Tips on getting rid of skunks
Getting rid of skunks can be tricky, although there are some easy ways you can discourage them from coming into your yard. Skunks are well-known for their terrible odor, which can be smelled up to 15 miles away. They often build dens underneath homes, spraying their odor frequently inside their dens. Skunks are also known to carry rabies, so you should never approach a skunk. Leave it to the professionals. Besides, you really don’t want to be sprayed with that lovely skunk odor, do you?
The first step you should take in getting rid of skunks is to keep the lids tightly on your trash can. Unprotected garbage draws all kinds of pests, including skunks. They are less likely to come into your yard if you don’t offer free food that’s easy to get. Skunks can claw through garbage bags, so you should never put out bags of trash that aren’t in a trash can.
Skunks also love grubs. If your yard seems to attract a lot of skunks, then it’s quite possible you have a grub problem. You’ll be able to tell if you have grubs because the skunks will burrow in your yard to find them. If you’ve got a lot of sinkholes and evidence that someone’s been digging up your yard, then skunks are probably having a field day with the grubs. To get rid of the grubs, opt for natural pest control solutions like nematodes. They will eat the grubs, and skunks won’t eat the nematodes. You can find nematodes at any garden center or pest control shop.
You also may find that your yard attracts skunks if you have fruit trees. Skunks love fruit and berries. The best way for getting rid of skunks that are attracted to the fruit on your trees is to keep checking the ground for any fruits that fall. You don’t want to leave any of them lying on the ground to attract skunks and other rodents. Skunks also love bird seed, so keep this in mind if you have bird feeders in your yard.
If a skunk has taken up residence under your home or deck, then you will have to resort to other methods of getting rid of skunks. Loud noises and bright lights will scare the skunk out of its den. Just be careful when you do scare the animal so you don’t get sprayed or bitten. As soon as you flush the skunk out of its hiding place, then you’ve got to seal off the area. Chicken wire is perfect for sealing any holes that are big enough to allow skunks to crawl under your home. If you don’t have a fence around your yard, you may even want to consider putting one in. Skunks are not good at climbing, so putting a fence up is a surefire way to prevent skunks from getting into your yard. Just make sure the skunks aren’t still in your yard when you seal up the fence, or they won’t be able to get out.