Keep skunks out of Garden – Humane Wildlife Removal

Tips to keep skunks out of your yard and garden

Whether a skunk is living under your house, in a brush pile, digging for insects, or building a home, a skunk’s odor is disregarding of its environment. The good news about a skunk being around is that annoying pests such as rats, crickets, roaches, termites, mice, etc. are prey for the skunk. The bad news is that the skunk smell is so bad and powerful that you can perceive it from a long distance. The musk of the skunk is not poisonous but can cause eye irritation and nausea. You can best identify skunks in your surrounding are by their obnoxious odor.

Prevention and control

To prevent skunks from getting into your yard, you should have measures in place that make them uncomfortable in your yard. Every yard should have a fence that is higher than what a skunk can climb, and the garden soil should have rocks or wood that the skunk will not dig into. If the skunks cannot get into your yard, you will not have to get rid of them.

Getting rid of skunks

To get rid of skunks in your garden, here are a few things you can do:

Starve the stunk: Skunks are shy creatures, so if you find one in your yard, chances are it has compelling reasons to be around – food. Securely cover your trash container. Pet food, as well as a bird feeder, could be the attractants for skunks. Vegetables and fruits in the garden can attract skunks. You should surround your crops with a low fence. This is because skunks can’t climb high and won’t be able to climb over the fence.
Use bright lights: Skunks are nocturnal animals and do not like bright lights, and so any strange light startles them. You can use bright lights as well as loud noises. However, you should not do this frequently because it annoys the neighbors. Lights and noise-making machines can be arranged around the property as this keeps the skunks away.
Feed your pets inside your house: Skunks love dog food as well as cat food. If you have pets, feed them during the day and remove leftovers before nightfall when the skunks are most active.
Get rid of den sites: Getting rid of woodpiles, rock piles, brush piles, holes, and porches can help minimize the sites available to skunks to establish a home.
Remove the skunk shelter: You should follow the skunk smells and find their home. This may not be easy because the skunks can have a tunnel-like burrow, but when you find the entrance, you are on the right path. Following the location of the hollow bored by the skunk, at night, fill it with dirt. Also, trapping and relocating the skunk is effective.
Use citrus smells: Just like most animals, skunks also dislike the smell of citrus fruits. You can place the peels of citrus fruits (e.g., orange, lime, or lemon) around the garden as a means for natural skunk repulsion.

Your best option is to call a professional, any animal control service in your location will be happy to help you get rid of the skunk problem and relocate the skunks to an area where they will have sufficient food and water to survive.