Use chicken-wire or wire mesh fencing to restrict skunk access to these locations. These areas provide them with existing overhead cover that helps them feel secure. Here’s how:Īround homes, skunks dig under porches, decks, stairs, sheds, and mobile home entrances very frequently. To keep them away from your home, try your best to limit their access to food and shelter. Skunks want to hunker down somewhere with a covered, private place to live where there’s plenty of food nearby. Avoid this unfortunate scenario by giving skunks and skunk burrows a wide berth. If you accidentally approach a skunk, it might spray in surprise when you startle it. If you see a skunk, stay out of its way and, if necessary, call in the pros.Īfter coming out of torpor, skunks are usually sluggish and even less aware than usual. Never corner, threaten, or otherwise bother a skunk, even if it’s near your home. In most circumstances, if you stay out of their way, they’ll stay out of your way. Contrary to popular belief, it’s actually relatively difficult to get a skunk to spray you. Skunks spray when they feel threatened or startled. How Can I Avoid Being Sprayed By a Skunk? They're more active in spring and fall, when it’s cool enough for them to move around without overheating. Skunks enter torpor during cold winters and re-emerge either in spring or on particularly warm winter days. However, they can enter long, hibernation-like periods of inactivity called “torpor.” During torpor, they rest inside their burrows for long periods of time and survive on stores of fat. They also tend to take the same routes repeatedly, because they have bad eyesight. Even at night, they'll take the most concealed, sheltered path possible on their way to and from food. They’ll usually make their way to the nearest garbage or grub source and dig in. They spend their days hunkered down in their burrows and come out at night to forage for food. If you see small, cone-shaped holes in your yard, they could be left behind by skunks. Skunks also dig up grubs from lawns as a major source of sustenance. They’re particularly attracted to thick foliage for cover and easily-accessible garbage for food. Skunks are enticed to build their burrows anywhere they feel safe and where they can get food easily. Unfortunately, their burrow is probably underneath your porch, deck, or shed. Skunks build burrows beneath existing structures in order to use those structures for natural cover. If you see a skunk near your home frequently, then it has probably taken up residence near your property. After establishing a burrow, they usually don’t wander far from home, preferring to forage for food nearby. Skunks live in relatively simple subterranean burrows they either dig for themselves or steal from other animals. We’ve also provided a few tips on how you can keep them away from your house in the first place. Learning more about skunks and their habits will help ensure that you, your family, and your pets remain stink-free. We don’t blame you-the smell from skunk spray is quite strong and it tends to linger. Seeing a skunk on your property probably makes you nervous.
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