Skunks are easy to recognize with their bold black and white coloring. While most animals prefer camouflage, a skunk's distinctive coloration serves as a warning of its potent attack. Using special glands below the tail, skunks can spray their powerful scent up to 15 feet. This scent burns an attacker's eyes, and causes temporary blindness. Of course, the stench is too much for most animals to bear, and serves as a strong warning against future attacks. Adult skunks grow to about 22-30 inches and 8-12 pounds. Skunks are primarily nocturnal. Skunks are omnivores, and will feed on almost anything, including small rodents, worms, insects, grubs, carrion, fruit, garbage, and pet food left outdoors.
Nuisance concerns: Skunks are well known for their strong odor. People can often detect a single roadkilled skunk for miles. No homeowner appreciates this scent under their deck. Furthermore, a skunk in the area poses a constant threat to nosey pets. I've cleaned dogs that have been sprayed before, and believe me, the scent does not come off easily. Of course, no person wants to risk being sprayed by a startled skunk. Skunks frequently choose to live under human structures such as sheds, decks, or crawl spaces. They often discarge their scent in these places. Skunks are also common carriers of rabies.
Wondering how to get rid of skunks? There is no magic spray or device that you can use to make them go away. Some people try to sell predator urine, such as coyote or fox urine to get rid of skunks, but that doesn't work. They also try to sell ultrasonic sound emitters. These devices are worthless at eliminating skunks. Some old wive's tales recommend the use of mothballs or ammonia-soaked rags to make them leave but these attempts won't work. The ONE AND ONLY WAY to take care of your problem is with trapping and removal of the animals.
