Caption
Skunks are docile animals but may spray if threatened.
Hey—what’s that smell? If your yard suddenly smells like a tire fire dipped in garlic, chances are you’ve got an unexpected guest: a skunk. These black-and-white critters may look cute, but skunks’ chemical warfare is no joke. If you think you’ve got a skunk hanging around your yard, it’s time to act. Here’s how to identify and deter skunks from disturbing your yard and garden.
What Are Skunks?
Skunks are nocturnal animals that are naturally mild-mannered and nonaggressive; they usually eat small animals and insects for dinner instead of your garden. They occasionally visit gardens; if they do, it may be because corn or other plants are close to the ground.
The skunk claims homesteading rights from coast to coast. Four species of skunks are distributed across the country, including the striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) and the spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius). The common striped skunk lives mostly in sparse forests and fields.
Skunks can be very nice to have around because they dig up and feed on the larvae of cutworms, hornworms, Japanese beetles, and other crop-destroying insect life. However, skunks are not only partial to insects; they will eat leaves, buds, grasses, grains, garbage, fruit or berries within reach, and even small game. They also may disturb your plants while digging for these grubs. This is what can make them a bit of a nuisance to gardeners.
Although their nocturnal wanderings around our fields and gardens, lawns, and flowerbeds cause us occasional inconvenience and uneasiness, these are minor faults that can be readily overlooked by the time the Harvest Moon begins to shine. It is then that the skunk’s appetite for the pests that plague our gardens helps make it possible for that Moon to glow over a cornucopia brimming with plenty.
Why and How Do Skunks Spray?
Skunks are famous for their skunk spray—you can smell an angry skunk from over a mile away. Furthermore, a skunk can “shoot” you from 10 to 12 feet—sideways, up, or down—with little apparent effort. Most gardeners worry more about a skunk spraying in the garden, on the gardener, or on a pet than about a skunk chewing up some veggies.
Under a skunk’s tail are two pouches equipped with a pair of ducts that remain hidden in peacetime but quickly expose themselves when danger threatens. Their foul ammunition is a golden-yellow liquid whose active ingredient is the sulfide mercaptan. Each of the two pouches contains enough ammunition for six rounds. After the supply is exhausted, a week is required to replenish it. This spray means skunks are feared by nearly all animals, including most of humankind.
A skunk’s warfare is purely defensive. When confronted by a menacing human or clamorous dog, a skunk tries to sidestep by ambling off. If you find a skunk, turn back, and you should be fine. A skunk will turn, face its aggressor, and stamp its forefeet if pursued. This is its first warning. At this point, you should be running!
The second warning comes when its tail, all but the tip, is hoisted. If this ultimatum fails to establish peace, the white tip rises and spreads out, and the skunk, snapping into a U-position with snout and rear toward the target, delivers a charge of spray. At this point, it is simply too late, and your dog (for example) probably smells foul.
People usually get sprayed when walking through their yards in the dark (if you can’t see a skunk, you can’t run away) or if they disturb a skunk while it’s eating. Those are good reasons to keep skunks out of your yard in the first place—and to always carry a flashlight!
Identification
How to Identify Skunks in Your Garden
The best way to identify skunks is often—unfortunately—by their odor. Hopefully, you don’t have to deal with skunk spray in your garden, but you’ll know that you have a skunk as soon as they decide to spray.
The typical striped skunk has prominent white stripes running down its back and black fur on the rest of its body; it is the size of a house cat and is the most abundant species of skunk in the United States. Spotted skunks are smaller and have white spots as well as broken white stripes amid their black fur. Skunks have short legs and proportionately large feet with well-developed claws that are perfect for digging.
Tracks can help identify skunks. Skunks are often mistaken for raccoons because both animals have five toes. Sometimes, the fifth toe is hard to see in skunk tracks. Skunks’ heels are usually not part of the tracks, and their claw marks are often somewhat visible. Skunk droppings frequently contain undigested insect parts.
