Have you noticed a new unannounced and uninvited furry little tenant recently in your shed or under your deck this summer? Chances are a mother skunk has just moved in with her babies, anywhere between 4-8 of them. If you live in an area that is a habitat for skunks or has a high skunk population you probably know by now that it’s a part of summer.

Even though these animals are usually nomadic, spending short periods of time in different dens, when they have young ones, they must settle in one den for a while. They are most comfortable in dark and quiet places. That is why some sections of your property, like sheds or underneath decks, are so attractive for them.

Skunks can be distinguished by the white stripe on their back.

The First Course of Action

Skunks can be quiet and sneaky which can make it difficult for you to know they are even there. They may not be an inconvenience to you at the start, but proper prevention strategies should be implemented in the warmer months before the ground freezes. As a homeowner it is important to be proactive and get ahead of any potential nesting on your property.

A skunks nomadic nature means that as soon as the mother has finished her nurturing phase, and sometimes before that, she will relocate. The catch though is that her babies, having become familiar with the spot, may return later for their own nesting needs.

Send a Gentle Message

You are most likely on this page because you want to evict your new tenants without harming them or breaching wildlife protection and animal rights laws. There are gentle methods of animal control that you can use to coax nesting skunks away from their dens.

You can try making the space inhospitable by introducing light and noise.  A portable light bulb or lamp will usually do the trick for lighting and a portable radio can help with noise creation. Make sure that the radio is not set to play music but rather human talking as the latter is threatening to them.

Changing the smell of the space also helps to discourage skunk arrival and habitation. They do not like the smell of vinegar or ammonia. A rag soaked in apple cider vinegar or ammonia and placed in the space will encourage them to leave.

Once you’ve done that you can just sit back and relax, away from the nest of course. After about three days and nights the mommy skunk will relocate to one of her other dens, taking her babies with her.

Skunks like to find shelter close to the ground and don’t typically climb.

Confirm Skunk Absence

After waiting patiently, if you have the luxury of time, you can use the paper test to determine if your DIY animal control methods have worked and you now have a skunk-free zone. To do this you crumple newspaper into a ball or tape it across the entrance and wait. If it remains undisturbed, you have successfully gotten rid of the skunks!

Let the Experts Skunk-Proof Your Property!

Remember though, that after skunks have left, they are likely to return so you need to discourage them. To help prevent the return of the skunks, Skedaddle provides additional animal control services. One of those services is skunk-proofing your space by sealing the holes that would allow the skunks to enter and installing skunk resistant fencing that keeps skunks and other animals away.  Let the experts at Skedaddle solve your skunk problems safely and thoroughly today!