How to Keep Skunks Out During the Summer?

Skunks may appear as cute and cuddly on the surface, but they can be extremely difficult to remove. It needs to be said that a DIY approach is not recommended when it comes to prevention and professional assistance is always the most effective option, if you’re faced with a full-fledged infestation. When looking to get rid of skunks that are interested in making shelter on your property, there are several ways to go about it:

• Finding skunks under structures on your property
• Discouraging them from seeking shelter in your yard

FINDING SKUNKS UNDER STRUCTURES ON YOUR PROPERTY

Discovering one or more skunks on your property means that you need to determine what it is that drew them to visit before you can actually tackle the ones already present. After removing sources of temptation like food or shelter options and making sure no new critters will join the party, you can tackle the ones already there. Homeowners are understandably fearful of getting sprayed, which is why they avoid handling the removal. This is a good thing as humane removal is crucial. But if you’re adamant about DIY, then use a trap and cover it with a heavy blanket or tarp. Place the trap near the den entrance and wait for it to capture a skunk.

THE HUMANE APPROACH TO USING TRAPS

When using a trap, there are several things that can go wrong. From trapping the wrong animal, to causing the trapped animal to starve to death, every trap placed down should be taken seriously and watched closely. When it comes to releasing the skunks, the most humane approach is to release the animal in the same neighbourhood, and close by. Relocated skunks have a poor chance of survival, as they have little knowledge of where to find food or shelter in new surroundings. The most important step of our process is sealing your home against future entry, to ensure they don’t waddle right back to their den site. To ensure that your property is fully secured from any future entry, you should always rely on the professionals.

SIMPLE PREVENTION TIPS

Preventing skunks from invading your yard or property is a much safer, better and overall easier way to avoid dealing with them than actually having to get rid of them. Taking away the skunks’ food source is one way to demotivate them from invading, and there are different ways you can go about doing this:

• Cover the garden with chicken wire or place the plants in a raised garden bed
• Plant flowers rather than fruits and vegetables in your garden
• Keep pet food indoors at all times
• Use wildlife-proof garbage and recycling bins
• Treat your lawn from grubs that skunks like to eat
• Pick up any fallen fruits
• Regularly trim and treat your lawn

If you still end up with an infestation despite your best efforts to stop that from happening, your best option is to get in touch with a skunk removal professional.

WHY DIY REMOVAL IS UNSUCCESSFUL

If your preventive measures are not successful and you find a skunk living under a structure on your property, your first thought may be to remove them yourself. Unfortunately DIY removals almost always result in someone getting sprayed, or attacked. With many of the structures skunks like to live under, such as decks and sheds so close to the home, one spray from a skunk can quickly make an entire home stink.

DIY removals also force you to crawl under tight spaces in closer proximity with the skunks and their harmful feces in order to fully remove the mess they make under your structure. Plus, after all that, even if the skunk leaves and you seal up their entry hole, there is no stopping them from digging another hole right next to it to get back under. This is why DIY removal is never recommended, and never successful in the long term. The best way to make the removal the most comfortable for you and the skunks is to hire a professional who understands their behaviour and can remove them quickly.

SKUNKS STILL GETTING THE UPPER HAND? TIME TO CALL SKEDADDLE

Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control is the skunk removal professional you should choose for a number of different reasons. First and foremost, Skedaddle specialises in humane removal methods and techniques, which is crucial when dealing with skunks who may also have kits in their dens.
With over three decades of experience, we have seen skunks create their den sites under just about any place you can imagine. With industry leading techniques, our technicians are able to safely remove skunks and their babies without causing them to spray. Once the skunks have skedaddled, your property will be decontaminated and sealed tightly, preventing any skunk from clawing through or digging under again. Get in touch with the company today and seek out their help to get rid of skunks from your property humanely and effectively.