How To Get Rid Of Skunks, According To Experts
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I have a huge garden and there are lots of little holes, but they have never damaged any of my plants. As for the lawn, the grass is, as far as I'm concerned, a shameful thing to care about. You use valuable water on a plant that provides no sustenance, and most people don't even spend much time in their yards.
Ways to Make Skunks Leave your Yard or Garden
The citrus smell, while pleasant for us, is unwelcoming to skunks and keeps them at bay. As an alternative, consider mixing half a pint of castor oil with an equal amount of dish soap, and then diluting it in a gallon of water. Once combined, spray this solution around the perimeter of the yard. The distinct aroma of castor oil, reinforced by the soap, creates an effective barrier that skunks tend to avoid.
Keeping Your Property Skunk-Free
Skunks prefer to take shelter under your deck or in piles of chopped wood on the side of your house, and mothballs deter them. Skunks hate the pungent odor that mothballs and predator urine give off, so they avoid taking shelter in areas with these scents. Place pieces of citrus peel around your property where you suspect skunks visit, or boil the citrus peels to make a DIY repellent spray.
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Skunks have short legs and proportionately large feet with well-developed claws that are perfect for digging. In the spring, they tend to emerge from their overwintering burrows. “They will often be transients searching for food or birthing burrows,” says Dickens.
If the problem persists, try relocating the skunk with a live trap or call your local animal control for help with skunk removal. Peppermint essential oil is another effective skunk repellent that is safe for home and garden use. Allow to cool, then strain the solution into a clean spray bottle.
If you see a skunk near your home frequently, then it has probably taken up residence near your property. Skunks build burrows beneath existing structures in order to use those structures for natural cover. Unfortunately, their burrow is probably underneath your porch, deck, or shed. Skunks will naturally leave your property on their own when given time if they have not established a home in your yard. Skunks are timid animals and can frighten easily, so they are unlikely to settle in your area if you a frequently out in the garden or have pets such as a dog to deter them. There are many ways to discourage skunks from setting up a home on your land, and many work to deter them once they have burrowed too.
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The Best Skunk Repellents of 2023
However, throughout this article, we offer many simple home remedies to keep skunks away from the house. Learning how to get rid of skunks is a relatively straightforward process when you utilize the most effective tools. If you or your pets have an unfortunate encounter with a skunk and get sprayed, there are multiple ways to remove stinky skunk odor. Bury hardware cloth, aluminum sheathing, or quarter-inch stainless steel wire mesh at least two feet deep to prevent skunks from digging under the fence. If a family of skunks has taken up residence under your deck, shed, or in your crawl space, skunk removal becomes a bit more complicated.
Try Motion Sensor Lights
A professional can also determine if young are present in the den, which would be a reason not to prevent the mother from returning to feed her babies. Skunks more commonly carry the bacterial disease leptospirosis and the viral disease distemper, says Fyffe, but pets are routinely vaccinated against those same diseases. Install your motion activated lights in your backyard and near any areas where skunks hang out. As the skunks become aware of the bright lights in your yard, they immediately search for their food in alternative areas. This remedy is also safe to use to get rid of skunk smell on your dog and is more effective than tomato juice and other home solutions. As soon as you catch a skunk, call animal control services to remove the animal efficiently.
Remove their food source
Regardless, they are a nuisance, and most people don’t enjoy having these pests around. To remove the skunk smell from your clothes, combine the baking soda, dish soap, and hydrogen peroxide in a large plastic container. Submerge your affected garments in the solution for at least an hour to remove the powerful skunk musk.
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If a corn stalk has been toppled over, the culprit is more likely a raccoon. She also recommends sulfur pellets as another solution that is offensive to their sense of smell. Prevent overwatering by finding out the best time to water your lawn, and these are the 5 signs that your lawn needs urgent repairs. To stop them from doing this, Pearson recommends laying down one inch mesh chicken wire, and then securing it with stakes or heavy stones.
Around homes, skunks dig under porches, decks, stairs, sheds, and mobile home entrances very frequently. These areas provide them with existing overhead cover that helps them feel secure. After coming out of torpor, skunks are usually sluggish and even less aware than usual. If you accidentally approach a skunk, it might spray in surprise when you startle it.
However, they leave telltale signs such as digging holes in your lawn and making a meal out of your garden veggies, chicken eggs, compost pile, or garbage can. Skunks have a very powerful sense of smell, which they use to locate prey, such as grubs and other food. Repellents use this acute sense of smell by filling the surrounding area with odors that skunks find offensive. As an added bonus, users can tailor the emitted frequencies to target specific animals with the adjustable frequency knob. It’s a humane solution that ensures animals’ well-being while ensuring they steer clear of the garden or yard. Installation is a breeze, and the device can be placed in any outdoor space.
Skunks burrow in a wide range of locations including under decks, porches, fallen trees, drainpipes, and rock piles. Be aware of tracks, a musky odor, or holes in your garden and yard. Skunks are attracted to garbage, bird or pet food, water sources, and shelter under houses or sheds. Keep an eye out for potential spots a skunk would like to make its home.
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