Skunks

[Catpower]

Sorry this is kinda DIY, but we have gotten an infestation of skunks under our guest house.

Has anybody ever had to get rid of skunks? We heard mothballs will repell them, and I caught a bunch of moths and casterated them and threw them around, and that hasn't seemed to help.

I shot one, but ended up getting two windows also, so my wife said that's out, I guess beer and shotguns really don't mix. It does take a big glass to put them both in anyway

So okay all you bored rocket scientists how do you get rid of skunks?

[vmc1161]

Hand grenades

Molotov cocktail

C4

claymores


Umm.... Did you mention something about preventing damages?


if so you could try cementing them in


or use a fire hose on them


catch them in a cage and put them back under Twilli's double wide


I'll put some serious effort into this ...I'll be back

Or you could try playing this song for them …



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FM6im0588OU



.

[Catpower]

I did now, they're mounting a counter attack

[Catpower]

Actually I'd figured Twilli would have already told me how to catch and cook them up.



I never knew mothballs were so small

[vmc1161]

Damage Prevention and Control Methods
Exclusion
Keep skunks from denning under buildings by sealing off all foundation openings. Cover all openings with wire mesh, sheet metal, or concrete. Bury fencing 1 1/2 to 2 feet (0.4 to 0.6 m) where skunks can gain access by digging. Seal all ground-level openings into poultry buildings and close doors at night. Poultry yards and coops without subsurface foundations may be fenced with 3-foot (1-m) wire mesh fencing. Bury the lowest foot (0.3 m) of fencing with the bottom 6 inches (15.2 cm) bent outward from the yard or building. Skunks can be excluded from window wells or similar pits with mesh fencing. Place beehives on stands 3 feet (1 m) high. It may be necessary to install aluminum guards around the bases of hives if skunks attempt to climb the supports. Skunks, however, normally do not climb. Use tight-fit-ting lids to keep skunks out of garbage cans.
Habitat Modification
Properly dispose of garbage or other food sources that will attract skunks. Skunks are often attracted to rodents living in barns, crawl spaces, sheds, and garages. Rodent control programs may be necessary to eliminate this attraction.
Debris such as lumber, fence posts, and junk cars provide shelter for skunks, and may encourage them to use an area. Clean up the area to discourage skunks.
Frightening
Lights and sounds may provide temporary relief from skunk activity.
Repellents
There are no registered repellents for skunks. Most mammals, including skunks, can sometimes be discouraged from entering enclosed areas with moth balls or moth flakes (naphthalene). This material needs to be used in sufficient quantities and replaced often if it is to be effective. Ammonia-soaked cloths may also repel skunks. Repellents are only a temporary measure. Permanent solutions require other methods.
Toxicants
No toxicants are registered for use in controlling skunks.
Fumigants
Two types of gas cartridges are registered for fumigating skunk burrows. Fumigation kills skunks and any other animals present in the burrows by suffocation or toxic gases. Follow label directions and take care to avoid fire hazards when used near structures.


Trapping
Box Traps. Skunks can be caught in live traps set near the entrance to their den. When a den is used by more than one animal, set several traps to reduce capture time. Live traps can be purchased or built. Figures 4 and 5 illustrate traps that can be built easily. Consult state wildlife agency personnel before trapping skunks.

