Keep Skunks Away

Have you seen or smelled skunks in your yard?  Are you wondering how to keep skunks away?  Prevention is the best way to approach a skunk problem.  Skunks are creatures of opportunity.  They go where the feasts are readily available and easy to access with no problem.  Does this describe your yard?  If your yard is utopia for skunks, you will be their favorite hangout until you fix the problem.  Here are some things you can do to keep skunks away.  While you are working to keep the skunks away, think about where skunks live? What would be a spot that is nearby, yet hidden and just large enough to hold a skunk when it wants to hide?  I have listed some tips below that should help.  I also have some products that are super effective to help you take a proactive and successful approach to ridding your property of skunks.
  • Pick up all dog food, cat food and pet dishes in the early evening.  Make sure there are no pet food scraps available.  Do the same with water dishes.  These are often what draws skunks in because of the ease with which they can get a meal.  If your dog eats all of his food, but the bowl has even the tiniest trace of food, this will draw skunks in.  They will smell it and have to investigate.  Pick them up every single day.  Better yet, feed your dog or cat inside or in the garage.
  • Secure your trash.  Make sure that all of the trash actually goes into the bin.  Spills and scraps are what skunks are looking for.  Make sure that if the trash can gets knocked over, it will stay closed.  Make sure that everyone in the house who empties the trash at any time is vigilant about this.
  • Remove any compost bins or piles from your yard.  If skunks are a problem that you want to get rid of, and you are serious in your effort to keep skunks away, composting will have to wait.  Do you have a secure area where you can use a quality compost bin?  One that is self-contained and not open?
  • Skunks aren't fans of bright lights.  Maybe you can get a bright motion sensor.  Or, you can leave a bright light on if you are experiencing a skunk problem at a construction site.  Bright lights are often used to keep skunks away from construction sites.
  • Secure your porches and patios.  If you think there is a possibility that a skunk lives under your front porch, there probably is one.  It seems that porches are a skunks favorite place to live.  Make sure there is no point of entry for a skunk.  Not even a little one.  If you want to be sure the skunk is out before you secure it, you can usually find an exterminator that will take care of that for you.  I know I don't want to encounter a skunk in what he thinks is his home!  If the skunk  is away when you secure all of the entrances under your porch, he will look hard for a new opening.  Make sure he does not find one.
With a little preventative effort, you can keep skunks away from your home and yard.  They will find a neighbor's yard that is more skunk-friendly!  Skunks like to be where things they need come easy.

Listed below are a few products you may want to try to make your job a little easier.  make your home a very uncomfortable place to live and eat and skunks will find a more convenient place to go. 

I really love the motion-activated water sprayer.  This is going to irritate your skunk beyond belief.  Your house will soon be a place to avoid.  Remember, skunks will move on when it is uncomfortable to hang out at your house.I have also included some repellant and, if you want to trap it without getting sprayed, a spray-proof skunk trap.