Skunks will often give warning signs that they might spray, like stamping their feet or flicking their tail. Spotted skunks can even do a handstand while spraying! Wyoming has three skunk species: striped skunk, Eastern spotted skunk and Western spotted skunks — and they all spray.
Zack Walker is the statewide nongame bird and mammal program supervisor for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here. Friday, November 12, Toggle navigation Main menu. Public notices. Send us your news! It's your turn to Ask Smithsonian. When not chasing down a story from our nation's capital, she takes in the food, music and culture of southwest Louisiana from the peaceful perch of her part-time New Orleans home.
The scent of a skunk is legendary and lingering, but not in a good way. By choosing I Accept , you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. How to Get Rid of Skunk Smell.
By Tom Scalisi. Pinterest Email Pocket Flipboard. How To Get Rid of Skunk Smell on a Pet One of the most common reasons someone might be dealing with skunk smell is an encounter between the family dog or cat and a startled skunk. Open all of your windows and let as much sunlight in as possible to oxidize the odor and shorten its lifespan. Also, run the fan in your central heating or AC system to circulate the air. Boil a pot of white vinegar on the stove for an hour, replenishing the vinegar as it evaporates.
The house will temporarily smell like vinegar, but it should eliminate the smell of skunk. Do not leave your stove unattended. Place bowls of vinegar in each room for two or three days. But skunks need shelter when they are most vulnerable during the coldest parts of the winter and when raising young.
The nocturnal habits of skunks, their non-aggressive nature and the beneficial role they play are all good reasons to leave them alone until they have moved on their own accord which they readily do or can safely be encouraged to leave an area where they are not wanted.
Preventive measures, such as removing attractants around houses, will decrease the likelihood of an unpleasant skunk encounter. This includes securing trash, covering window wells, feeding pets indoors, or if fed outdoors, removing food immediately after pets eat. Skunks may also dig for grubs in the yard when wet soil conditions push grubs close to the surface — their presence may be a sign of an overwatered lawn.
Occasionally, however, a skunk may also wander into an open garage or shed, which is a compelling reason to secure all outbuildings. Exclusion techniques should be used proactively to prevent denning before an animal moves in. Any suspected skunk den should first be checked to determine if it has residents. This may be done by loosely filling the hole or holes with soil, leaves, straw, crumpled paper or similar material. If a skunk is present, the animal will easily push their way out overnight and reopen the hole.
If the plug remains undisturbed for two or three nights, it is safe to assume that the hole is unoccupied and can be filled. In the winter, skunks may remain inactive for longer periods, so provide them with a bit more time to disturb the plug before blocking the den entrance.
Permanently exclude skunks and other den-seeking creatures with an L-shaped footer of welded wire or similar barriers. If a skunk is using the den, either harassment or eviction using a one-way door system is recommended. When evicting skunks, be sure that dependent young are not present. When in doubt, assume they are and use the door only after they start following their mother to forage.
Leave the door in place from two or three nights to a week to be sure the skunk has left. When it is safe to displace skunks, mild harassment can be very effective. This can be as simple as loosely repacking the den hole with leaves or straw or other material to see if the skunk gets the message and moves elsewhere.
If they require more persuading, adding light and noise to make an dark and quiet denning space unattractive may help as well. Make sure the skunk is not close by before setting up the disturbances.
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