Use canned fish-flavored cat food to lure skunks into traps. Other food baits such as peanut butter, sardines, and chicken entrails are also effective. Before setting live traps, cover them with canvas to reduce the chances of a trapped skunk discharging its scent. The canvas creates a dark, secure environment for the animal. Always approach a trap slowly and quietly to prevent upsetting a trapped skunk. Gently remove the trap from the area and release or kill the trapped skunk.
Captured skunks should be transported at least 10 miles (16 km) and released in a habitat far from human dwellings. Attach a length of heavy string or fishing line to the trap cover and release the skunk from a distance. Removing and transporting a livetrapped skunk may appear to be a precarious business, but if the trap is completely covered, it is a proven, effective method for relocating a skunk. If the skunk is to be killed, the US Department of Agriculture recommends shooting or euthanization with CO.
Leghold Traps. Leghold traps should not be used to catch skunks near houses because of potential problem of scent discharge. To remove a live skunk caught in a leghold trap, a veterinarian or wildlife official may first inject it with a tranquilizer, then remove it from the trap for disposal or release elsewhere.
Shooting
Skunks caught in leghold traps may be shot. Shooting the skunk in the middle of the back to sever the spinal cord and paralyze the hind quarters may prevent the discharge of scent. Shooting in the back should be followed immediately by shooting in the head. Most people who shoot trapped skunks should expect a scent discharge.
Other Methods
Skunk Removal. The following steps are suggested for removing skunks already established under buildings.
Seal all possible entrances along the foundation, but leave the main burrow open.
Sprinkle a layer of flour 2 feet (0.6 m) in circumference on the ground in front of the opening.
After dark, examine the flour for tracks which indicate that the skunk has left to feed. If tracks are not present, reexamine in an hour.
After the den is empty, cover the remaining entrance immediately. Reopen the entrance the next day for 1 hour after dark to allow any remaining skunks to exit before permanently sealing the entrance.
A wooden door suspended from wire can be improvised to allow skunks to leave a burrow but not to reenter. Burrows sealed from early May to mid-August may leave young skunks trapped in the den. If these young are mobile they can usually be box-trapped easily using the methods previously described. Where skunks have entered a garage, cellar, or house, open the doors to allow the skunks to exit on their own. Do not prod or disturb them. Skunks trapped in cellar window wells or similar pits may be removed by nailing cleats at 6-inch (15-cm) intervals to a board. Lower the board into the well and allow the skunk to climb out on its own. Skunks are mild-tempered animals that will not defend themselves unless they are cornered or harmed. They usually provide a warning before discharging their scent, stamping their forefeet rapidly and arching their tails over their backs. Anyone experiencing such a threat should retreat quietly and slowly. Loud noises and quick, aggressive actions should be avoided.
Odor Removal. [Editor's Note: We recommend that readers interested in odor control consult more recent information] Many individuals find the smell of skunk musk nauseating. The scent is persistent and difficult to remove. Diluted solutions of vinegar or tomato juice may be used to eliminate most of the odor from people, pets, or clothing Editor's note: These methods are not effective. Clothing may also be soaked in weak solutions of household chloride bleach or ammonia. On camping trips, clothing can be smoked over a cedar or juniper fire. Neutroleum alpha is a scent-masking solution that can be applied to the sprayed area to reduce the odor. It is available through some commercial cleaning suppliers and the local USDA-APHIS-Wildlife Services office. Walls or structural areas that have been sprayed by skunks can be washed down with vinegar or tomato juice solutions or sprayed with neutroleum alpha. Use ventilation fans to speed up the process of odor dissipation. Where musk has entered the eyes, severe burning and an excessive tear flow may occur. Temporary blindness of 10 or 15 minutes may result. Rinse the eyes with water to speed recovery.

[mikelcs]

Sorry this is kinda DIY, but we have gotten an infestation of skunks under our guest house.

Has anybody ever had to get rid of skunks? We heard mothballs will repell them, and I caught a bunch of moths and casterated them and threw them around, and that hasn't seemed to help.

I shot one, but ended up getting two windows also, so my wife said that's out, I guess beer and shotguns really don't mix. It does take a big glass to put them both in anyway

So okay all you bored rocket scientists how do you get rid of skunks?

I'll bring the boy by, and they can chase them out from under the house, just don't shoot my boys.

[bja105]

I hear they like antifreeze. The problem is, the only thing worse than a live skunk under your house is a dead skunk.

[edward301]

Had some living under a guest house at our ranch years ago. Went back
with bright light, and shot gun, shot them. Draged them out, fixed hole,
problem solved.

[oogene]

hows bout a garden hose down the den hole then offer em a light ???

