Most of us fear skunks. The very word will have us holding our noses and running in the opposite direction. It is no secret that when you scare or threaten a skunk there may be a chance that you will get sprayed by its toxic attack. Not only will the odor emanating from you be horrific, but if they spray gets in your or your pet’s eyes it will not be pleasant. It will sting, and you need to flush your eyes with water immediately. If there happens to be a skunk close by and you want it removed, you should probably call in the professionals to avoid any chance of being sprayed.
Is there a skunk in my yard:
There are many signs you can look for to determine if a skunk has taken up residence on your property. You may actually start smelling the skunk before you see it. They will mark their territory with a faint yet persistent musky scent. Skunks are foragers, so they may leave holes in your yard where they were looking for food. They may also knock over your plants looking for food or disturb your garden. Luckily, the skunk’s black and white coloring is highly noticeable and easily recognizable, so if you happen to see one in your yard, you can slowly leave the area.
How can I skunk proof my yard:
Skunks will come into your yard looking for two things: shelter and food. You need to make your property inhospitable to skunks by removing these two things. You should secure your garbage, keep pet food secure or indoors and if you have a garden pick up any fallen fruits or vegetables. You do not want to make it easy to access a food source. You also need to ensure that there is no place a skunk can make a den. You can remove any rock or wood piles from your yard, fence in your patios, decks or porches and block any crawl spaces that you may have. Because skunks like to dig for grubs, you do not want to over water your lawn. If you do this the grubs will be at the top of the soil and easy pickings for skunks. You want to make them work for their food to get them to move on to another area, so do not keep your lawn too wet.
A skunk can seem very frightening for most of us, especially if we have children or pets. We do not want to deal with a smelly child or pet because they did not know to heed the skunk’s warning. If you believe you have a skunk living in or near your house and want it removed the best option is to trap it and relocate it. It can be daunting dealing with a live skunk that may become frightened and spray any minute, so you will probably want to call in the experts. Someone who knows what they are doing and how to avoid being sprayed.