which is why it’s so important to be able to identify when a skunk has visited your lawn through the observation of holes, piles of dirt, or a mess around your garbage can. Skunks tend not to stray far from their den which means if they successfully found food once in your lawn or garbage can, they’re likely to come back regularly. The most humane way to deal with a skunk visiting your yard too much is to limit its food supply. The first thing you want to make sure is that none of your neighbors are giving the skunk food. If someone is feeding a skunk, it will become a lot more motivated to come back to your neighborhood and scavenge for food. Additionally, be sure not to scare the skunk or harm it in any way, as it will spray as a defense mechanism. If the skunk is frequenting your garbage can, looking for scraps, you could either put something like a brick on top of the garbage can to restrict the skunk’s access or simply buy a lock. If the skunk is digging in your yard, consider putting a tarp over your lawn, watering less, or putting a fence around your backyard. Once you cut off the skunk’s preferred food source, it will quickly find a new place to scavenge for food.