How to Get Rid of Skunks

Want to know how to get rid of skunks? Before we go further, let’s get to know more about them…

Skunks Give Benefits Too!

First of all, despite the fact the skunks can be annoying, they actually give many benefits to us. Among these benefits are their habits of eating insects and rodents. They actually help us ‘control’ the number of grasshoppers, beetles and crickets, since these are their favorite food, especially during spring and summer. During winter, they are ready to help you ‘control’ the number of field and house mice.

Two Common Types of Skunks in the U.S. and Canada

There are two types of skunks commonly found in the U.S. and Canada:

Striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis)
Spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius)

- A striped skunk -

- A spotted skunk -

They can discharge stomach-turning musk, which actually comes from their anal glands, and they can do this several times.

They like dwelling in clearings, meadows, and open lands which are next to forests. On grasslands, skunks like to hide in the groves, and woods along rivers. They use hollow logs and limbs to build dens.

Skunks are nocturnal, sluggish, calculated, and show great poise when they encounter enemies, or sense a threat.

Skunk Problems

Skunks can be annoying when their eating and snuggling habits are at odds with you and your family. A friend once asked me, “Hey Ed, how do you get rid of skunks under deck?” Yes, skunks can find foundation openings and snuggle under your deck or building!

Sometimes skunks mess with the garbage outside of your house, sometimes they dig holes – of course it won’t be a problem if they do this in the forest, but what if they dig holes in your beautiful garden, or perhaps in a golf course?

If you raise chickens, skunks can be a threat and attack your chicken coop. They are usually after the eggs though, not the hen.

Many people confuse a skunk’s attack with the one from other animals such as raccoons, weasles, mink, rats or dogs. Make sure you are certain that it’s really skunks that disturb you, before continuing to prevention steps.

How to Get Rid of a Skunk

So, how do you get rid of skunks?

Because skunks are one of the leading carriers of rabies in most states, your effort in getting rid of skunks -more often than not- will be supported by your city or county health departments. They might even help by providing you with trappers.

6 Ways to Get Rid of Skunks

1. Keeping Out

You can keep skunks out of your property with several efforts:

Seal off all foundation openings. You can use concrete, sheet metal, or even wire mesh
Bury your fences 1-2 feet deep, so skunks cannot dig underneath them
If you raise chickens, it’s better to build a poultry building which you can close at night. Or, if you still want to keep them in yards or coops, make sure you use a 3-foot wire mesh fencing, with the lowest part (about 1 foot) buried. To make it even stronger, you can bend the 6-inches bottom part outward from the yard
Protect wells and pits using wire mesh
If you have beehives, then place them on stands. 3-feet high stands will be enough, because skunks can’t climb
Protect your garbage cans with tight-fitting lids

2. Make Your House Less Attractive to Skunks

Manage your garbage and food source smartly, so skunk won’t be invited
Check certain places in your house that might keep rodents. Because rodents might invite skunks, you might want to control them first
Look for certain spots that might be used by skunks as their dens. Clean these spots

3. Scare the Skunks Out of Your Yard

You can scare skunks using light and sounds. Although this only works temporary, but you might find it useful for immediate results

4. Use Repellents

If you are looking for registered repellents, forget it. There’s no such things for skunks. But you can utilize moth balls or moth flakes in a large amount. Put them in closed areas that might attract skunks, and replace them when necessary. You can also use cloths soaked with ammonia for this purpose. However, repellents can only show temporary results.

5. Use Fumigants

There are two types of registered fumigants. Using the toxic gases, you can suffocate the skunks under your deck, or wherever they snuggle. Please follow the instructions carefully.

6. Use Traps

There are two common types of traps for skunks:

Box traps
Leghold traps

- A box trap for skunks - illustration by the USDA -

Before you use each of these traps, I suggest you consult your state wildlife agency first. If you still want to create your own trap, then go for the Box-Trap type, because it’s very simple. You can set the traps near the entrance of the dens, and use cat food to entice the skunks. Fish-flavored food is very effective for this.

Be careful handling the trapped skunks, as they can discharge the stomach-turning musk. That’s why traps are better used at places rather far from your house. You can also cover the trap with canvas to minimize the risk.

What to do with the trapped skunks? You can release them somewhere far from your residential area (at least 10 miles away), or you can kill them.