SKUNKS

Common Concerns & Safety Issues

Carry rabies, diseases, and susceptible to feline lukemia
Saving your nose one skunk at a time.  
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Professional Solutions

  • Treat yards for grubs 
  • Trap and remove housing  
  • Fill abandoned holes  
  • Cover window wells  

Understanding the
SKUNK

Grouping Omnivore
Nicknames Wood Kitty, Pole Cat, American Sable, Pepé Le Pew, @#$%^&*!
Best Known For Their odor, lawn grubbing and distinct coloration. Considered to have poor eyesight and depth perception. Their very good nose and excellent digging skills.
Life Span 1 to 4 years.
Mating Season Mating begins in February and lasts until March. The smell of love is in the air!
Reproductive Details After a 60 day gestation period 2 to 8 young are born in a litter. Females have one litter per year and her young emerge from the den in late May.
Dispersal Males typically disperse between August and September. Females however, stay with the mother until breeding season the following February. You could have a harem on your property!
Habitat & Den Skunks are considered edge animals. Sites include fence lines, shrub lines, and backyards. Denning can occur under any cover including your decks, sheds, crawlspaces, woodpiles and slabs. They will utilize abandoned groundhogs year-round; and in the winter will share the groundhog's den system while the groundhog is hibernating.
Activity Cycle These animals are nocturnal and are not true hibernators. Will remain dormant for short periods of time throughout the winter when weather is harsh and can lose up to half their body weight. It's not uncommon to see out on overcast days.
Food Insects, beetles, vegetable matter, fruit, eggs, garbage, bird seed, grubs, and human snack foods. Skunks eat just about ANYTHING.
Damage Signs Yard grubbing that appears as cone shaped holes approximately 2 inches deep; unlike raccoons that also grub, but instead rip and tear sod apart. Skunks dig very precise holes. Damaged turf and your stinky dog!
Treatment Effective treatments include trapping, removing housing, attractions. Attractions include areas under decks, sheds, sun porches, etc. Do not leave cat or dog food dishes out after dark. Fill in any abandoned groundhog holes and cover window wells. Uncovered window wells are a superb skunk trap. Skunks travel along the edges of houses and readily fall into these "pits" and cannot climb out. Do not deposit waste in compost piles. Treat yard for grubs before skunks find your yard! Odor Treatment Recipe: Mix 1 quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide with a cup of baking soda and a squirt of liquid dish detergent. Use immediately after mixing. Sponge and hand massage affected areas. DO NOT store the mix. Care should always be taken when using, especially when used around eyes and mucous membranes. It's up to you to be safe.
Distinguishing Features Their distinct black with white head patch and stripe down the back set them apart from other animals. Typically their stripe length varies greatly. Strong heavy claws are vital to their digging habits. Typically appear docile and unaware of its surroundings. Oh! That smell!
Risk and Diseases Skunks are high on the list of rabies carriers. Disease is often shared through common feeding sites such as cat dishes (spit swapping). Also susceptible to distemper and feline leukemia. Getting sprayed is always a bad thing when both ends are staring at you! If trapping squirrels and groundhogs, set traps off at dusk to avoid incidental skunk captures. They can spray if they cannot lift their tail, they just prefer not to; just like you preferring not to go #1 with you pants still up! Skunks are vey approachable, take your time and talk softly. Stamping of front feet is a warning sign so back off. Young skunks are quick to use the "gun".Older skunks are wiser and often will bluff / negotiate themselves out of a bad situation. Just like people do! If you encounter a skunk by accident, be calm, stand still and let them work on by you. If you make sudden moves or loud noises chances are you will be taking off from work the next day or be sent home early. STINKY! 

Integrated Wildlife Management is our comprehensive and effective one-stop solution. This approach brings together the six necessary elements to successfully resolve wildlife / human conflicts and when possible, safely relocate wildlife to a more suitable habitat.