If you worry you might have a skunk infestation, chances are you’ve smelled one before you’ve seen or heard it. These animals do make noises, however, and when you hear them, you’ll know that it’s a skunk. Once you determine you have a problem, it’s important to contact the professionals for skunk removal Madison services, or you could have a bigger problem on your hands.
Noises Skunks Make While Mating, Fighting and in General
Skunks are fairly solitary and don’t make too many noises. If they are around each other, they do make sounds to communicate, like many other wild animals. During mating season, which is February through April, you’ll probably hear more skunk communication than at other times during the year, and that’s because the males are actively seeking out females. There are more skunks around each other, making noises.
Aggressive males during mating season may hiss, squeal, whine, grumble or screech. They often chirp if they’re looking for attention, so you may hear more chirping during mating season. When a skunk is content, it will smack its lips.
Another time a skunk is more vocal is when a mother is protecting her young. If a female is pregnant or lactating, it is likely to be aggressive toward any male skunk that approaches. A mother skunk might stomp her front feet, pounce, hiss, growl or screech. You might also hear cooing and chirping if there are young skunks in a nest or otherwise around.
Other than during mating season, during a fight, or when a mother is pregnant or lactating, you may not hear too many noises from a skunk. The most common sounds are probably tearing, scratching and tapping when the skunks are using their sharp, strong claws to create a nest, dig for food or scare away predators.
How Understanding Skunk Behaviors Can Help Your Situation
By taking time to understand skunk behaviors and noises, you can avoid a serious infestation and damage to your home. A skunk’s smell isn’t the only thing you should be worried about. When skunks are around, they can dig into woodpiles or other piles of brush, hoping to hollow out the area for a den.
They may damage areas around the base of your home, looking for a way into a crawl space or basement. A skunk could destroy a shed while making a nest, and could also dig holes in your yard when looking for grubs to eat. They are omnivorous scavengers, so they’ll often dig through garbage cans looking for eggs, insects, fruits, human waste and rodents.
If you hear a skunk, it’s most likely at night, as these animals are more active during this time. That doesn’t mean you won’t ever see or hear a skunk during the day, so you should always be on the lookout if it’s something you suspect. Many females make nests under a porch or in a crawl space, so if you hear stomping, scratching or hissing late at night while you’re in bed, a mother skunk is most likely protecting her babies or fighting off an aggressive male.
You can quickly assume there’s more than just one or two skunks living on your property. When the mother gives birth, you could have four to six more skunks to worry about. If this occurs, contact the professionals for skunk removal Madison services immediately.
Contacting Skunk Removal Madison Professionals
Skunks are adorable with their big tails, white stripes and cute little faces, but you should never approach one, even if it’s just a baby. Every wild animal should be handled by a professional for the safest removal for both you and the animal. If you have heard skunks in your home or somewhere on your property, contact Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control today to schedule a safe removal service.
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