Skunk extermination can be very tricky, and it is always best to leave it to the professionals, especially since you risk getting sprayed by the skunk, even potentially leaving you blind if it gets into your eyes!
Why Is Skunk Removal Dangerous?
Skunks aren’t really creatures that bite or chase you, but they will do this if they feel cornered, and their bites and scratches are really powerful, especially because of their sharp teeth and really strong claws!
Skunks can have different types of diseases and parasites. A few of them are roundworms, fleas, ticks, mange, lice, and distemper. Skunks are also a source of rabies in some areas of the United States, so this can be really harmful to your family and pets. Furthermore, these black and white creatures are carriers of well-known major diseases such as leptospirosis, listeriosis, tularemia, Q-fever, canine distemper, and canine hepatitis.
What Should I Do?
When it comes to skunks, or any other wildlife actually, it is always best to leave it to trained professionals and experts. You can contact your local wildlife center and tell them about your problem. A good company will most likely handle everything from inspecting your property, to even recommending repairs and future precautions that you can take to prevent the problem from occurring again. However, if you have no other choice, then make sure that you know what you are doing to prevent further harm or damage. Here are a few tips to make exterminating and removing skunks from your property so much easier!
Familiarize Yourself
You should know the common habits of skunks so that you know what to look out for. This can also be a way of confirming that you have a skunk problem, rather than any other wildlife. Some skunk habits are the following:
Burrowing holes in your garden that are cone-shaped, around 3 inches deep, and will have a diameter of 3 to 5 inches. They usually do this because they are digging for grubs and insects.
Pilfering through your garbage bins and trash cans
Terrorizing and eating your chickens and poultry
Holes near or under your porch or patio
A foul odor that is very reminiscent of rotten eggs
Eliminate Their Food Source and Shelter
This step should always be done, as this will ensure that you won’t have another wildlife problem again. Wildlife animals are most likely coming to your property because they see something that they can eat or somewhere they can hide. Eliminating their food and shelter will ensure that they have nothing to come back to and that they will move on. You can do this by:
Cleaning up after your fruit-bearing trees, and picking up fallen fruits from the ground. Skunks prefer food that has already fallen, and they won’t climb to pick your fruit, so it’s safe to leave the tree alone.
Cleaning up after your bird feeder and raking up leaves that might have food sources hidden underneath them.
Mowing your lawn so that you don’t have small insects or grubs living out in plain sight where skunks can see.
Investing in wire mesh and covering any holes or spaces that they might fit into. Keep in mind that skunks can fit into holes with a diameter as small as 4 inches!
Secure doors to your barns, sheds, and chicken coops.
Cover up garbage bins tightly and make sure that there is no garbage just lying around.
Eliminate anything that skunks can use as shelter. This includes logs, woodpiles, and unused equipment.
Trapping
Note: Some state laws declare that trapping skunks yourself is illegal, and some also prohibit skunk transporting as it harms the area’s wildlife, so make sure to check with your local departments before buying a trap for a skunk problem.
There are two kinds of traps, a snap trap and a live trap. A snap trap works by employing a very powerful snapping mechanism that will ultimately kill the skunk. However, there are some places where skunks are protected animals, so be sure to check the local laws in your area before opting for a snap trap. A live trap, however, is a more humane solution. It works as a small trap with a weighted steel plate with bait, which would close your trap once the skunk is inside, allowing you to transport them to a location far from your property.
More Tips
You can use lights and sounds to effectively scare away skunks. If you don’t have neighbors, then you can use these methods frequently, especially at night.
Mother skunks are very protective of their kits, and they will endure a lot in order to have a safe shelter. Skunks typically breed during spring, and the kits will be with their mother until the fall season, so be sure that you have taken this into account when beginning your extermination process.
Go back to the Battle Creek wildlife removal home page.