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What are the common problems that skunks cause?



When a skunk decides to live in your home, commercial or residential structure, they will cause many problems, and this is besides its noxious smell. When the skunk sprays on a surface or in buildings, this odor will not leave that easily and it can take weeks or even some months if it is in high concentrations. However, the smell is not the only problem to worry about when it comes to skunks.

Skunks can burrow under trees when they are in the wild, but if they are in the urban settings, then they can burrow under solid foundations. This will lead to much damage when the structural elements crack or shift.

Sometimes the skunks may chew on wood or on the siding if they want to make burrows.

Besides garbage, skunks may eat grubs and insects. It is common to see skunks digging up lawns and gardens while looking for food.

The skunks may transmit the rabies virus. The skunks that suffer from rabies are in great number compared to the raccoons and fox population with rabies. It is not easy to make a distinction between a skunk that is healthy and one that is infected, so any contact you make with saliva from the skunk has to be taken seriously.

The skunks will use their spray in self-defense, but they have poor eyesight. The spray secretion can be sprayed over 15 feet. The skunks are opportunistic animal and they feed or hunt anything they can get their hands on like berries, honeybees and nuts. Sometimes they can eat ground nesting birds with mice or rodents. When a home owner is aware of the possible attractants of the skunks, they will know what to do to keep them away. The skunks are normally nocturnal and they will prefer to look for food in the night. When you remove potential harborage sites or food sources, it will help you to keep the skunks away from the property. Skunks are normally found rummaging within trash piles while looking for food. You can also find them easily near streams, lakes and ponds.

Go back to the How to Get Rid of Skunks page or email us if you have any other questions about What are the common problems that skunks cause?