<head><title>Skunk Removal From A House - A Very
Unusual Case!</title></head>
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<p>Skunk Removal From A House - A Very Unusual Case!<br>
By
<a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=John_L_Pearson">John
L Pearson</a></p>
<p>We received a call from a real estate management company
regarding a skunk smell inside a home in a suburban area. The management company
had contracted with several other area wildlife removal companies, but no one
had been able to find the source of this skunk odor or solve the skunk
problem.</p><p>I learned from the management company that the
crawlspace door had been inadvertently left open throughout the winter. When the
current tenant noticed the open crawlspace door, he had closed it. The skunk
smell began about 3 weeks after the crawlspace door had been
closed.</p><p>When I arrived at the property I did an inspection of
the foundation. It was an older home but there were no animal entry-points, and
the entire foundation appeared structurally sound. I then performed an
inspection of the crawlspace. There were signs of skunk activity, such as
droppings, but no skunk odor and of course no skunk.
<br>After
clearing the crawlspace I entered the home through the front door. Upon walking
in I could immediately detect skunk odor.</p><p>After removing more
than a thousand skunks in my career, I find it pretty easy to determine a live
skunk smell as opposed to a dead skunk smell. This skunk was definitely
dead!</p><p>I walked back out of the house to clear my nose, and
entered the home through the back door. By doing this I was able to "center" the
skunk odor thereby giving me a sense of where the source of the odor was
strongest. My conclusions didn't make sense to me. The skunk odor appeared to be
strongest as I walked up the steps in the front room to the second floor, which
was 13 feet above the crawlspace.</p><p>Now in my area of the US,
the only skunks we have are striped skunks, and striped skunks don't climb, at
least not 13'!</p><p>I went back into the crawlspace to determine
whether the skunk had gotten into one of the air ducts, and that possibly the
smell was being distributed by the heating unit. Upon inspection I found that
the ducting was intact.</p><p>I did another search of the crawlspace
looking for anything unusual and concentrated on some very small blue Styrofoam
shavings at the base of the interior, front wall of the crawlspace. I had
originally attributed these shavings to mouse chewing, but on closer inspection
it appeared a larger animal had chewed the Styrofoam insulating
board.</p><p>That fact, together with a 3" gap between the
insulating board and the exterior brick wall gave me an intriguing hypothesis. I
aimed my flashlight up into that 3" gap and using a mirror I could see that
there was dirt smeared on the outside surface of the blue insulating board and
the direction it went was up!</p><p>Back into the house I went, this
time with a stepladder. As I climbed the stepladder and got closer to the
ceiling of the first floor the skunk odor got stronger. I then removed one of
the air vents in the ceiling and the smell was overwhelming. Well, now I knew I
was getting somewhere!</p><p>I called the rental management office,
explained the situation and asked for permission to cut a hole in the ceiling of
the house. After receiving the o.k., I carefully cut a hole in the area where I
determined the smell was most intense. When I put my head through that hole in
the ceiling I was very relieved to see a dead skunk lying 2 feet away. After
removing the dead skunk I did a more complete investigation of the area above
the ceiling. There were many skunk tracks in the dust, and even a skunk
dropping.</p><p>My conclusions are that the skunk had been living in
the crawlspace through the winter months as skunks will often do. When the
tenant closed the crawlspace door, he had trapped the skunk inside the
crawlspace. The desperate animal, seeking an exit, had somehow shimmied, or
forced itself up the wall between the blue insulating board and the inside
surface of the brick exterior wall. It then found itself in the void between the
ceiling and the floor of the second level. That is where it died of
dehydration.</p><p>When in doubt about an animal problem, call a
professional. A professional wildlife removal expert can diagnose the problem.
He then can find and capture the animal before it does further damage to your
home. An expert will also be able to repair entry-points to prevent the unsafe
animal problem from reoccurring.</p><p>All Paws Wildlife Removal
LLC.<br> Please visit our website at, <a target="_new" href="http://www.allpawswildlife.com">http://www.allpawswildlife.com</a>
or e-mail us at, <a href="mailto:allpaws@bellsouth.net">allpaws@bellsouth.net</a></p><p>In
business for over 12 years with an A+ rating from the BBB. Serving Brentwood,
Franklin, Nashville, Hendersonville, Murfreesboro, LaVergne, Smyrna, Gallatin,
Davidson County, Williamson County, Sumner County, Wilson County, Robertson
County, Rutherford County.</p><p>Remember, If it Flies, Walks or
Crawls- Call All Paws!<br> (615) 319-0433<br> 718 Thompson Lane Ste
161<br> Nashville, TN. 37204</p>
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Common Chicken Coop Predators
By Bill Keene
Being a chicken is a dangerous occupation. Here are some of the animals that pose the greatest threat to your chickens.
Coyote
They are most active at night but in places where their natural habitat is still undisturbed by human settlements and activities, they are also active during the day especially during cool weather. There are coyotes however that have already adapted to the presence of humans and they tend to be active even during day time.
