Skunks are black and white mammals that are primarily known for their very strong-smelling defense mechanism. While these wild animals may not be dangerous to humans per se, they should still be considered pests.
If you notice a skunk near your home or damage to your property that appears to be caused by a fairly large animal, you will need to take steps to get rid of it. Ultrasonic devices, cage traps and predator urine are a few effective ways to get rid of skunks. Our Montreal exterminators are used to dealing with skunks and can give you some tips!
What to know about skunks?
Skunks are generally solitary, non-aggressive animals. However, in the event of a threat, it may react by emitting grunts and using its fetish weapon: a foul-smelling spray. This yellowish, oily liquid gives off a stench that can last for some time. That’s what it’s known for: the smell of skunk is a well-known nightmare!
Skunks are quite well adapted to urban life, which is why they’re not afraid to rummage through your garbage cans, venture under your garden shed or dig holes in your garden.
However, even if it’s a particularly cute animal, don’t think it’s harmless. As it often carries rabies, it’s a good idea not to get too close to it, or let it roam around your home too much, lest your pets encounter it and injure themselves. It’s a habitat-damaging animal, so be careful!
Can you kill a skunk?
No. Since the skunk is a protected animal in Quebec, you can’t kill or harm it. If a skunk creates this damage in your home, contact a residential exterminator from Elite Pest Control as soon as possible. This professional will be able to capture the skunk very quickly while looking after its well-being.
What attracts skunks?
Skunks are bons vivants: they like to eat and sleep. So any food source will attract them to your garden and not far from your house. That said, skunks have no gastronomic requirements and will be quite content with what’s in your garbage as long as the food smells good. Skunks are attracted to a variety of foods, but they particularly love insects, grubs, and fruits.Haut du formulaire
What are their favorite places?
Skunk and garden: a great love story
If you have fruit trees in your garden, you’re going to make skunks and many other intruders very happy. The fruit that falls to the ground is a succulent feast for these animals. If you want to keep skunks away from your garden, remember to regularly pick up any fruit that has fallen, and clean up any piles of leaves that have accumulated on your property.
Under the garden shed or terrace
A very bad climber, there’s little chance of finding a skunk in the middle of your living room or in your house. However, it is possible to find this animal under your terrace, crawl space or even under the garden shed, because digging, it knows how to do! Skunks use these spaces to raise their young in summer and for semi-hibernation in winter.
The dustbins
Finally, one of skunks’ favorite places is your yard or where you leave your trash cans. If your trash is visible and overflowing, you’re offering skunks and other raccoons self-service gourmet meals. Get ahead of the skunks’ intrusion and purge everything that can be.
Where do skunks hide during the day
Skunks are nocturnal animals, so during the day they tend to hide under sheds, terraces, a burrow or any rather dark place. It’s at dusk that they come to feast.
How to keep skunks away from your house?
If a skunk is found around your home, it won’t be easy to capture it. Indeed, its burrow can be difficult to find, as the skunk only comes out early in the morning or at dusk. So it’s hard to know where it really came from.
To make life easier and save time, the best way is to contact a pest control expert. They will implement several techniques to quickly bait the animal. What’s more, you won’t have to approach an animal that may have rabies.
Otherwise, your efforts will focus on maintaining your exterior. This means making sure there are no food sources such as fruit that has fallen from your trees, or picking up dead leaves where seeds and worms can be found. This also means insulating your terrace so that skunks can’t hide underneath, so make sure your fixtures and fittings aren’t likely to be hiding places.
We can also recommend various kinds of skunk repellent.
Skunk repellent and technology
Technology offers many solutions for capturing and keeping skunks away. Here are 3 possible methods.
1. The wildlife cage
Medium-sized wildlife cages are one of the most effective methods for capturing and transporting a skunk.
Indeed, once baited with eggs, fruit or nuts, the cage will close painlessly on the animal. Being slightly cramped, skunks won’t be able to fully unfurl their tails, so the risk of spraying you with their foul-smelling liquid is reduced.
– Beware, however, that the risk of spraying is not non-existent, which is why it’s a good idea to contact an emergency exterminator to limit any risk. –
You’ll then have to set the animal free several kilometers away from your home. Choose a natural and healthy place for its survival. For more information, contact your local Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
2. Ultrasonic skunk repellent
Ultrasonic skunk repellent is a highly effective tool for repelling skunks and more. In fact, this device keeps away raccoons, birds and other rodent pests like mice and rats.
Should your neighbors’ pets ever enter your property, ultrasonic repellent will painlessly ward off over-invasive cats and dogs. Watch out for your own pets, though.
3. Light to chase away skunks
Like ultrasonic repellent, you can install motion-sensor lights at various points on your property.
Skunks generally don’t like light, so they’ll move away from the source. You can complement this solution with automatic sprinklers with motion detection.
Removing skunks naturally with homemade repellents
In addition to technology, which brings a lot of novelty, nature offers particularly effective solutions to combat the presence of pests in your home. Let’s see what solutions exist.
Human hair
One natural method for keeping skunks away is to place human hair in your yard and near your garbage. Skunks hate the texture and smell of hair and will usually stay away from it. If you put some hair in your garden, it can also act as fertilizer, which is an added bonus!
Predator urine for skunks
Try sprinkling urine from coyotes or other predators around your yard to scare skunks away. Predator urine can be purchased in certain pet stores, hardware stores and online.
For more information, contact an experienced exterminator who will be able to advise you on the best skunk repellents.
Smells skunks hate
- You can spray white vinegar mixed with minced garlic around your home, paying particular attention to areas where you’ve seen the skunk.
- A mixture of water and cayenne pepper also works.
- A mixture of peppermint (10 drops), water (1 cup) and washing-up liquid (1 tablespoon).
You can also use ammonia-soaked rags or mothballs to repel skunks, placing the rags in strategic locations around the house.
The real solution for getting rid of a skunk
As we’ve seen, skunks can be highly invasive and potentially dangerous animals. It’s possible to capture it or keep it away yourself, however there are significant risks to consider.
If you want to get rid of skunks as quickly as possible, contact the experts at Élite Gestion Parasitaire. They’ll be happy to help you solve your pest problem as quickly as possible.
