Do you know what stinks? Skunk control. Having to deal with pests in and around your home is hard enough. When those pests fight back with noxious fumes it makes it even worse. Learn more about the signs of skunks and how you can prevent and treat a problem.

Pest Identification

Chances are, even if you haven’t seen a skunk in real life, you know what they look and smell like. The signature black and white markings and sulfuric odor of their defensive spray make them hard to miss. However, if you think you have a skunk problem, the only way to make sure is to catch them when they’re active after dark or set a trap.

You may notice the damage skunks can do to your lawn while they’re digging up grubs, insects, and plants to eat. Look for clumps of grass or holes around your yard for a better indication. If you’ve left pet food or trashed scraps outside, you may notice your cans are toppled over and remnants were strewn about. This could also be a sign that a skunk has probably moved into your crawl spaces, woodpiles, or shed to wait to see what else you’re serving.

Once you’ve determined you’re dealing with a skunk, you can start to plan the best way to rid your property of this pest. Part of the plan should include taking extra precautions in your search for evidence. A skunk can spray you from up to 10 feet away, so be sure to keep your distance from any suspected area.

Skunk Control Methods

While it’s best to call a professional pest control service to deal with larger pests like skunks, there are several ways you can try to get them to leave on their own. This means making the environment around your home less desirable.

1. Remove food sources. Don’t leave pet or livestock food outside and remove any leftover food from outdoor pens.
2. Seal any outdoor trash cans. It’s best not to leave any cans outdoors, but if you must, make sure the lid is secure.
3. Fence in any vegetable gardens or crops with chicken wire.
4. Treat your lawn for grubs and other insects.
5. Close off any openings that lead under your porch, patio, or shed to prevent pests from creating a den.

If after all of this you still have a skunk issue, you’ll want to look into baiting, trapping, and relocating the skunk. Check your local laws about trapping certain animals.

Here’s another reason why contacting a professional is key to pest prevention. Not only will they know the appropriate methods of treatment, but they can evaluate where the skunks may be hiding, effectively set the trap, and safely remove the skunk to an approved area where it’s not likely to return to you. There’s a lot that goes into this last step since you need to get close enough to move the trap. Any belongings around the trapped skunk could potentially get ruined in the pest removal process.

Professional Pest Removal

With so many factors to the removal of creatures like skunks, it’s best to have a professional who knows what they’re doing. From pinpointing the problem to following local laws for ridding your home or business of the pest problem, a professional company has a process to efficiently and effectively gain your property control back. Contact Cardinal Pest for their expertise in skunk control and finding a solution that doesn’t stink.