Complete Guide to Get Rid of Skunks – 6 Methods, 4 Traps & 3 Professional Baits

Even though skunks can appear to be shy furry animals, you need to understand that those seemingly intelligent and adorable creatures are capable of causing quite a lot of menace. Right off the bat, they are known for carrying a range of different diseases which is something that could cause a tremendous amount of issues for your pets and for you. What is more, they are also known for digging underground burrows capable of loosening up the foundations of different residential structures. This can cause a lot of issues and it’s a potential health hazard.

This is the main reason for which you need to make sure that any kind of skunk problem is handled swiftly and on time. From fencing solutions to professional baits, the following is a complete guide on how to handle those smelly skunks. Without any further ado, let’s go right ahead and take a look.

Single skunk on the white.
Source: https://www.soswildlifecontrol.com

Six methods to keep skunks away

We have taken the liberty of providing you with a few cost-effective skunk control methods which are going to help you prevent skunks from getting in your property. All of them are particularly effective and they are known to work quite good. So, let’s give it a go.

1. Add light

That’s a technique which is capable of repelling quite a lot of different pest animals, including all types of skunks. There are special devices which are sold on the market which are going to introduce a few flickers of flashing lights attached to a motion sensor. As soon as the animal triggers them it’s going to get lighted up and this is going to mess up with his safety instincts. It’s going to run right off and that’s guaranteed. This is one of the preferred methods as it doesn’t require you to use any kind of chemicals or expensive solutions.

2. Seal their holes

This is also something which is going to mess up the animal’s safety instincts. As soon as they find out that their holes have been sealed, they will know that that’s a place that they shouldn’t come back to. Even if you fail to chase them away, you will at least be able to get them out conveniently and either chase them yourself or trap them effectively.

3. Reduce attractants

Motion activated sprinkle on white backdrop.
Source: https://www.pestrepellerultimate.com

Of course, this doesn’t mean that you need to get rid of your plants. The most common attractant for skunks is your garbage bin, believe it or not. The reason is because it is most commonly going to exude the most powerful smell which is going to draw the skunks towards it. So, if you are keeping your litter outside, make sure that it’s kept in sealed containers where it will be out of reach. This is something which is most definitely going to get those smelly skunks away.

4. Place motion activated sprinkles

Keep in mind that there are quite a lot of skunk repellents which are going to effective chase them away. However, in order to administer those repellents effectively and automatically, your best bet would be to place motion activated sprinklers. They are going to spray the scent and the repellent as soon as the specific range of motion is detected and that’s something which is going to chase the animals away.

5. Repel them off

Now, before you decide to use a commercially bought repellent, the first thing that you need to do is to identify the damage areas. These are usually trash cans, litter bins, plants, lawns as well as places near the foundation of your home or other backyard structures if there are some. Locate them, isolate them and spray them with liquid repellent – this is going to get the nasty smelly skunks away. Keep in mind that skunks are excellent diggers so spraying their hole is also effective.

Skunk is climbing the fence.
Source: https://www.pinterest.com

6. Fencing solution

Of course, installing a proper fence is also a good idea which is definitely going to keep those shy animals away. They are highly unlikely to dig beneath it so as soon as you install it you are probably good to go. This is something particularly effective but it’s also one of the rather expensive choices, depending on the fence that you decide to go for.

Best traps to get rid of skunks on your property

Of course, if you have failed into preventing them from intruding in your property, you are left with the option to trap and get rid of them. This is also an effective solution if you have the proper means of doing so. With this in mind, we’ve taken the liberty of suggesting some of the best traps found on the market right now. They include:

  • Odorless skunk trap
  • J T Eaton Catch and Release Humane Skunk Trap
  • Spray-proof Skunk Trap
  • Advantek Catch and Release Skunk trap

Professional baits make skunk trapping a lot more effective

That’s also something that you might want to take into proper consideration. The better the bait, the higher the chances you have for catching those intelligent and seemingly adorable creatures. Some of the best baits on the market right now are:

  • WCS Rosebud Skunk Paste Bait
  • Skunk Lure by Russ Carman
  • WCS Treeberry Multi-Animal Paste Bait

Is it legal to kill skunks and how to kill them?

This would strictly depend on the state that you reside in. Some of the governments allow it while others don’t. In any case, if you want to simply get them off your property it’s a bad idea to actually attempt to kill them. It is far easier to capture them and release them far away from your property. If you do intend to kill them, prepare for absolutely tremendous amounts of horrible smell. Killing a skunk is not a good idea. However, should you decide to do so, the easiest way is to shoot it. Of course, there are other methods of killing the animal. But at the end of the day, it’s really just not worth it at all.

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