[Roscoe]

Mothballs, We had a BMF'en skunk took up residents under the porch, you're right moth balls are tiny, but they work.......

[macdaddy]

This is how the Police near me took care of this one time...I don't know if you want to try this, it didn't seem to work out for the police officer very well, he ended up getting fired.

Officer Investigated In Burning of Skunk
Published: September 3, 1995

A police officer is under investigation for pouring gasoline on a skunk trapped by a homeowner and then setting the animal ablaze.
Witnesses said Richard Neibich called the police on Aug. 13 after capturing a skunk in a cage specially designed to catch and confine animals without injury.
When Officer Barry Trexler of Swatara Township arrived, witnesses told The Patriot-News of Harrisburg, Officer Trexler decided that the best way for Mr. Neibich to get rid of the skunk was to douse the animal with gasoline and set it on fire.
Chief Ronald Mellot of the Police Department confirmed that Officer Trexler was under investigation, but he declined to comment further, calling it a personnel matter.
After being set aflame, the panicked skunk knocked the trap over and escaped, running into a shed behind Mr. Neibich's home. The officer and the homeowner pursued the skunk with a hose, spraying it with water and preventing the shed from burning, witnesses said. The animal then ran into woods behind the house.
Officer Trexler was not scheduled for duty until Saturday, the police department said, and he did not immediately respond to a telephone message left for him today. He has no listed telephone number.

[A/C guy's chick]

I'll bring the boy by, and they can chase them out from under the house, just don't shoot my boys.

now Mike them boys might get hurt under there.....

Update.... hubby and I went hunting, me with shotgun in hand, he driving gator and off we went to the BUNK (Skunk) house. Put a radio in there and plugged the holes... later he sprayed the bunk house with bleach, seems to be working so far. Have not found the critter yet but if he comes back it is WAR...

[heaterman]

Had a customer use road flares to smoke the critters out........ it worked but burned the barn down. Skunks moved over to the equipment shed instead.

[Stamas]

Play Michel Bolton 24/7

[Roscoe]

Play Michel Bolton 24/7

Heh...........then he'll have a bunch a chunky middle aged white women to get rid of................

[Chris_Worthington]

I had a family of 7 skunks I met while mowing the grass beside our shed, they saw me, I saw them, they went oneway and I went the other,,, left the mower still running, just left

I called the State and they wished me luck? I called the Trappers and they said 150$ Per skunk and they could have up to 8-10 pups

Local hardware store hooked me up with a pepper type spray for about 30$ or so,,,,, I sprayed every damn thing

Been doing the same thing now for a few years and have yet to see another

[Roscoe]

I had a family of 7 skunks I met while mowing the grass beside our shed, they saw me, I saw them, they went oneway and I went the other,,, left the mower still running, just left

I called the State and they wished me luck? I called the Trappers and they said 150$ Per skunk and they could have up to 8-10 pups

Local hardware store hooked me up with a pepper type spray for about 30$ or so,,,,, I sprayed every damn thing

Been doing the same thing now for a few years and have yet to see another

So you fight spray with spray.............interesting.....................

[Chris_Worthington]

So you fight spray with spray.............interesting.....................

Yep

The shed, the fence, the tree's, the house, every where I thought might hold a scent......

Stinks for a day or so, like pepper's, but its mo better then skunk

[snipe70e]

I hear they like antifreeze. The problem is, the only thing worse than a live skunk under your house is a dead skunk.

tell me about it. WhenI was a kid the skunks would fight with the cats under the ranch house. Every now and one of the skunks wouls kill a cat.











Worse yet every now and then one of the cats would kill a skunk under the ranch house.

[A/C guy's chick]

A hunting we will go , a hunting we will go , high ho the merry oh , a hunting we will go. Gonna go find their nest today around noon today. I get the shotgun and hubby gets to GAS em back... This should be funny to watch. Either they'll come out or die in the nest. I hope the latter but if not I'll be loaded for bear..