adminYour house is surrounded by skunks. You don’t know how they got there and you want them gone as soon as possible, but your family won’t come out until the unpleasant smelling creatures are removed from their home. How do you get rid of an animal that’s using up all the food?
Skunks are a common problem in many areas, but you don’t have to worry about them if you know how to get rid of skunks quickly.
Skunks may be a pain, not just because of their odor, but also because they will consume half of your garden in a single night. They also go into trash cans, causing a mess to clean up. Fortunately, there are a few ways to keep skunks out of your yard or garden without injuring them.
Because skunks may be hazardous and rabid, it’s important to stay away from them as much as possible. The best methods to get rid of skunks are to change your landscape, utilize scare tactics, or pay a professional to do it for you.
This article will help you choose the best removal options for your scenario, whether a skunk has made its way into your basement, burrowed beneath your house, or frequents your garden for late-night eats.
Contents Table of Contents
- How to Get Rid of Skunks
- How to Get Rid of Skunks by Changing Your Landscaping
- Garbage cans and compost piles should be secured.
- Skunk Removal from the Basement/Under the House
- Ensure that potential shelters are inaccessible or non-existent.
Contents
How to Get Rid of Skunks
Skunk deterrents are one way to keep skunks away from your property. You may either buy store-bought skunk repellents (such as Safer Animal Repellent or Thornell Skunk-Off) or make your own at home.
Boil a chopped onion, jalapeño, and (a lot of) cayenne pepper in some water to make a DIY skunk repellent, then pour the solution into a spray bottle. Once you’ve made or purchased a solution, spray it in areas of your yard where skunks are known to congregate. It may be sprayed along garden fences, Woodpiles, garbage cans, and other surfaces.
Skunks are nocturnal creatures, thus they spend the majority of their time scouting and raiding at night. Install a motion-detecting flood light in your garden to keep them away from your property at night. The rapid burst of bright light will frighten the skunks away and keep them away from your yard’s lit sections.
Ammonia and predator urine are two other excellent skunk repellents. You may buy predator urine or just have your dog urinate in various locations of your yard. Skunks will be deterred by the noxious odor of ammonia. Ammonia or predator urine may be rubbed on fences, trash cans, or any other surface that can handle the chemicals.
How to Get Rid of Skunks by Changing Your Landscaping
Skunks might be attracted to a variety of items in your yard. If they can find food and a safe place to hide, they will most likely return or possibly establish a home on your land. Skunks are attracted to a variety of things, including:
- Produce from the garden
- Birdseed
- berries and other fruits that have fallen from trees
There are a few things you can do to make your yard and property less enticing to skunks. You might start by erecting a small fence around your garden. Because skunks may dig underground, you’ll want to make sure this fence is buried deep enough that they can’t get below it.
If you have a vegetable or fruit garden, be sure to pick all fruits and vegetables as soon as they are mature. Allowing your vegetables to sit out for an extended period of time can attract unwelcome critters hunting for a meal. If you have bird feeders, pick up spilled birdseed on a regular basis. Skunks are attracted to birdseed and will return if it is there.
You should also clean up any fallen berries or fruits from your yard. Fruit-bearing trees will drop their fruit onto your yard, where it will decay and draw skunks’ interest. To avoid this, be sure to rake and mow your grass on a regular basis.
Garbage cans and compost piles should be secured.
Skunks are drawn to the scent of decaying food, so your waste bins and compost heaps will be of interest to them. If you’re experiencing problems with skunks getting into your rubbish, try putting your outside garbage cans inside your garage. If you don’t have access to a garage, try locking your can lids.
Another concern is compost heaps. If you want to keep your compost pile from attracting skunks, you may either buy a compost shelter or make one out of plastic or wood. Your compost will continue to decay regularly, but skunks won’t be able to get to it and raid it.
Right now, the most popular stories are
How to Hang String Lights in a Backyard Without Trees: 7 Methods
Is a Hot Tub Safe to Use on Gravel? (And Why You Should Use It)
Squirrels in the Backyard: What to Feed Them
On the subject of rotting food, if you’re experiencing skunk issues, don’t put cat or dog food out for stray animals. Skunks will eat just about everything, thus any organic/edible stuff you put out will attract them, even if it is intended for other animals.
Skunk Removal from the Basement/Under the House
Skunks may sometimes seek sanctuary in the warmth of your basement or tunnel under your house. While calling animal control (to minimize as much interaction as possible) is the recommended course of action, there are a few things you can do on your own to cajole these creatures out of troublesome locations.
Although not all skunks are nasty, some are, and it’s difficult to predict how they’ll behave when they notice you. As a result, trapping should only be used as a last option. However, trapping is often the only option to get rid of a skunk family that has taken up residence under your home.
If a skunk has taken up home under your house, you should inspect its nest and determine where the entrance hole is. Then go out and buy a trap that allows them to enter but not depart. Set it up near the hole’s entrance and bait it with food to entice them out. The skunks will not be harmed by these traps, but they will be captured and safely removed.
If a skunk gets into your garage, just leave the garage door slightly ajar so it may go out. Skunks are nocturnal and active at night, so you’ll want to do this at night. Check on the problem many times during the night to see whether it has passed. When it’s done, close the door and make sure all of the doors are locked.
Ensure that potential shelters are inaccessible or non-existent.
Good shelter choices are one of the most important factors in attracting a skunk to your property. The following are some of the skunks’ preferred places to hide in your yard:
- Woodpiles
- Brush
- Grass and tall weeds
- Houses and outbuildings are buried under the ground.
Skunks love woodpiles and brush heaps, so you’ll want to keep these temporary homes as far away from your house as possible. You could even want to keep your wood piles/timber in an enclosed location to keep pests and worms away and make them less interesting to skunks.
Another suggestion is to keep your grass well-kept so that stray skunks have as few hiding spots as possible. To assist battle this problem, remove weeds and brush on a regular basis and keep your yard manicured. If you don’t have a lot of room or can’t get rid of these possible hiding spots, use a skunk repellent.
It’s also crucial to make sure skunks can’t get beneath your house. You’ll want to double-check that your house’s perimeter is sealed and that there are no gaps in your siding. If your home does not have solid foundation, you may want to consider putting a wire “dig protector” in the ground around it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you get rid of skunks permanently?
A: There are many ways to get rid of skunks, but the most effective way is a combination of spraying them with water and vinegar. The smell will cause them to leave before killing them
What home remedy will get rid of skunks?
A: Skunk spray is very strong and will burn the skin. This can be treated by using vinegar or hydrogen peroxide on your skin in a ratio of 5 parts vinegar to 1 part hydrogen peroxide if you want to get rid of it before anyone else has a chance to smell it.
What will repel a skunk?
A: Vinegar, baking soda, and burning campfire
Related Tags
- how do you get rid of skunks fast?
- how to scare skunks away without getting sprayed
- how to use mothballs to get rid of skunks
- how to get rid of skunks with ammonia
- how to get rid of skunks without harming cats
admin