How To Get
Skunks Out Of Your Yard
Skunks are animals that are notorious for the
pungent scent that they can release when they
are threatened, and it is said that this can be
smelled up to a mile away. Although this is one
of the biggest problems for those who do find
skunks visiting their yard, they can also carry
diseases which can be transmitted to domestic
pets, and can also damage the yard. Skunks will
often be attracted to the yard by the good
foraging available or the fact that there is
garbage that they will be able to scavenge
through.
Problems In Dealing With Skunks In Your Yard
One of the biggest problems in dealing with
skunks in your yard is that they will spray
their scent if they are trapped or if they are
approached by a human. For this reason most
people will prefer an exclusion or deterrent
rather than using trapping the animals as a
solution, as this may reduce the chances of the
skunk spraying its scent. Read here for
how
to remove skunk smell from clothes or car.
However, for those who have a single skunk
returning repeatedly to their yard, there can be
no option but to trap the animal, and in this
case there are some precautions that can be
taken to reduce the likelihood of the skunk
spraying its scent. It is very unlikely that a
skunk will actually dig a burrow in your yard,
as they are naturally wary of human contact and
will look to avoid any areas where people are
nearby.
Measures To Reduce The Attractiveness Of Your
Yard To Skunks
One of the main attractions that will draw a
skunk to a yard will be the smell of food scraps
and other garbage, and the mess they can cause
when they gain access to garbage bags can be
significant. This is why one of the most
important things you can do is to make sure that
they cannot gain access to any garbage in your
yard. If you have a garage or secure shed then
keeping the garbage in there can help, but using
a garbage can with a tight lid will help to
reduce the smell that will emanate from the
garbage.
Skunks will often get into a domestic yard by
digging under a fence, so having an exclusion
fence which is embedded around twelve inches
into the ground will certainly be a big help.
Trapping And Removing Skunks
The majority of traps that are suitable for
catching skunks will be cage traps, because they
are large enough to contain the animals until
they are removed by the trapper. There are
lethal traps available but the body grip traps
can be quite dangerous, and will often kill
domestic pets and cats rather than the skunk
which has been targeted. Snares can also be
used, but the skunk will often take some time to
die, and is likely to release its scent a number
of times during this period.
For those who can ensure that they don’t allow
any domestic pets access to the trap, the best
bait will be meaty cat food, and this will often
catch the skunk quite quickly. Once you see that
the trap has been successful, the most important
thing to do is to ensure that you aren’t sprayed
by the skunk. This is why it is best to have a
large damped towel or blanket that you can throw
over the trap, and you should approach from an
angle that makes it difficult for the skunk to
see you. Once the trap is covered, move into a
vehicle, preferably a flatbed truck and take the
skunk at least five miles away from your
property before releasing it.
Go back to my main
skunk
control page or my
how
to kill skunks page.
Learn more about skunks:
What diseases
do skunks carry?
What is a skunk’s
natural diet, and how does it get its food?
Is a skunk that is
active during the daytime rabid?
What kind of
damage do skunks cause under a house?
Do skunks climb
trees or fences?
Will the city or
county animal services help me with a skunk
issue?
Do skunks burrow
underground?
Do baby or
juvenile skunks spray?
Baby skunk
removal
Should I feed a
baby skunk I found?
How to keep
skunks away from your property
Do skunks attack
pets?
Do skunks
attack chickens?
Do mothballs or
ammonia help repel skunks?
Do all skunks have
rabies?
About skunks
