Recognizing, Preventing and Getting Rid of Skunks

by SOS Wildlife Control | Jan 11, 2016 | Helpful Tips, Skunk Control

Last Updated: May 2016

Being well informed is a great way to keep you and your family away from having to deal with getting rid of skunks throughout the year. Now, with the colder weather upon us, wildlife is more likely to make a habitat out of your property, either under your porches, beneath the sheds, around a wood pile etc. Unfortunately, getting rid of skunks can be tricky. Although not poisonous, their foul defensive spray is something that most people would like to avoid being hit by. This spray leaves victims feeling uncomfortable with a terrible stench that is difficult to remove and may cause burning sensation if sprayed into your eye.

Getting rid of skunks effectively means having to know a little bit about them and their behavior here in Ontario. Here are a couple things you should know about skunks:

Skunk Facts

A skunk’s main habitat are grassy areas, but they are known to be extremely adaptable and are found in urban areas, making a home out of places like under buildings, porches etc.
Skunks, more specifically the striped skunk, are found in North America and can be seen all over Ontario
Skunks produce and excrete a foul smelling spray when threatened. Warnings are given out first to deter from using their spray, as it takes time to “refill”
A skunk will give out a warning by raising their tail. They may also stomp in circles or omit a hissing noise before they spray
These mammals breed around February/March and have a gestation period of about 8 weeks. Skunks produce a litter of 4-7 baby skunks at a time
Skunks are omnivorous, they eat both plant and meat. Their diet often consists of smaller rodents, larvae, earthworms, berries, nuts and more
Skunks are nocturnal. They become more active at night which makes getting rid of skunks easier in the day

To avoid hosting and having a potential skunk problems there are a couple things that you can do, such as keeping your yard clean and free from garbage or pet foods. When skunks recognize this as a food source, they are likely to return make a habitat out of a space nearby. Grub and larvae come out of grassy areas or lawns in or after heavy rain or watering. Skunks also see this as food source, so avoid over-watering or keep an eye out during wet weather conditions.

Skunks do not mean any harm for no reason. When they attack, they are simply being defensive for either their own protection, the protection of their young or their territory. This is why getting rid of skunks is more difficult than preventing them from coming on to your property in the first place. Therefore, it’s best to take measures earlier than later. But in the event of a skunk already living on your property, this is what you can do.

Getting Rid of Skunks on Your Property

Please do not face a skunk head on. We do not recommend taking DIY approaches to facing a skunk, always seek out a professional technician to do this. These measures below are only to be conducted when the skunk is clearly out of site.

Look for the entrance to their den. It is often a dark cornered area. Keep a look out for spaces beneath the porch or holes around the shed.
Once found, fill the entrance with a temporary barrier (balled up paper) that can be broken out of.
- If the barrier remains intact for 4-5 days and there are no longer any sign of a skunk living there, the entrance can be sealed permanently
- If the barrier is disturbed, a skunk or other wildlife may be living there. Do not seal the entrance permanently.
If the skunk is still living in that space, encourage it to leave by keeping on bright lights, making noises or install a one-way door to keep it from coming in (keep a look out for young skunks, as a one-way door should not be installed if a skunk is caring for her young in that space. In the event where you are faced with baby skunks, call a professional wildlife removal company to assist you).
Once gone, permanently seal the entrance and look for other spaces where a skunk could relocate.

If you are having trouble getting rid of skunks, hopefully these steps can help you be skunk-free. In any event, if you are still experiencing difficulty with them, give us a call and we’ll assist you in safe, humane skunk removal. At SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated, we provide superior wildlife removal services for residential, commercial, and industrial clients. Let us help you solve your wildlife problems. Taking action before it’s too late will help eliminate animal damage repair costs. We can easily be reached at 1-800-981-0330. Call us to schedule an appointment for a thorough inspection to help evacuate all your unwanted wildlife guests in the most humane way possible.

Call SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated 1.800.981.0330 for Wildlife Control!

Skunk Problem

by SOS Wildlife Control | Nov 7, 2015 | Skunk Control

Last Updated: May 2016

Skunks are extremely well known for their horrible smelling, predator deterrent sprays. For that, residents of the City of Toronto and the GTA have been struggling skunk problems.

