How To Get Rid of Skunks and Skunk Odor

/Home/Garden Basics/Plant & Lawn Care/Garden Problems and Solutions/Keeping Skunks Out of the Garden

Posted on April 26, 2011 by Rob Dares

SKUNK PREVENTION
1) Cleanup uneaten pet food

2) Make sure your garbage is kept in a tightly covered trash can that reduces the odors.

3) Bright lights on a lawn or garden will reduce the skunks comfort level and probably encourage him to move on.

4) Prevent access to the underneath of buildings and sheds. Cover crawl spaces with metal screening, sheet metal, or wood. Be careful doing this between May and August so that you don’t trap young skunks inside.

5) Chicken wire fences will keep skunks out of gardens. They don’t like to climb, so make it about 3 feet high and bury some of it in the ground to discourage digging to get under it.

6) If a skunk gets inside your cottage…oh I hope not…the best thing to do is let him leave of his own accord. Leave the door open and move well back quietly….go to a movie…go for supper….go home….

7) Mothballs, (naphthalene crystals) or rags soaked in ammonia can temporarily discourage skunks from using a burrow or to discourage entry under building and sheds. I like to use mothballs in the attic and in our shed to keep other animals out too, like bats and squirrels. They only work for awhile, so remember to replenish them periodically.

8) You can live trap a skunk if need be, with a wooden or mesh live trap baited with cat food, chicken scraps, fish or other such smelly stuff. You might catch a stray cat or two as well…..Cover the trap with burlap or another opaque covering.

When you catch your skunk, don’t worry, if the trap is covered and he doesn’t see you, he probably won’t spray, although I don’t recommend putting the skunk in the trap in the back seat of your mini van or the trunk of your car.

The open bed of a pickup truck might be the best bet, or a utility trailer. Handle the trap quietly and calmly so as not to spook the little black and white animal.

9) The final solution can be a little more gruesome, or at least risky. Skunks can be shot with a shotgun, but they will likely spray. Make your first shot a good one, follow up with a quick second shot and for heaven’s sake don’t discharge a gun where it is against the law or there is a chance of someone being in the background. I don’t recommend this process except in appropriate places and when other methods don’t work.