Skunks are North and South American mammals that are known for giving off stinky spray to their attackers. Their smell is so irritating that it becomes a nightmare to get rid of it. The skunks are found to dig holes in the ground, and they are known for their habitual digging such that nothing is safe from their deadly claws – lawn, green yard, planted seeds, bulbs, and roots. The beautification of your garden is at stake when skunks find their accommodation in your yard. But there are reasons that why skunks dig.
Skunks are nocturnal animals, and they find their prey at night. They usually hide in the daylight and come out of their holes in the night. They find their abode in the holes and with their destructive claws, they nest themselves in the holes they dig with their claws.
They dig the holes so long to one mile and keep on digging except in the mating season. They find their food by digging and thereby the burrows may extend up to two miles as they grub. Grubbing refers to the process of digging to find the food bits. As all real creatures need food to survive, so are the skunks. Insects like crickets, grasshoppers, beetles, cutworms and various insect larvae as well as worms are some of the foods that the skunk may find from digging.
Problems caused by holes
The problem with the holes lies in the fact that these holes extend up to several miles in the ground and other reptiles may find their abode in the same hole, and this is one of the main reasons that you may find several reptiles in your house. Reptiles such as lizards, rats, snakes and other creatures may start their family in your garden, and this may become one of the biggest problems for you. Apart from this, water may get stored in these holes thus becoming a perfect abode for the mosquitos to start breeding. With this, your sleep is highly vulnerable due to the presence of mosquitoes.
How to get rid of skunks and holes
To get rid of these holes and skunks, it is not like getting the rats out of attic and storerooms. It does so much damage but the smell it leaves behind is the problem that makes the life miserable.
If you want to remove the skunk make sure that you clog all the exit routes except for one. Leave only a small opening on one side for the skunk to leave from. Now that the escape routes have been limited, you can create a pathway with fencing from the opening to a cage trap. This method will funnel the skunk into the trap if the animal wants to leave the den.
Go back to the Ontario County wildlife removal home page.