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I live in a 100 year old house with a crawl space underneath. There's these grates at various points around the house that are in various states of falling apart. Apparently a skunk and family have moved in under my house. It started as us hearing noises to this morning it spraying who knows how many times because it couldn't get out from under my house. I adjusted a grate yesterday and apparently this was the one it was using to get in and out.
It made these awful sounds at about 3am followed by my whole house starting to stink. As I was going outside to check it out I heard the grate fall to the ground and saw a skunk run off. I was going to wedge the grate back in and saw and heard other skunks under my house.
I'm not feeling brave enough to crawl under the house and try to get these skunks to leave. I'm pretty sure I'd smell like skunks for days if this happened. What is the best way to get these skunks out and ensure they are all out before securing the grate? I was ready to secure it when I heard others. If I secured it now I'd be back to square one with them trying to get out and/or the other one trying to get back in. I'm pretty sure it's baby skunks under there too.
Should I just call a professional? I'm just worried they are going to get one out and not see the rest and trap them all in there. I suppose trapping them in there is an option but then I'd have to deal with a spraying/die skunk family and the smell of them rotting afterwards. Oh and a final question, how long until my house will stop smelling? Obviously my house isn't air tight and this thing went all out (literally) trying to get out and succeeded.
I had that happen once. It's probably a mother and now she's had her Spring babies. I called animal control and they said the best thing to do it make the area inhospitable. You want the mother to move her babies out. Get a big jug of ammonia, or a few depending on how much area you need to cover. Get a radio, (or two, again area). Get a couple of lights. Put the ammonia on rags and toss them under your house in any area you can get to. Turn the lights on under there. Turn the radio on to a talk radio station, preferably one that people argue on a lot (try the AM political stations), and turn it up loud. Do this for a week or two, 24/7, then close up your openings WELL.
For the smell, get several bags of the cheapest charcoal you can find, open them up and let them absorb the smell. You can do this in the house too.
We did this in my Father's barn and had the family move on and the smell gone in a week.
I would call a pro. There are wildlife "critter getter" companies around here who will do this for a fee.
Our neighbors had skunks in the crawlspace, and when he tried to get them out himself, one ran out from a grate next to the HVAC. Tthe skunk spray got into the HVAC and was spread throughout the house.
It was on their clothes and bedding. It was such a nightmare to get rid of.
Thanks everyone, will the Ammonia rags lead to any sort of smell in the house? I'm thinking of just soaking some and tossing them in every grate then securing the grates when I know the skunks are out. Still not sure how I'll know this for sure and not sure if I'll be able to get rags in every nook and crannie under my house.
I would imagine that in high concentrations the smell of ammonia could penetrate through any floor that the smell of a skunk could. Also, in very high concentrations, it is toxic.
You can use moth balls as well. But it's the same concept. You have to make it uncomfortable. Use the sound and light too. You can buy a sound machine that plays predator noises instead of using talk radio, but sound, light, and a smell that they don't like will cause Mama to go find someplace better to raise her babies.
Yes you will probably be able to smell it. The purpose is to drive them out. Once gone be prepared to make it impossible to get back in. You'll only need the rags for one night, hopefully.
Also we found out that skunks are attracted to yards that have grubs. If your yard needs help it may have grubs. Treatment would be in order.
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