How to get rid of skunks in your yard is one of the most common question homeowners asked about. And getting rid of them can be tricky. There are only two outcomes in a situation like this: either they leave or you end up in the shower scrubbing your self to the bone. While it’s not smart to remove a skunk from the yard, it is smart to prevent them. Preventing skunks is easier then you think. You just have to know why the skunks have entered your yard to start with.
Skunks are wild animals and just like any other wild animal they scavenge for food. They have an incredible sense of smell and can spot your skunk buffet from a long way. Skunks also like bugs. Bugs, grub worms and tomato worms are one of the main reasons they hang out in gardens and yard. While they work wonders for the gardeners, it’s really not a chance most people want to take.
Preventing skunks isn’t that hard. You just have to know what they are attracted to in your garden. In addition, don’t just start by working on your garden, start with your whole yard. After all, if they aren’t lured into your yard, they most likely won’t make it to the garden.
Why do skunks keep coming back to your yard?
A yard or house may have a skunk problem if it has particular objects that skunks find appealing. These items might be located in the yard or near the house. Bird seeds and sunflower seeds are two of the most popular foods that skunks seek out. Skunks may be attracted to a variety of things, including human food, waste, barbecues, and timber; openings beneath houses, decks, or sheds may also do so.
How to get rid of skunks in your yard fast
1. Remove all food sources
Admit it our kids do love to play in the yard and also bring their food with them. And skunks do love them. And if you’re asking what do skunks eat? The answer is anything that is edible since they are omnivores. So those leftover apples, chips, or cookies are a major attraction to them. See to it that there are no leftover foods in the yard if you want skunks to stay out of your property.
Since rotten fruit and veggies are not only great for skunks, they also harbor insects and worms, again, these are the main sources for attracting skunks. Continuously harvesting fruits and veggies as soon as they hit the ground will help to ensure a skunk-free zone.
2. Light up your yard
Skunks usually frequent your yard at night. And one way to send them away is to have your yard all lit up. If you suspect a skunk home nearby, put a light on it for a few days and they will eventually find a new place.
3. Motion detector sprinkler
Probably the best and most humane way to deter skunks from frequenting your yard is by installing a motion detector sprinkler. Not only that it will not harm the skunks but also it will be safe for your children as well.
This is the best way since any slight movement of the skunks during their visit would automatically activate the sensor and will bathe them away from your yard.
4. Trash
Trash cans are a buffet and louring agent for just about every will animal out there. Make sure that you have the cans sealed tightly and that you have a locking mechanism such as a fold-up handle to prevent them from getting in, in the event that they knock it over. Another good way of detouring skunks (and other wild animals) from garbage cans is wooden or plastic flats with holes in them.
The flats that are used for packing bulky items that are regularly used with forklifts are the flats that I am talking about. Since they are slatted and have holes in between each board, it will detour them. Just like cattle won’t walk through an opening with a cattle fence, skunks don’t like anything that messes with their footing. If they are afraid that they will end up falling, they won’t bother trying.
5. Ultrasonic skunk repellent
In case you do not know, skunks have a great sense of hearing. And one way to get rid of them is by taking advantage of this great ability of them. Skunks are easily annoyed by noises especially the ones that they can only hear.
And this is why ultrasonic skunk repellent comes in handy. It emits a high-pitched noise that will scare them away and another feature of this is that it lights up the at the same time it emits the sound.
6. Cover Compost
If you have a compost pile in your yard or near your garden, this could be a green light for skunks. Since bugs and worms of all sorts use compost as a breeding ground, this could be the main source of their attention. Cover any compost with a tarp or other plastic materials to block the skunks from getting in.
7. Moth Balls
Moth balls have been used for generations to detour more than just skunks. Simply placing them around your property line will help keep them out. Since they have an impressive sense of smell, they can smell them far away and will be detoured. Just remember to keep them away from the children.
8. Treat bugs, worms, and other insects.
Since the bugs, worms, and other insects commonly found in gardens are their main reason for coming into your garden you should treat or spray for them often. Keeping the insect and worm levels down will ensure the level of skunks stays down.
9. Repellents
There aren’t a lot of skunk repellents out there on the shelves but there are several for the insects and a few that actually detour skunks. Scott’s GrubEx1 will keep grubs out of your lawn and garden which will help to cut down on the volume of skunks. Milky Spore is an organic material that will kill the grubs and continuously detour skunks if they don’t like the taste or the smell of Milky Spore.
How to get rid of skunks in your yard FAQs
Skunks are strictly nocturnal animals, emerging from their burrows only after sundown and remaining active throughout the night. They spend the day dozing off in their burrows, which serves as their home base. Although they excavate their burrows below, during the warm months these creatures make their homes in the foliage. Skunks will typically construct their dens in the cavities of trees.
Skunks have a strong aversion to a variety of smells, which may appear paradoxical (as if they have room to judge). Citrus, ammonia, mothballs, and the urine of a predator (such as a dog or a coyote, for example) are some of the aromas that might deter skunks. If you use mothballs or cotton balls drenched in ammonia, make sure to keep them at a safe distance from children at all times.
Skunks may not have great eyesight, but they more than make up for it with their keen senses of smell and hearing. You may use aromas that people abhor, notably coffee grounds, to your advantage by playing on this sensitivity. Skunks will stay away if you dump used coffee grounds near your garden or yard since this sends a message to them that humans are in the area.
Skunks have an acute sense of smell; therefore, dip some old clothes in ammonia or apple cider vinegar and put them in a plastic bag. Skunks will avoid the smell. After you have completed those steps, make holes in the bag in order to allow the odor to escape, and then hang it close to the entrance of the den, ideally directly next to it.
It is not unheard of for these normally timid and submissive creatures to resort to their primary mode of defense as the sun goes down. Skunks are known to spray when they perceive that they are in danger or when they are frightened. A potential suitor might get the message that his attentions are not welcome from a woman by smelling her and finding it offensive.
Final Words
Getting rid of skunks in your yard isn’t hard. It just needs to be done carefully or else the consequences could be rather smelly. Simply taking away their food source will keep them out. If there is no food source they will have to find somewhere else to go. Taking away their food source for a few days won’t take care of the problem. It’s something you will have to continue to do in order to prevent them from returning.