Photo Credit: Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
Signs of Skunk Damage
If your lawn or flower bed has many holes, you may have a skunk problem. Skunks dig up the turf, looking for grubs. They move around at night and dig in grassy areas, making distinct 3- to 4-inch-deep holes. Skunk activity increases in the spring and then lessens naturally, so any problems may stop all on their own.
Skunks sometimes feed on corn, but they tend only to eat the lower ears that they can reach. If a cornstalk has been toppled over, the culprit is more likely a raccoon. Planting taller varieties of corn can minimize this damage.
Of course, skunk spray is a common sign of damage. If your dog is stinky, you probably have a skunk!
Control and Prevention
How to Keep Skunks Away
- Spray a mixture of castor oil and dishwashing detergent diluted in water. Skunks find the smell offensive. Spray the area at night when the skunk is away foraging.
- Probably the best skunk repellent is light. Skunks are nocturnal, and their eyes are very light-sensitive. A bright light or a motion sensor floodlight will scare skunks away.
- Most animals, including skunks, dislike the smell of citrus fruits. Place orange or lemon peels around the yard as a natural skunk repellent.
- Predator urines (from dogs and coyotes) can be used to repel a skunk. These are commercially sold in garden centers. (Note: Use a responsible source for predator urine, making sure the animals are treated humanely and the brand complies with state and federal regulations.)
- Many readers have found success placing ammonia-soaked rags around the yard; however, these need to be replaced often.
- If the skunks are in a smaller garden patch, put bars of strong-smelling soap or a room deodorizer near your garden. Ironically, skunks hate strong scents.
- If nothing works, there are humane ways for professionals to trap raccoons and skunks and transport them elsewhere. Often, skunk removal by trapping is the only answer. However, be aware that many species of wildlife do not survive when placed in a new territory, and it may not even be legal to trap and relocate wild animals in your area.
Photo credit: Tom Friedel, BirdPhotos.com
How to Prevent Skunks
- As skunks love to find grubs in your garden, one of the best preventative methods is to treat your lawn so that you get rid of their favorite snacks. Spray your lawn with milky spore disease or beneficial nematodes. This will also help to control Japanese beetle larvae, so it’s a win-win! Contact your local Cooperative Extension Service for suggestions.
- Fencing may also be a good idea for smaller areas like a garden patch.
- If you don’t want skunks living under your deck or shed, seal these areas with chicken wire. Leave at least 1 foot of additional wire on the ground extending from the structure to prevent skunks from digging under to enter.
What to Do If You Get Sprayed by a Skunk
Oh no! We can all smell a skunk from miles away, but it’s truly awful to have that smell on you. Clothes can be washed, but the smell may linger on skin and pet fur. Many people claim that tomato soup will take away the odor, but we prefer this method:
- Make a mixture of 1 quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide (fresher is better), 1/4 cup of baking soda, and 1 to 2 teaspoons of liquid dish soap.
- Using the solution, shampoo only the area sprayed by the skunk. Wet the area and work the solution into the skin or pet fur with your hands (avoid getting shampoo into the eyes). Leave it for about 5 minutes or until the fizzing stops.
- Rinse thoroughly with water.
- If the smell is still present, repeat the process.
- Air dry or towel dry; do not use a hair dryer, as heat can cause any remaining skunk scent to set into the fur or skin.
This remedy may dry out the skin, so use a good-quality lotion to replenish moisture once the skunk smell is gone.
Do you have any special remedies that you use for skunk spray? Let us know below!
Hi, Tim, We're thinking that, unfortunately, your harvest is a lost cause. We have been informed that the skunk spray is an oil that sticks to anything it touches, although, it is not toxic (to pets). You might contact a local veterinarian or cooperative extension (at a local/nearby) university. We can't think of a way that you could save them . . . but if you do, please come back here and let us know! All the best!
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