The Secrets To Keeping Skunks Off Your Land
If there are skunks in your general area, you may not mind seeing them way off in the distance. But you probably don't want them close to your home or on parts of your land that you use often. If you take action early, you can generally keep them away. Here's how to do that.
Patch Up Any Holes in Structures
While skunks naturally like to build nests under piles of leaves and sticks, they are also incredibly fond of nesting inside garages, sheds, and even houses if they can find a hole to sneak in. They've been known to burrow under wood sheds and the like, too. So, to keep skunks away, take a look at each of your structures. If you see any holes or gaps in them, especially near the ground, seal those holes up. You can temporarily nail a board over them until you're able to get around to a better fix.
Clean Up Any Food Sources
Skunks are not picky. They like bugs and grubs just as much as they like dog food or fallen berries. If they find that your home or land is a good source of food, then you're never going to keep them away. So, make sure you clean up any food sources. Don't feed cats or dogs outside, and if you do, only put down enough food for one meal at a time. If you have a fruit tree, sweep up any fallen fruits immediately. The same goes for nuts. Also, make sure your trash can is properly lidded, and don't maintain a compost heap. (If you do want to maintain compost, do so at the furthest corner of your property possible, far away from your home.)
Treat Your Lawn for Grubs
Grubs and skunks go hand-in-hand. If your lawn develops grubs, the skunks will come around to eat them. Luckily, preventing or treating a grub infestation is easy. You can sprinkle some grub control granules over your lawn; they're sold at most home improvement and hardware stores. Make sure you follow the instructions on the package; you may need to apply them twice a year to keep grubs away.
Taking the actions above can help keep your property skunk-free. However, the skunks may still start to come around if there's a food source or a nesting area you're not aware of. Make sure you call a pest control company for skunk control services if you do see them!
