I’ve enjoyed squirrels, chipmunks and the occasional rabbit visits to my backyard this summer, but frequent skunk encounters is not something I’m comfortable with, especially with two kids at home and a spacious backyard. Early in September, someone’s dog got sprayed by a skunk on our same street, and the house owner managed to trap two of them few days later. The smell wouldn’t go away for days, but at least we knew how a skunk smells like 🤢
A week ago, my camera spotted around midnight yet another skunk roaming around the front and walking towards the backyard. I waited till the morning and checked the surroundings of the house and under the deck and luckily I didn’t find any.
If you google how to deal with skunks, most websites will tell you that skunks are nocturnal animals and you can leave them alone, but if you have pets or young kids, it’s recommended to try and keep them away.
Here are some useful tips:
– Patch holes around your foundation. Skunks are great diggers.
– Eliminate possible den sites.
– Feed your pets inside. Skunks love dog and cat food.
– Make sure garbage cans have tight-fitting lids.
– Don’t rely on natural skunk repellents. Most aren’t considered particularly effective.
– Use bright yard lights and loud noises (not sure your neighbors would appreciate that though).
The easiest way is obviously to call pest control specialists who would trap the skunk and take it away.
It’s been days since I spotted the skunk, so I hope it moved somewhere else, but for the time being, I’m not taking out the trash at night 😁