The Main Skunk Problem – Smell

One of the main problem skunks cause is their ability to spray a disastrous mist that can travel as far as ten feet. The scent from a skunk’s spray can linger for hours, days, sometimes months. The smell is one of the main indicators you have skunk problem. Skunks usually use their sprays to deter their predators or when they feel threatened from noise, weather conditions etc.

Aside from their presence being a nuisance in or around one’s neighborhood, skunks’ adaptability to different habitats can make them satisfied guests. Skunk under porches, skunk under decking, skunk inside sheds and skunk between structures/walls are all common skunk problem ‘s. Skunk control is hard work as getting rid of skunks would definitely require professional services. In the interim, these stripy animals can dig holes in your lawn, damage and contaminate crop in agricultural settings, and general skunk odor which could seep into fabrics and surfaces. While the odorous surfaces may need as much as complete replacement, the actual skunk removal or skunk family removal is only a job for the professionals. As we do with all other wildlife removal needs, we take a humane approach with skunks. Our professionally trained technicians can inspect and understand the behavior of a skunk, detect their entry and exit points, close their entry points using mesh and traps. Our technicians take the skunks to a safe, natural environment, a reasonable distance from your property to avoid re-denning and a return of your skunk problem.

Controlling a Skunk Problem

As with most other wildlife, there are certain things you can do to avoid skunk infestation. Keeping inside and outside of your residential or commercial property clean, tidy, and organized is key. Because of their superior digging skills, and long, strong nails, skunks can cause damage and cut through garbage and compost bins without hassle and get to food remnants. Preventative measures can be key in skunk control. Feed all domestic pets indoors, keep pet food contained. It is a dangerous and uncomfortable experience for pets to get sprayed by skunks. The odor and the chemicals from the spray that the skunk generates can burn pets’ eyes, and the odor stays on their fur and skin for long periods of time. There are home remedies to provide instant relief to pets in case of a skunk confrontation. Be wary of structural issues like holes, cracks, which could provide easy entrance and exit points for skunks. Sealing any structural entry points is the number one preventative measure to a skunk problem.

When it comes to a skunk problem, we don’t recommend any DIY options. Although there are ways one could prevent a skunk problem becoming an infestation, it’s very difficult to actually remove them from one’s property. Ministry of Natural Resources protect wildlife and if body gripping traps or poison are used during the capture of skunks, one can be charged up to $5000 and face criminal charges for animal cruelty. Diseases like rabies, leptospirosis, and distemper can be a few of the diseases that could easily be transmitted to humans and pets during the removal process, not to mention the everlasting odor of the skunk spray. Humans who have been sprayed by skunks have been noted to be discomforted by the smell for up to 4 months.

Skunk Facts:

Aside from being known for their smelly sprays and unique stripy appearances, there are actually so much more to know about these problematic members of the wildlife.

They are predominantly inhabitants of North America
They are extremely adaptable and can survive in different habitats given there is food and shelter
They are omnivores, consuming a diet of both plant and insects/grubs. They are opportunistic eaters so they are flexible with their diets as seasons change
They can survive throughout the year, from the most extreme weather conditions to the least. Although not extremely active, they seek shelter under porches
Much like raccoons, skunks are nocturnal, conducting most of their activities at nighttime
They have extremely strong forefeet and long nails, making them great diggers. They are known to dig holes in lawns, gardens, parks, golf courses etc.
Although the most powerful, spraying is not the first method of defense for skunks. They tend to growl, spit, fluff its fur, and stomp the ground
Compared to their friends in the wild, skunks are shy and they don’t like to fight other animals
Skunks live between 2-3 years
Skunks are very smart, they will roll a furry caterpillar on the ground to get rid of its hair before eating it
Skunks’ stripes point to the anal gland where they spray from
Before spraying their predators, skunks do a warning dance which include stomping on the ground and hissing
Skunk spray is highly flammable
Skunks don’t like altercation, if proper measures are followed, skunk control can easily be maintained
Many wildlife control companies in Ontario prefer not to provide skunk removal services

At SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated, we provide superior skunk removal services for residential, commercial, and industrial clients. Let us help you solve your skunk problem ‘s. We can easily be reached at 1-800-981-0330. Don’t wait and call us to schedule an appointment for a thorough inspection to help evacuate all your unwanted wildlife problems.