Do It Yourself Pest Control Supply for Skunk

Skunk
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See axp.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74118.html

Skunks are very distinguishable due to their white stripe running down their back to their tail. Typical length is anywhere between 20-36”. Males are larger than the females. Their weight is somewhere between 5- 10 lbs.

All skunks are highly developed for defense and can spray their foul-smelling musk of up to 15 ft. besides the obvious odor it causes; the musk can burn the eyes and cause momentary loss of vision.

Skunks have a high rate of being carriers of rabies. In some areas the rabies rate is so high trapped skunks will be euphemized in cage traps by animal control agents or SPCA technicians. Rabies is a serious viral disease that results in death if untreated. Infected animals may be agitated and aggressive, or fearless and lethargic; normally nocturnal animals that are diseased may roam about fearlessly in daylight. Stay away from any animal that is acting strangely and report it to an animal control agency in your area. If a possibly rabid animal bites you, you must immediately consult a doctor for a series of injections; there is no cure once symptoms emerge. Because of the danger of rabies their excrement should not be left around buildings where humans and pets can come into contact with it.

Mating occurs in March. 2-4 young are born between April – May. The young, called kits are weaned in August. After weaning they follow their mother at night searching for food.

Skunks are nocturnal. They hunt for food such as insects, grubs, small rodents, snakes, frogs, mushrooms, fruit and berries, pet and bird feed, and garbage from cans or dumpsters. They generally have a territory of between 30-40 acres. They travel between 5-10 miles per night in their territory in search of food. In the wild typical den areas include hollow logs; old fox or coyote burrows they prefer not to dig den areas. They also are usually found within a couple of miles of an open water source. In urban areas they like warm dry, dark, and defensible areas such as basements, crawl spaces, decks, woodpiles, or suitable buildings or structures.

When they enter a structure unwanted, tip over garbage cans, or tear up property this is when they become a nuisance and have to be controlled in some manner. Cage type traps would be the most convenient way of controlling them in a humane manner. We carry Safeguard brand traps for their ease of removing a captured animal. This brand of trap has a rear release door that simply pulls up to allow release minimizing the possibility of them scratching when released. The traps we carry include the following: Safeguard Std Rear Release Trap M52830 30x11x12, , Safeguard Std Rear Release Trap M52836, and Safeguard Pro Rear Release Trap M54136. Cat food in the small cans serves as good bait.

Another suggestion once an animal is captured is to place a black plastic bag or tarp over the trap this will put the animal more at ease and minimize the chances of you getting sprayed.

The bigger situation is to determine if they are still inside the structure. This takes a little bit of timing. Plug the hole with paper towels, newspaper, or some other light weight similar material and place it in the hole. Look to see if the obstruction has been removed. This will let you know if the animal has left or returned back in depending on when it was placed and when it was checked.

Another type of control is with a repellent spray applied to the area they are digging in searching for worms and grubs. Skunks tend to dig 1-3 inch deep holes only where a grub is located. Raccoons tend to roll or shred the sod in search of grubs. This material is in a concentrate bottle that attaches to a garden hose for application. The material is castor oil and when they dig in the treated area they get the bad taste of this and move to a different area. The material is an all natural product called Whole Control Burrowing Animal Repellent It comes in 2 different sizes the first is Whole Control Burrowing Animal Repellent 1 qt Btl and Whole Control Burrowing Animal Repellent 1 gal Btl.

Natural predators such as Foxes, Bobcats, Coyotes, and Owls are responsible for many deaths. Since they are nocturnal a lot of times vehicles will hit them at night. This will kill or injure them. If they find their way into an occupied house or building they could possibly fall in an inaccessible area and die creating a bad smell.

If a person or pet is sprayed, the quicker you do something about it the more completely and quickly you can remove the odor. The chemical neutroleum-alpha is one of the most useful neutralizers for removing skunk odors in buildings and on clothing or furniture, however this material and products containing this material are hard to find. Do not use this product on pets or people. If a skunk sprays your animal, call your veterinarian to find out the current recommendation for odor removal.

This home made mixture should be effective for getting rid of the skunk odor. It can safely be used on people or pets. The mixture is the following:

1 Quart 3% hydrogen peroxide
Ľ cup baking soda
1 teaspoon liquid soap

Once the hydrogen peroxide is mixed with the baking soda, the mixture starts to bubble creating oxygen, and therefore cannot be bottled or stored. Mix the solution in an open container. Use the entire mixture while it is still bubbling. Apparently, oxidation changes the chemical composition of the skunk scent so that it no longer smells. Use rubber gloves to apply the mixture, work it into a lather and leave it on the surface for 30 minutes. If you can get your dog to stand still for 30 minutes you are better than most of us. You will most likely need to repeat the process more often but at a shorter time frame.

When the fresh mixture is applied to contaminated items it reduces the smell very quickly. Dilute any leftover mixture several times with water and pour it down the drain. Rinse pets thoroughly with water after treatment.

We carry odor control products such as Epolean N7C ˝ gal Jug (75), Epolean NNZ ˝ gal Jug, X-O Odor Deodorizer/Neutralizer 16 oz Btl 12/case, X-O Odor Deodorizer/Neutralizer 16 oz Btl, and Rat Sorb 1 oz Btl. We have had practical experience using the Epolean N7C with great results. We had a regular pest control customer call us with the problem of a dead skunk in a crawl space area. Our technician went out and mixed up the product and applied it in the affected area. The next day the odor was quite a bit less and completely gone in a few days. That customer has purchased this product on a regular basis for general odor situations.

For additional information or purchases we can be reached at 972-562-9999, 903-891-8818, 866-562-8999 or www.expresspest.com