Hill Gardens of Maine - Skunks! A Question of Common "Scents"

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Skunks! A Question of Common "Scents"
by Fred Davis, MG, Hill Gardens of Maine (To view other articles, click: Archives)

Welcome through Fred's Garden Gate! I thought I'd share the reply to a recent Email from a visitor to our website concerning skunks. Here's her dilemma: Is there anything that can be used to repel or trap skunks? A friend is being inundated with these creatures on his rural properties. Any suggestions? Thank you--Linda.

Skunks are largely unpredictable, remarkably fearless and, at times, dangerously belligerent. Very little will repel them. About the only effective course of action would be to remove that which attracts them to the property in the first place — or trap and remove them to a wilderness several miles downwind (deep into the woods, away from human habitation).

First, the preventing: Remove anything edible from anywhere near the property. Loose-fitting lids on short trash cans are an open invitation to both skunks and raccoons . . not to mention bears. "Tossing" any kind of food "out the back door" — or leaving enticing morsels lying around after cook-outs or barbecues — is asking for trouble. Bird and/or squirrel feeders, compost piles into which household wastes are deposited, and the heavy presence of the larvae of beetles (Japanese, June or ground beetle) in lawn or mowed areas will attract them as well. Even electric or electronic bug zappers as large moths (a particular treat to a foraging skunk) congregate near their electric light, encourages their presence. Lady skunks in "season" will also draw males from all points of the compass. (Your friend hasn't begun to live until that raucous circumstance takes place outside the bedroom or family-room window in the wee hours of the morning!) In short, a clean yard and environs — completely free of food odors — may (emphasize: may) discourage their presence...but don't bet the farm on it.

Now the tricky part: Skunks can be easily (and humanely) captured in "Hav-A-Heart" traps available at your country hardware or farm 'n garden store—even big-box stores now carry them. Bait with a piece of meat (hotdogs work great). It may help to understand that a skunk will rarely befoul it's own close environment....it apparently doesn't like the smell any better than we do. It also helps to know that a skunk has to get its tail up quite high to spray...so pick a trap that's short enough to prevent that odiferous happenstance.

The obvious flaw to this business of trapping probably hasn't escaped you: small dogs, curious cats and endlessly-hungry raccoons like hotdogs, too. So make allowances for an occasional misadventure with a neighbor's pet — or a very disgruntled raccoon.

Cover the trap with an old blanket BEFORE the skunk-critter gets trapped (and make sure the blanket drape doesn't interfere with a live-trap's mechanism). Once inside the trap, you're probably "safe" in picking up the covered contraption (gently and cautiously), setting it in the outside bed of a pickup truck and driving (gently) into the country...at least a couple of miles away from anyone else's home. Once there, set it on the ground and use a long stick to open the door that's facing away from you (practice ahead of time). Pretty good chance it'll grunt once or twice, then waddle off into the woods. Be prepared to run FAST if the stratagem fails.

You might as well be prepared to make MANY trips into the country — friends of ours detected the ominous odor of skunk near their back door in Searsmont (Maine), called a professional trapper/animal handler who, over the space of about a week, removed 23 from under their back porch! No foolin'! Incidentally, this brave and remarkably-fearless person was not sprayed once during the exercise....and he used the blanket-over- the-trap method — then transported the captured animals far into the country.

You might suggest your friend purchase a video camera and film this charming and interesting little animal, its capture and release or other chance (possibly hilarious) occurrence for some future entertaining (and, quite possibly, profitable) use or venture.

Oh, I almost forgot: Most pet and hardware stores sell a product called "Skunk-Off." I'm convinced it should be kept close at hand during any exercise involving skunks — particularly if the encounter turns unpleasant. While you'll present only a faint ode-de- skunk, you will, however, end up smelling a bit like the restroom in a bus station! Tomato juice? Forget it!

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