What To Do About Smelly Skunks Living On Your Merrimac Property

Skunks are one of the most recognized types of wildlife in Merrimac. While these small animals are not usually aggressive, skunks are one of the most feared animals in the area. Instead of using their teeth and claws to harm their enemies, they spray a foul-smelling odor that can cause any person or animal to run far away. 

If you've recently found a skunk on your property, you might need an experienced Merrimac pest control specialist to help you get rid of them. Keep reading to find out how to handle skunks on your property.

What's In Your Backyard? Are There Skunks?

Skunks have a distinctive appearance. With their dark black fur and the bright white stripe that runs down their back, you don't have to be a wildlife expert to identify a skunk. However, for the most part, skunks like to stay hidden and as far away from humans as possible. This means that in order to find out if you have skunks around your property, you will need to look for specific clues.

Some of the telltale signs that skunks are living on your property include:

1. Faint Musky Odors Coming from a Specific Area in Your Yard. 
Whenever a skunk sprays, they leave behind a strong musky odor. The smell tends to stay with them for 24 hours or more. Even if the skunk has not sprayed anything that day, they will still have a light musky smell on them that you can smell inside their dens or on the grass that they lay on.

2. Shallow Holes in the Ground.
Skunks like to feed off grubs and other insects commonly found in your yard. In order to catch these insects, a skunk will dig a small round hole into the ground. Similar to other elusive wildlife animals, like squirrels, skunks are able to dig holes that create a perfect circle. If you see these small and shallow holes in your yard, there is a good chance that you have a skunk that lives nearby.

3. Half-Eaten Plants
Skunks are omnivores, meaning they like to eat meat and vegetables. If you grow a garden in your yard, you may find nibble marks in your corn, okra, and other plants. Skunks are certainly not the only wildlife animal that will eat your vegetables and plants. However, because they are smaller than many other animals, you will notice that, in most cases, only the bottom of the vegetable or plant will have bite marks if a skunk is the culprit.

4. Footprints
Skunks leave footprints that look similar to a cat's footprint. Although, instead of having four toes, a skunk has five. If you see a lot of small, five-toed prints in the dirt and mud, there is a good chance that a skunk has been around your home recently.

Do Skunks Like Their Own Smell?

Skunks have a strong sense of smell. In fact, they have a better sense of smell than humans do. According to skunk expert Marry Holland, skunks don't really enjoy their own smell, but they can tolerate it better than other animals. Skunks will use their spay as a weapon against other animals, including other skunks. And while they may be able to tolerate the smell better than most other humans and animals, they get particularly angry if they get sprayed in the face and eye area.

What To Do If You´ve Been Sprayed By A Skunk

While relatively harmless, a skunk's odor can cause a negative reaction in many people. A skunk's spray consists of several sulfur-based compounds. In order to get rid of the smell, you will need to break down the chemicals in the compound. In the past, people thought you should take a bath in pure tomato juice to get rid of the smell. However, the tomatoes will not work well enough to break down all of the compounds that are causing the extreme odor. 

If you are sprayed by a skunk, you should immediately:

• Mix together one teaspoon of dishwashing liquid, one quart of three percent hydrogen peroxide, and one-fourth cup of baking soda.
• Put on rubber gloves and get into the shower.
• Use the solution to wash your body and hair. Make sure to thoroughly scrub the mixture into your skin.
• Rinse the solution off completely and the smell should be gone.
• Discard any leftover solution. Storing it in a container could cause it to explode or leak.

What's the only thing worse than getting sprayed by a skunk? Getting sprayed twice! However, if you don't take time to get rid of your skunk problem, it's only a matter of time.

If skunks have started making their presence felt around your Merrimac home, it's time to call a professional wildlife removal expert for help. 

Total Wildlife Control for Merrimac Properties