Q&A for How to Get Rid of Skunks

Yes, but if you set a trap, you have to make sure to check it every day. If you set a trap and forget about it, the trapped animal is going to suffer.

Remove any food sources that might attract skunks to your house, such as food bushes (like nuts and berries), open trash cans and pet food. Also remove or block off anything that the skunk might view as a good spot to set up house, like piles of wood, large bushes or under the deck or patio. Put structural barriers against holes that lead into the house. All of these precautions will help reduce the likelihood of skunks and other problem animals like snakes and deer, from coming to your house. You can also get a wildlife professional to "skunk-proof" your house.

Mothballs are meant to repel moths. And while over the years, mothballs have been touted as a miracle repellent for every pest animal imaginable, including skunks, they don’t do much to deter skunks for long, certainly not in the quantities you could safely handle. Moreover, mothballs and their ingredient Naphthalene are carcinogenic, meaning they’re highly toxic to you, other humans and animals, and shouldn’t be thrown around the environment. There are much more effective and safer ways to deter skunks.

Yes, there are various types of chemical repellents that you can use to deter skunks. A well-known example is pepper spray, which can be sprayed on trees, around exterior walls and anywhere else you see skunks lingering. Other chemical repellents include fox or dog urine, ammonia and citrus peels, each of which is explained more fully in Part 2 above. Most repellents have to be reapplied every few days, or more frequently if it’s raining a lot.

Skunk odor lasts around 14 to 21 days (2 to 3 weeks) if it is left untreated on skin, hair and fur. It may last even longer if it has permeated fabrics, upholstery or other absorbent materials. It would be fairly difficult to sit around for 2 to 3 weeks waiting for the odor to go away, so it’s in everyone’s best interests to try to remove it as quickly as possible!

Yes, skunks do like to eat grubs, as well as earthworms and insects. If you spot a skunk digging up your lawn, it’s probably looking for grubs to eat. Skunks also like eating plants, leaves, flowers, buds, berries, grains, nuts, etc., as they’re not too particular and this can make them a pest for the gardener. However, they do eat crop-destroying grubs such as cutworm larvae and hornworm larvae, and even small creatures like mice and rabbit kits, so they are beneficial when in balance.

Try using motion-sensor lights that pop on whenever there is movement; skunks won’t like the sudden lighting at night. In the same way, motion activated sprinklers can scare off a skunk trying to run across a lawn space. You can also spray pepper deterrents around your house to discourage the skunk; once it gets the peppery substance on its feet, it’ll be most unhappy and won’t want to stick around. It is not recommended that you chase or go near the skunk to try to scare it away, as you run a high risk of being sprayed.

You have various options to remove skunk odor, each of which will have varying degrees of success depending on how quickly you can treat the odor problem. For example, you can use vinegar, or hydrogen peroxide with baking soda, or bleach (never mix bleach with anything else, to avoid creating a toxic gas). Each of these methods is explained in greater detail in the wikiHow How to Get Skunk Smell Out of the House . Or, you can check out another wikiHow: How to Eliminate Skunk Odor , which covers removal of odor from skin, pets, clothes, as well as from the house.

Skunks are attracted to easy food sources. That can be scavenged insects, fruit, compost, nuts, seeds, etc. Once the food source can't be easily scavenged, they will move on when their needs can't be met.

Do your best to remain calm and give it as much space as possible. You should not have to worry about the skunk spraying you unless it feels threatened.

If you gently place a large black plastic bag over the cage and move slowly while transporting, they do not spray.

Do not try to poison a skunk. One, it is illegal in most, if not all, states. Two, the last thing you want is a dead skunk under your deck or in your crawl space or someplace where you cannot get to it. As the skunk decays, you not only get the dead smell but the skunk odor. This will continue for weeks or months as the decay continues and the scent glands rot down.

There is a difference between animal (domestic) control and wildlife control. Skunks fall under wildlife control. Most licensed wildlife control people charge for animal removal. The prices range widely depending upon many factors. If you can get a removal done for less than $100.00 you are very lucky. All of that being said, some towns or counties have an animal(all) control person on staff that handles everything at tax payer expense but these are few and far between.

Not necessarily. The skunk could be rabid, but it could also be sick. In either case, you shouldn't get too close to it. You should call animal control to get rid of it.

Most likely, yes.

Keep a light on in your shed, and maybe even add brighter lights. They do not like light, as they are nocturnal.

Try orange peels instead. Also, pee in a bucket and pour a long line of it around your boundary.. Human hair from a hairbrush under shrubs should work too.

It will be later in the spring in the north than in the south, usually May to early July. For more precision, it is suggested that you look up the answer to this question online for the area of the country you live in.

Your grass is more than likely being killed by grubs or some other insect. The grubs will attract skunks or other critters that eat these insects for food and in doing so dig up your lawn. Put down a good granular grub and insect control. Get rid of the grubs and insects and hopefully, if the skunks haven't made a home nearby, they'll just go away and look for grubs some other place.

In the late afternoon or early evening, soak some rags in ordinary ammonia, and place these in proximity to the skunk's nesting place. When the skunk comes out after dark to search for food, it will smell the ammonia and sense a predator is nearby. It will find a new nest, and if it has baby skunks in the den, it will relocate them.

Due to overbuilding (i.e. "loss of habitat"), a skunk may see your "privacy" as a perfect home. They eat grubs, which you likely do have. They live in dens under the ground, and will opportunistically dig such a den under your shed or porch. You are not likely to see the skunk, as they are nocturnal and very shy. If you do not have a dog, you have very little to worry about regarding a skunk living on your property. They rarely spray humans and do so only when threatened or attacked. They have very poor eyesight. If you see a skunk, s/he likely does not see you. Simply mumble some words and s/he will scurry away. You can actually live in harmony with a skunk.

Mix 1 bottle of peroxide, 1 tablespoon of baking soda, and a little shampoo and use it to wash your hair.

It's hard to tell unless you see the animal coming out of it. It's best to close the hole from one end to prevent the animal from entering your yard. You should leave the other side open so it could get out and relocate.

Cayenne pepper works, as do citrus peels (orange and lemon). Dog urine also works, and so does ammonia (soak rags with ammonia, then place them into a plastic bag with holes in it). A light shone into the den 24 hours per day along with a radio set to talk (or rap) will also drive the skunk away and she will take her babies with her. Note: music will not work. Rap works because it sounds like talking to a skunk.

No, that is not normal and could be a sign of rabies. Make sure to keep your distance if you encounter the skunk again, and/or call animal control.

They are active at night mostly, but they can be active during the day as well.

You don't. It is their personal property and they can do with it as they wish. If they compost, leave it alone unless it is attracting animals and bugs that are threatening you or your husband. If it smells, you can notify them of it, but bring along a solution. Home Depot sells a solution to make the items turn into compost faster, and it also controls the smell. Beyond that, install a privacy fence. Starting an unpleasant conversation will only lead to more unpleasant discussions and create tension. I don't think it's worth that.

Yes. They will come back just like a dog or a cat. The best way I have found is to put the live trap in a rain barrel. If you can't do it find someone who can. Taking them for a long ride is only making your problem someone else's problem. There are a lot of skunks in the world.

Yes. They can spray multiple times in one night.

Don't, unless you are actually seeking to kill them, because relocation will not work; they will die. After they mature, they will leave, and it is likely that the mother will leave also. If you don't have a dog, you really have nothing to worry about. With that said, shining a bright light at all times in the den along with a radio set to talk (not music) will make the mother skunk leave, and she will take her babies with her.