Getting Rid of Skunks under our shed in backyard... (smell, cost, build)
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Interested in any non-professional solutions (if possible). We're already paying a pest company for normal bug service, mosquitoes and rodents so I would like to not add another service to the list.
Yesterday while pulling weeds in our backyard our neighbor mentioned to me that he saw a skunk run under the shed we have in our backyard. He said he suspected we have skunks living under there. I mentioned I had yet to see (or smell) any skunk but it wouldn't surprise me since there is enough clearance under the shed for a small(er) animal to clime under. I'm trying to find a good low cost solution for the time being. I have two little boys and while I doubt they would come in contact with a skunk (since they're nocturnal) I'd rather not take my chances. We have a rather small (less than quarter of an acre) back yard and live in a subdivision (not the country) FYI.
It's getting the trap and removing the animal that gets tricky... you don't want to get sprayed. Perhaps in this particular case you may want to leave this job to a "critter-getter"/wildlife removal person/company.
When we lived in CT we used to get skunks and raccoons in our garage. To get them to leave we would soak a rag in ammonia and toss it where we thought they were. Worked every time.
Now I'm sure you know ammonia can be dangerous. Please be careful if you try this.
When we lived in CT we used to get skunks and raccoons in our garage. To get them to leave we would soak a rag in ammonia and toss it where we thought they were. Worked every time.
Now I'm sure you know ammonia can be dangerous. Please be careful if you try this.
You could also try this old timer repellent recipe my mom used to keep skunks from burrowing under our porch: chop up a yellow onion, a jalapeno pepper, mix with a tablespoon of cayenne pepper and boil together in a quart of water. Spray the cooled broth in/around the burrow entrance. Less toxic/hazardous than ammonia and may not evaporate as quickly. Then put blocks, wire, or some other barrier around the base of the shed to keep them out.
Could roll some moth balls into the opening. The cayenne pepper mixture mentioned above sounds delicious. I bet it would work as well. I just purchased some cayenne pepper powder to discourage coons from coming up and tearing up things around the house. I like the idea of mixing it with jalepenos and onion and boiling it.
If you trap a skunk in a live animal trap, you want to cover it up with a blanket to keep it from spraying. This is what I was told. Unfortunately, I did not know about this when I caught one in a live animal trap. It sprayed, but I did get it out of the trap. I was not directly hit with the spray as I got out of the way when it lifted its tail. After, it peeled out and never came back.
We had skunks living in a burrow they dug under our porch. We just waited until they were not there and then I took an altoids tin and drilled some holes in it and put some mothballs inside and threw it into the burrow. I didn't want to throw the mothballs in without the tin because I didn't want any critter to eat the mothballs. I just want them to go away, not die. Then after a few days we filled in the hole and put rocks to block the area.
Buy a conibear trap (#160/#220 ought to do it) and place in the entryway under the deck with some sticks to form a funnel. Block off any other entry points. If that doesn't work, bait the trap with sardines.
When the animal is caught, you can wait for a few hours for the smell to dissipate, though it will still be a smelly endeavor. Far better than trying to deal with a live skunk, however.
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