A skunk in the garden? Here’s how to get rid of it
In Quebec, skunks dig our land, lawns and gardens causing damage.
When the skunk feels threatened, it throws musk, a yellow and oily liquid that stinks. The smell, very nauseating, will take several days to disappear. This fluid can also cause severe burns to the eyes or nausea.
When she sprinkles a human or an animal (a dog for example), the smell remains for several days despite the many washes!
But that’s not all: the skunk is a rabies-carrying animal. So it can put our lives at risk.
What is this animal identified with? What is its life cycle? How can we prevent it from invading us? How to effectively get rid of an invasion of skunks?
These are all questions that Animal Alert gives you professional answers to.
| Nom français | Moufette |
| Nom anglais | Skunk |
| Nom latin | Mephitidae |
| Classe | Mammalia |
| Ordre | Carnivora |
| Famille | Mephitidae |
Presence of a skunk in the yard, what do we recognize them?
The skunk is a mammal that can be recognized by:
- His glossy black coat crossed, from head to tail, on the back by two white stripes,
- His head small in comparison to the rest of his body, his little eyes and his little ears all round,
- A white groove on his forehead,
- Its long bushy tail,
- Its legs with claws that help it dig, the longest being those of the front legs,
- Its body the same size as that of a cat.
What is the life cycle of skunks?
The mating of skunks, which takes place in the spring, is always preceded by a battle between the male and the female. At the end of mating, the female immediately hunts the male who starts looking for other females
62 to 68 days later after mating, the female gives birth to an average of 5 to 6 pups. It can go up to 10 pups. It has only one litter per year.
The skunk’s cubs measure about 10 cm from head to tail. They weigh around 30 grams, but this weight doubles in less than a week.
At the age of 2 months, their mother will introduce them to the search for food.
In captivity, the skunk lives up to 10 years. In nature, its lifespan does not exceed 3 years. This is due to environmental conditions, lack of food and water, but also to the existence of predators.
Appeler René Gélinas Votre exterminateur local, Expérience et intégrité dans la gestion parasitaire
Tel 514 830 2819
What are the mores of skunks and how do they harm us?
The skunk is a nocturnal mammal, but can be seen in broad daylight in the following cases: breeding period, search for food, etc. In the latter case, it can move away for a distance of 2km from its burrow.
The skunk is part of the order of carnivores. She eats everything:
- fruits and vegetables,
- seeds and nuts,
- mouse,
- Insects
- eggs of birds, reptiles and squirrels,
- wasps andbees,etc.
It can also attack mules, rats,white-tailed rabbits and other small mammals.
In the wild, skunks establish their dens in hollow tree trunks in clearings, land, and pastures.
When she invades our homes in search of food and decides to stay there, she establishes her burrow under the shed, gallery, cellar, garage, veranda, etc. It also occupies burrows dug and abandoned by other animals.
The skunk digs our gardens, our lawns, our grounds in search of worms, insect larvae, etc. In doing so, she damages them. She enters the chicken coops to steal eggs and they also rummage through the garbage.
When she feels unsafe, the skunk warns her attacker with a few grunts, hitting the ground with her front paws or hissing. If this warning remains unent, it puts itself in an attack position and throws a foul-smelling liquid; hence its nickname “Stinking Beast”.
It can project this liquid over a distance of 3 to 6 meters. The wind can carry the smell so unpleasant for a kilometer; and it lasts for days before disappearing.
Over a short distance, this fluid can cause severe burns to the eyes and cause nausea.
Some people think that the skunk does not water its liquid when lifted by the tail. It’s not true! So be careful!
The skunk carries diseases such as rabies. It can therefore be a danger to your own life. This is why it is always best to call on a professional exterminator, specialist in parasitic management,to get rid of it.
Some tips to prevent skunks from invading you
- Maintain your grounds, gardens and lawns. Eliminate all burrows and anything that could be used as shelter from predators and bad weather.
- Put your garbage in sealed containers or wired wooden chests.
- Have your lawns treated to remove all worms. This will force the skunk to go elsewhere to get his pittance.
- Use pins to block access to your galleries or sheds.
If this stinking beast sprayed you with musk,wash yourself with this recipe suggested by the Ministry of Natural Resources of Ontario: hydrogen peroxide (1 litre); baking soda (50 ml.) and dish detergent (5 ml.).
You can also mix vinegar with a thoroughr and wash yourself with it.
Forget tomato juice: it is not effective.
If you are already invaded by skunks, contact a professional exterminator rather than try to get rid of them on your own. Keep in mind that these animals can carry rabies.
Our management specialist solution integrates.
To get rid of skunks, the professional exterminator, specialist in parasitic management, will not eliminate them. Instead, it will respect the principle of integrated control. It will proceed in two steps:
- location of places where skunks hide
Skunk burrows can be difficult to find. The exterminator will therefore use professional techniques to identify all skunk burrows that are in your home.
- capture and relocation of skunks
The exterminator will then use “box or cage traps” to catch skunks. Once these animals are captured, he will wrap the traps in several canvas bags, transport them to the natural environment of the skunks, and then release them.
But this professional specialist in integrity management, depending on certain circumstances can also use repellents to scare away these stinking beasts.
But be very careful! Know the difference between an amateur exterminator and a professional exterminator.
The Montreal Exterminator in Wild Animal Management
- Provides you with certified professional technicians in extermination and parasitic management,
- Quickly sends them to the site of the invasion. Their goal: to ensure that it is an invasion of skunks, identify all the places invaded, assess the damage, and propose a method of capture appropriate to the degree of aggression.
- Will be able to remain discreet in his interventions,
- You will offer a written guarantee on the effectiveness of its method of capturing skunks.
- Will inform you of the steps to be taken to never again suffer an attack from these stinking beasts.
And you, have you ever been the victim of a skunk attack? If so, did you manage to get rid of it? How did you do that? Tell us in the comments below.
