Skunks

WHAT WE DO FOR YOU

The striped skunk is a mammal that is infamous for the strong odour it can emit. Not only can this species wreak havoc on your senses, it can cause major damage to your home. Although skunks are not aggressive animals, they seem to be aware of their own odorous potential, as they are careful not to spray on themselves when targeting a threat. Because distinguishing healthy skunks from those infected with rabies is difficult, professional removal is always necessary.

Skunks Settle in For Winter

As the fall fades into winter, it becomes harder to see (and smell) if a skunk has been lingering around your home. Striped skunks, the most prominent in North America, keep multiple den sites during the winter in any given neighbourhood. While there are several options for den sites, skunks prefer the most quiet and convenient place to stay. Therefore, they will almost always choose a secluded area under a deck or shed, over digging their own den from scratch. Look out for tracks in the snow that might indicate an active den site on your property.

Similar to raccoons, skunks will spend autumn eating as much as possible to build up fat stores, which will help them keep warm throughout the winter months. Instead of hibernating, skunks will enter torpor, waking only on warmer days to scavenge for food.

Skunks find it hard to get around in the snow, so mating season usually begins in late winter or early spring as temperatures rise and the ground thaws. Litters numbering as many as 8 to 10 babies arrive in May and June and their presence helps to make the job of removing skunks more complicated. Frozen winter ground makes it difficult to install protective barriers into the ground to prevent skunks from accessing ground level den sites like decks, sheds and porches.

The ideal time to remove skunks and prevent their entry to below structures on your property is early spring, after the ground has thawed but before litters of skunk babies are born. This winter, get ahead of baby season and protect your property by calling Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control if you suspect a skunk is living on your property. Our trained technicians will evaluate the situation and provide you with a customized removal and prevention plan to ensure skunk-free spring.

Skunk Facts

Skunks are renowned for the horrible smell they emit when injured, frightened or mating. The odour can remain on pets and in ventilation systems for weeks or months. But these animals can also cause significant damage to buildings and landscaping.

FACT: Skunks will burrow out dens under any structure without a foundation, which can cause weaknesses in porches, decks, or sheds. They are nocturnal (i.e. active at night), and will chew or burrow through wood and siding.

FACT: They will often dig up lawns and gardens to find their food. A large portion of a skunk’s diet is made up of insects, grubs and garbage.

FACT: The smell from skunk spray can remain on skin and pet hair for days, weeks and even months. It often enters the ventilation system and will spread throughout the building very quickly. The noxious chemical emitted by skunks is very pervasive.

FACT: Rabies-infected skunks cannot often be distinguished from healthy ones. Rabies is transmitted through saliva from the infected skunk to humans and pets, often through a bite. The number of cases of rabies in skunks exceeds that in raccoons or foxes. Skunks have been found with rabies throughout Canada.

FACT: Skunk spray can be highly noxious, causing nausea and vomiting. It also contains sulphuric acid, which can cause temporary blindness in pets and humans. Skunk spray is extremely difficult to remove from clothing, skin and hair. It can remain strong for long periods of time, affecting everyone who comes into contact with it.

FACT: Skunks are social animals and several families may congregate in a single den site. There are typically 4-6 babies (kits) in a litter.

FACT: The most effective method in getting rid of skunks is to remove all the skunks and completely seal the entire porch, shed or foundation from further entry by digging a trench and installing screening.

FACT: Skunk dens are often hard to access and a number of extraction techniques may be required. Killing or capturing the adult likely won’t solve the problem, since the babies may still be hiding in an inaccessible area under the building. Signs of digging and burrowing are the most common way to locate a skunk den. Damage to lawns and gardens may also be evident.

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