How to Get Rid of Skunks

When your customers have skunks, they’ll (understandably) be in a panic. Having skunks around a home or business can present a number of health and safety hazards as well as make the entire place intolerable. The problem is that, aside from the threat of being sprayed with their noxious musk, skunks are also known carriers of rabies and other diseases that can harm people and pets.

Skunks will also tear open trash bags and topple garbage cans, which can attract insects and other vermin to a home or business. By removing food sources, eliminating hiding places and using an effective skunk repellent, it’s easy for a customer to make a home or business inhospitable to skunks.

GET RID OF SKUNKS BY SPRUCING UP YOUR HOME

Here is how you can advise your customers to get rid of skunks from a property:

• Step 1: Remove food sources around the structure, including pet-food bowls and low-hanging bird feeders.
• Step 2: Place all trash in cans with tight-fitting, locking lids.
• Step 3: Eliminate any insect infestations. Also be sure to take care of any rodent infestations, as skunks will eat small rodents.
• Step 4: Remove piles of brush, wood or other debris from the property. These can serve as a hiding place for skunks.
• Step 5: Use wire mesh to seal any openings in or around the building (or outbuildings) that skunks could be using to enter crawlspaces, basements or other areas.

After eliminating food sources and hiding places, a property will be less appealing to skunks; however, this does not mean they won’t come back. By using an effective skunk repellent, your customers can keep skunks away.

LIQUID AND GRANULAR SKUNK REPELLENTS

Available in liquid or granular form, Critter Ridder^® is a skunk repellent that is comprised of all-natural ingredients that repel skunks effectively without harming them. Simply sprinkle or spray the repellent around a property, and the taste, smell and touch of the repellent will drive skunks away.

TRAPPING A SKUNK

You can also urge your customers to try trapping a skunk that persistently invades their property. It may sound like a recipe for disaster, but skunks can be trapped without enticing them to spray (They may be stinky, but they are unlikely to blast their musk). Most importantly, use a Havahart^® trap that’s sized for skunks, and medium- or small-sized traps are considered best.

Once the animal is trapped, advise your customer to slowly approach the trap while holding up a tarp or towel, which can block any spraying action. When close enough, cover it with the tarp and move the trapped animal to a new location. To release the animal, open the trap in area where the skunk can make a hasty retreat without feeling threatened.

Urge your customers to take the steps mentioned above to effectively keep skunks away!