and about half an inch wide.

When learning how to get rid of skunks and other pests, one of the most common solutions involves using citrus peels. Repel chipmunks naturally, and a variety of other unwanted critters with lemons. You should thoroughly wet the affected area before application and the solution should be left on the skin or rubbed into the fur for around five minutes.

Dig a one-foot deep and one-foot wide trench around the perimeter of the beds you want to protect. Place the chicken wire mesh inside the channel and leave a couple of feet of it sticking out of the ground. As you’ve learned by now, a pungent smell deters skunks from showing up.

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11+ Easy Ways to Repel Skunks from Your Yard

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