Coyotes prey on domestic fowl like chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys. Simply shooting these predators won't stop them, you either have to trap them or better yet, make sure that the area surrounding your chicken coop is coyote-proof.
Fisher Cat
A member of the weasel family, the fisher cat is also known as the pekan cat or black cat. Fishers live in a band in the forest are only in the North American continent.
They have short legs, small ears, and a long well-furred tail. The color of their coat ranges from dark brown to nearly black. They have large feet with five sharp toes which they use for climbing trees and killing their prey.
Fox
Foxes are quick and highly skilled hunters, preying on mice, cottontail rabbits and poultry birds. Although primarily nocturnal, they are active and sometimes come out to hunt also during daylight hours.
Foxes are the nemesis of chicken owners. They normally hunt 2 hours after sundown and 2 hours before sunup and carry off their prey a good distance away.
Hawk
Hawks are carnivores with strong, hooked beaks; their feet have three toes pointed forward and one turned back; and their claws are long, curved and very sharp with an eyesight that is several times better than humans. They can see a mouse from a height of as high as one mile.
Hawks usually kill their preys with their claws and tear them to bite-size pieces with their strong and sharp beak.
Raccoon
One of the most common predators of poultry farms is the raccoon. They are can live close to humans and are very adaptable and intelligent.
A grown raccoon is about 32 inches long (including the tail) and weighs between 11 to 18 pounds although some weigh as much as 30 pounds; generally male raccoons are larger than the females of the species. The most distinctive features of the raccoon are the black-ringed tail and coloration of the face which bears a resemblance to a bandit's mask.
Skunk
Skunks pose little or no threat to adult chickens, but they usually prey on the chicks and eggs. There are four types of skunks you should be on the look out for - the hooded skunk, the striped skunk, the spotted skunk, and the hog-nosed skunk with the spotted skunk acknowledged as more dangerous since they know how to climb. Skunks are nocturnal in nature but they stay away from farms that have geese, dogs or cats.
Discover the numerous advantages of raising chickens in your backyard chicken coop by visiting my website.
Bill Keene is a former poultry farm and author of of the guide "Building A Chicken Coop" and website http://www.buildingachickencoop.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bill_Keene
Is There Anything Good About Skunks?
By Wendy Ai
Isn't it odd that while many people find skunks to be a nuisance and would like to get rid of them, they continue to be a cute little skunk to others? Many kids would jump at the chance to have their own pet skunk. Despite their odor, you may hear children crying "Oh, can I keep it?" and believe you me, they would do just about anything to have one as a pet. While skunks may be very cute, they are still wild animals and I would not recommend they be kept as pets. If your child loves skunks, you will want to stick with a tamer plush pet.
Many people would find it ridiculous, but these animals have a whole lot of advantages that you might like to think about. So next time you are wondering of how on earth you can rid your yard of that white striped animal, try thinking of how you may reap the benefits from their presence.
Did you know that they kill those pesky household rodents and insects? These mammals will help keep down the number of rodents like; mice, shrews, and moles around your house. Other animals they eat include frogs, snakes, and lizards.
The most commonly found skunk in the United States is about the size of a house cat. It has long black fur with 1 or 2 white stripes running down its back and tail. If you live in New Mexico, Texas or Arizona you may see the hog nosed or hooded skunk.
Skunks are active after dark, so you might not see any during the day even in areas where they are populated. They like to hide in protected places like in wood stacks, dens and burrows.They usually mate in January, with the female getting rather aggressive and spraying that smelly liquid as a defense mechanism to chase away the males. The mother skunk will then have up to 10 offspring in May or June. The new babies will remain hidden in the den for about 2 months and then they will begin following their mother out to hunt for food.
The problems between man and the animal come in when these animals start coming into human interests.This conflict really goes to new heights when the animal takes shelter inside homes spraying the home owners. Sometimes pets are sprayed with the smelly liquid during a confrontation. Sometimes the pet gets bitten. These animals can also be destructive to gardens and lawns through digging. They tend to uproot plants as they search for food and grub together with other insects. They are also known to eat the eggs of ground laying birds, this includes chicken eggs.
In California, they are rated the highest carriers of rabies, ticks and fleas. Rabies can be fatal to mammals including humans. So if you have found a family of skunks around your home, you need to know how to protect yourself and your pets.
If you don't want skunks around then, discourage skunks from even considering to take up residence around your area.To make your yard less desirable to skunks, make sure you keep all pet food and garbage locked up then remove any hiding places. Since what attracts these animals in residential areas is food, water and hiding places, reducing or removing these items can deter them from coming in or taking up residence. Unused water bowls, pet food and covering garbage cans can be effective in reducing their presence.
There are humane ways to trap these animals if you feel they have become too much of a nuisance or are possibly putting your family in danger. The best way to protect or prepare for coming in contact with any wild animal is to educate yourself about that particular species.
People of all ages love to learn about their favorite animals.
Because some animals are just not easy to keep pets we enjoy the next best thing. Plush Stuffed Animals for fun and education.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Wendy_Ai
