Some people have actually gotten themselves de-scented skunks as pets, but be that as it may, when you have a wild skunk smelling up your yard every night, you may want to do something about it.
Skunks are not as dangerous as they are a nuisance.
They dig up your garden to find food and they will also spray your pets with their scent glands.
The smell of the skunk spray will take forever to get out of your pets and just about anything else they spray.
What Is That Smell? The first inkling you may have that a skunk is scavenging around your home, if you're lucky, is the pungent smell that seems to linger forever.
If you are unlucky, your dog will come howling into the house smelling like a skunk.
You will know that you have a problem on your hands.
Now you have to take steps to get rid of the skunk.
According to experts, skunks are not that difficult to chase off your property.
You do have to know just how to do it in order to be successful.
Keep Your Area Picked Up Don't provide food or shelter by leaving your trash exposed to skunks or other wildlife.
A good tight lid on the trashcan is a good deterrent.
Also, don't leave pet food outside.
If your pet doesn't finish it all, a skunk surely will.
The bowl in which the dog or cat food was must be brought in immediately when the pet is finished because the smell of the pet food that lingers in the bowl is enough to attract skunks.
Remove All Possible Foods Being omnivores, skunks will eat fruit that has fallen from trees.
They will also feast on nuts they find on the ground.
Whatever is under your control to clean up that the skunk can eat, clean it up.
It will not be a solution but it will minimize the attraction.
Skunks are also quite fond of earthworms, lizards, grubs, snakes, eggs, moles as well as berries, roots and fungi.
The latter you may not be able to control as easily but at least you can make a good attempt with the food you can take away.
Deny Them Access If you have an open shed or crawl space, close it up all the way up with wire mesh that extends into the ground about a foot deep since they can dig very well with their strong claws.
The wire mesh should have small openings rather than large ones.
Secure the mesh tightly all around.
When you close your crawl space in this way, leave one opening for the skunk to exit.
Wait until it is out and then close up the opening.
If it has set up house in your open shed, you may want to close the shed with a sturdy, well-fitting door.
Make Them Move While The Weather Is Warm If you have a skunk living under your porch or under your house, make sure you get it out before fall.
Even though skunks do not truly hibernate, they do stay in their dens for long periods of time without leaving.
Once the weather gets cold, it may be very hard to get your skunk to leave.