HOW TO KEEP SKUNKS AWAY

While skunks are best known for their not-so-pleasant defensive spray, they’re also known for their destructive tendencies and little sharp claws to many. Here is a great resource at pestcontrolskunk.com to learn more about skunk removal. These little guys, while often adorable, can prove a real nuisance to any homeowner that comes across them, and as such, it’s entirely understandable to want to keep them away. Plus, it’s a good thing since they can quickly solve a problem. So, here’s how to keep skunks away.

Tried-and-True

There are countless “skunk prevention methods,” although most of them exist to sell a product or don’t work. Although this article will touch on those methods later, this paragraph is all about the tried-and-true ways we at A Team Services know to keep skunks away.

The easiest and most effective method to get rid of skunks is to stop them from wanting to come to your property in the first place. These little guys are omnivores, eating just about anything they get their hands on. While that’s a good thing for a skunk’s survival chances, that also means there’s a lot that could attract one in your backyard or around your property.

As such, the easiest way to keep skunks away is to clean up food and the like. If you have a garden or feed a pet outside, try to move as much as you can indoors. Although skunks eat everything, they love food that humans and their pets do even more. That means that cleaning up trash outside, sealing garbage cans, and relocating potential meal sources will quickly keep most skunks away.

However, that’s not a guarantee — while it helps, bringing in mesh netting, fences, and physical obstacles are another easy way to keep skunks away. Fortunately, all these methods work whether the skunk’s currently living on your property or just passing by, meaning you can keep them away or hurry them out.

Maybe

While the above methods are the most effective without a doubt, there are also ones that people stand by. Although not confirmed, countless sound-based, vision-based, and smell-based ways are told to keep skunks away.

Mothballs and predator urine are the two biggest culprits, both of which supposedly drive away skunks. Predator urine works to scare off skunks, tricking them into thinking predators are around. As for mothballs, the smell is powerful and full of odor, meaning the skunks’ noses will quickly pick it up.

On top of these two, there are also light systems and sonar devices. Bright lights are great at scaring off skunks, and loud noises work to the same degree, but they’re incredibly annoying and can be pretty challenging to live with. However, they are relatively effective, as they’ll drive away virtually any animal that finds its way into your setup.

Trapping

Of course, there is also the option to trap skunks, which works as a last-ditch effort if you can’t keep skunks away. While you have your standard cage traps to enclose skunks to be transported away, there are also countless ways to cover a skunk’s habitat if they’re on your property.

With the second option, you can place leaves or straw covering a skunk’s entrance, put a light layer of dirt on top (if there aren’t any baby skunks inside), or quite a bit more. Unfortunately, this method eventually drives the skunk out of its habitat, whether into a cage trap or the wilderness.

If you decide to go the way of a cage trap, then remember that skunks can be exceptionally dangerous and smelly, making this a last-case option. However, it’s still incredibly effective when done correctly. With the dangers that appear, though, it’s best to not go through with this or contact animal control or a local company like A Team Services to take care of it for you.