There are so many irritating situations that we go through daily. Whether you have loud neighbours or you’re missing a pair of socks, you surely would prefer either of those two over having a skunk stink up your house.
Skunks live in North and South America. These animals are known for their powerful, awful, and hard to remove odor. A skunk’s spray is an oily liquid produced by their glands under their big tail. A skunk turns around and blasts its victim with a nasty spray that can reach up to ten (10) feet. In the unfortunate case of you getting sprayed on, it will take a few days to completely get rid of the pungent smell!
Skunks are carnivorous. Most of their nutrition is based on the seasonably available prey. They eat bugs and insects during spring and summer and little animals in the fall and winter. Like many modern predators, they’re a really smart, strategic and strong survivalist. They take advantage of garbage cans or dumpsters for a quick snack.
At the end of the day, you don’t want a skunk to stink your house up and ruin your beautiful home. Here are some practical ways to keep skunks from stinking up your house.
6 Ways To Keep Skunks From Stinking Up Your House
- Patch up any small openings around the house – Skunks feel at home when they’re in small and dark places. This includes spots in your house like under decks, shed, and other cozy areas that a skunk may see as a possible shelter.
- Put lights around the house- Skunks are nocturnal by nature, which means they hunt for food at night. Being active during daytime irritates their eyes, forcing them to go someplace dark.
- Install motion sensor sprinklers in the yard- This solution may be a little pricey for you but this guarantees both safety and convenience. As the skunk approaches your yard, the sprinkler will activate. This will make the skunk leave the area. It can also help you determine whether an intruder is entering your property.
- Use repellants like mothballs or a rag doused in ammonia inside possible skunk dens- Believe it or not, skunks do not like a strong and unpleasant smell such as mothballs and ammonia. However, this is only a temporary solution to your skunk problem because the scent of the chemicals will fade. They do help in a short period of time but like every other repellant, they can pose a possible danger to your children and pets.
- Eliminate any kind of bugs or insects around your house- Skunks love eating bugs and insects as they are their primary source of energy. By getting rid of their food source, the skunk may relocate and find another area to hunt or forage.
- Call your local wildlife animal control for assistance- If your skunk problem still persists, do not approach the skunk! Even though the skunk is not venomous, they are potential carriers of rabies and leptospirosis. It’s best to contact a wildlife professional for the proper handling of the animal. Wildlife control specialists also provide more information on how you can get rid of skunks.
Dealing with skunks in your home can be a serious, smelly nuisance. To prevent the headache of taking care of skunk problems, these 6 tips to keep skunks from stinking up your house should be quite effective!
Thank you for these tips, will come in handy if we ever get skunks around our home.
Thanks for the tips. One year, both our dogs got skunked 3 times during the summer. That smell just lingered. Horrible.