It became important to know how to get rid of skinks under my deck because they cause a residential nuisance. Skunks (Mephitis Mephitis) are health and safety hazards wherever they are. Though they hold huge economic value to the ecosystem they are unwelcomed guests around the home. Skunks are smelly mammals that come around basically in search of food and shelter, to breed and rest. But besides their smell and health concerns, they could be harmful with their noxious musk.
Domesticated skunks could, however, be harmless and be used as pet but further regulations and health concerns make that impossible. For all these reasons and more, let’s explore some key issues about skunks and how to get rid of skunks under the deck.
What are Skunks
You should be familiar with skunks if you see a white and black striped, spotted or patterned animal the size of a cat within your vicinity. Some of them do appear as brown, ginger-coloured or cream with about eight species present in North America.
Skunks are small, furry mammals common to North and South Americans and notorious for their noxious spray when under threat. The spray is usually released as a defence mechanism and a very strong odour that could be perceived far away.
Skunks are as small as the house cat measuring about 8 to 19 inches or 20 to 48 centimetres long. The tail extends to about 5 to 15 inches or 13 to 38 centimetres in length.
Skunks in Canada
Canada is one of the popular homes for skunks in North and South America. Of the eight species in North America, only two species are popular in Canada. Canadians are familiar with the black and white striped skunk. They could be found mostly in West-central British Columbia, Vancouver, Alberta, Toronto; Canada to the Maritimes. etc.
Skunks are listed as part of the non-license animals made provisions for in the Wildlife Act. And there are regulations governing having them as pets in Canada. But the spread of rabies and other diseases makes the domesticated skunks a rarity. They can mingle with wild skunks, become infected as well as a cause health hazard to pets and humans. Seek advice and assistance from an expert wildlife removal company today.
What Attract Skunks Under My Deck
Skunks are attracted due to the need for food, water, shelter, and breeding ground. They use your deck as a resting and breeding place. During the winter season, skunks need a warm place to stay and your deck provides the best option. Most times, April and September fall within the period the skunk delivers and nurses her babies. Your deck is usually a quiet and dark place without traffic. It is just perfect as the skunk would love the deck to be for herself and her babies.
For food also, skunks eat rodents but insects are one of their favourite delicacies. And the roots of plants, under the deck and more provide access to insects and rodents hence they burrow a lot.
Problems with Having Skunks Under My Deck
Skunks look pretty but here are some reasons to know how to get rid of Skunks under your deck:
- They are carriers of rabies, distemper and other diseases.
- Skunks are harmful to pets and humans.
- Skunks are destructive to your trash bags or cans, gardens, and property
- Makes the environment smelly.
- Skunk destroy the wiring of your home as they burrow for shelter or food.
- They dig up plants.
- They burrow or dig up holes under the deck or foundation.
Please note, once skunk feels under threat they hiss, raise their tails, growl or tamp their front feet to let you know. You can simply walk back and away from them to avoid being sprayed with the noxious spray.
Do you Have Skunk Under Your Deck?
On how to get rid of skunks under my deck the first thing I do is identify if I have a skunk problem first. One easy way to tell is to search for the skunk musk by perceiving. A skunk noxious spray is the same as the musk except that the spray is more concentrated. But if you know the smell of skunk musk then you should identify it within your facility. Also, skunk feces can help you identify them. Skunk feces are approximately a ½ inch wide and two inches long as well as contain dead insects.
How to Get Rid of Skunks Under Your Deck
Skunk-friendly technique
If you have the patience then you could probably wait it out for skunks to leave on their own. Especially as summer comes to an end, the mother skunk and babies are likely to relocate from the den. Afterward, you can close up all entry and exit points to prevent further encroachment from other animals. However, it might not be as easy as it sounds hence you should work with a professional wildlife removal company.
If you can’t wait, then you need to adopt non-harmful methods to lure the skunk and babies out of your deck. It involves trying to make the deck unaccommodating to the skunk. Since skunk likes quiet, dark and safe places do the following:
- Bright lights
Introduce bright light at the entrance of the den. Either bright lights or flickering light will serve as disturbance since skunks prefer darkness. And the continuous flickering of the light looks like an invasion or disturbance. This action can cause the skunk to seek residence elsewhere.
- Radio voices
Place a radio at the entrance of the den and increase the volume loud enough but not to disturb your neighbours. Remember to tune to an all talk-radio station. Human voices create a source of the intrusion and can cause the skunk to relocate their residents from your deck.
- Strong predator scents
You can get a piece of rag or abandoned clothe and then pour a sizeable amount of Apple Cider Vinegar or ammonia on it. Place the rag inside a sealable plastic bag and punch a little hole around it. Hang the plastic bag at the entrance of the den in your deck or a little inside the den. As the fumes of the ammonia or vinegar escape through the hole, the skunk feels threatened, assuming there are other predators around and move out.
- Block off Skunk’s Supplies
To effectively get rid of skunks from your facility it is best to starve them of food, water, and shelter. And you can achieve that by doing the following:
- Skunks are furry scavengers seeking food in your garbage, gardens, and anywhere around. Skunks love fruits, nuts, berries, rodents, insects, grass clippings and natural foods. Therefore, starve them of these food sources to force skunks to relocate.
- Keep your bird feed far beyond reach by placing a tray underneath the cage to avoid seeds from dropping to the floor.
- Take in pet feed to secure places far from skunk’s reach.
- Seal your garbage cans very tight so they cannot gain access to it. If the trash does not have tight lids then use a wire mesh to fasten it. Make it tight and difficult for a skunk to open the trash can.
- Empty trash can more often.
Close up all likely locations where skunks can hide. These locations can serve as motivation for skunks to finally come to leave under your deck. Likely shelters for skunks include plywood, rocks, under fences, porches, piles of building materials or lumber. Other shelter areas for skunks are brushes, low vegetables, bushes, etc.
Finding out what method is most effective on how to get rid of skunks under my deck will bring you in contact with multiple solutions. However, most of these solutions do not provide a permanent answer to the skunks’ invasion problem. Acclaimed pest control experts recommend different measures to remove skunks from under your deck. But the best solutions still remain seeking professional wildlife removal Guelph company service to help. A wildlife removal expert has up-to-date methods and understands the regulations for dealing with skunks under the deck.