All right. How do I get rid of these folk?

[travaler18]

what do you do with the moths after?

[NoBozo]

A few years ago I walked out into the garage for some reason....don't remember if it was daylight or dark. ...I think it was daylight..morning: (raised ranch with garage under), Saw a Black and White TAIL hanging out from under the deck of the riding lawn mower. I opened the garage door with the button...don't know how long the skunk had been snoozin...left the garage door open all night. The visitor was gone the next morning. Sometimes you get lucky. NB

[Chickie]

I had a mother and four kits move into my barn about four years ago. I leave an open space under the barn so my cat can come and go as she pleases, and I guess they thought they were welcome to do so, as well. It was panic time when I discovered them there, but they only peered at me from a distance and spared me from their scent of sweet perfume. I called the animal control officer and learned she has on occasion caught such critters, but her main concern is usually dogs and cats. She gave me the phone number of Fish & Game and wished me luck.

Fish and Game does not get involved with such things, but they gave me a list of trappers. It would have cost $100 to set the trap and $100 for each kitty they caught and relocated. The receptionist I spoke with was most helpful. She told me that skunks are nomadic creatures and if I could wait them out for a week or two, they would probably depart on their own.

Every night at dusk, they would come out to romp and feed on my lawn and I would take refuge on my back porch. I found a website which gave me more information than I ever wanted to know about the lives of skunks. One site was entitled, “I Never Met A Skunk I Didn’t Like.” How cool is that? They are actually very docile creatures and not "out to get you" – will rarely spray unless cornered. A friend suggested I set up a radio and blast them with loud music night and day. Instead of getting them to move on, I believe they were holding barn dances every night. No luck with that. Anyway in a little over two weeks’ time they had packed their bags and left the premises, never to be seen again.

My cousin, who is a woman in her 80’s has trapped a number of them at her home and says she has never been sprayed. She uses a Have A Heart Trap, throws a blanket over them and off they go to a new environment. She is braver than I am.

[chipj29]

If any of you have ever camped in the only campground on Martha's Vineyard, you are not afraid of skunks, at least the skunks there.
At dusk, the skunks wander out of the woods that surround the campground, and walk around looking for snacks. Now when I say skunks, there are literally dozens of them. They are not afraid of humans, and they don't spray.
Wife and I were sitting at the picnic table playing cards one night, and we felt something rubbing against our legs, and could feel fur. Look down and sure enough....it was a skunk. If you scream and run away, you could get sprayed. But if you just sit and watch them, no problem, they are just like a cat.

[kaj]

I use moth balls under my shed every year. I also make sure my dog does his business (#1) around the perimeter of the yard. Haven't had a skunk in my yard since I started doing this. They actually moved into my neighbor' shed one winter and the mothballs have worked for her also.

[Lakesrider]

So if I took a leak around my deck tonight...problem solved? LOL. ummm I'll do it.

I tried a few M80's last night while they were all out of the hole under my deck and in my yard. Didn't even phase them. they just kept on going about digging up my grass looking for grubs. I must have them as i could see them pull them up. Guess I need Grubx now too. I'll have to go to Wally World and see if they have industrial mothballs....

[ACutAbove]

Alpha Omega wildlife control, Tom is his name, does very good work I do not have his # right now but he is out of Meredith if that helps. Ill try and dig up his # tomorrow.
630-2598

[Argie's Wife]

Ditto on them hunting grubs - that's haute cuisine to a skunk.

And I didn't know about them not liking moth balls - so, that's how you out stink a skunk!

--------

My dad was an animal control officer for Sanford, ME for many years and responded to calls for skunk removal from people's shed, garages, porches, etc. He used a HaveAHeart trap, which is a simple box trap, and would bait it with tuna - they love tuna! He's throw a blanket over the trap and then take them out to the woods to release them.

My parents had just bought a 16 acre farm and I guess Dad thought it was enough property to share with the skunks, as he released over 9 of them on the property one year. As you can imagine, the following spring, when young skunks minds turned to thoughts of love, there was an outcry from the neighbors. I remember hearing comments about it in the post office...

"[Insert Maine vernacular that uses the Lord's name in vain here] - where did all of those skunks come from?! We got more skunks than Carter has Liver Pills!"


Funny, I don't think they realized exactly what the animal control officer was up to... and I don't think he realized they would multiply!

[Misty Blue]

You can purchase a little noise maker at the hardware store. It can't be heard by humans but really works on moving rodents out of an area. I assume that it would work on skunks. BTW...I love skunks. It costs just a few bucks.

Don't use it if you have hampsters, etc. near by.

Misty Blue.

[Kamper]

FYI - Wrap the moth balls (or flakes) in a twist of cloth or an old sock. This will make it easier to retrieve them if you want to.

Good luck!

[Kamper]

Just rememberred this...

Havahart has a variety of repellant chemicals in addition to their humane traps. Some of them are multipurpose and safe for "organic" gadening so should be okay under the porch.

http://www.havahart.com/store/animal-repellents/bdapb

Good luck!

[Lakesrider]

Well tonight I was helping my other half, Kathy, with some of her packages. Getting them from the car to the house. When they all popped out from under the deck again. This time we stood and watched them for a while. We noticed tonight that after they were all out for a few minutes another, much smaller one came out and stood very close to a tree. The other four kits(?) basically attacked it. Must be the runt of the litter as I had not counted this one over the last few days. I tried moth balls, and ammonia. They just walk right by them. I am going to try the flood light idea tomorrow. But all in all they really don't do much. The yard is not stinky or anything. I am guessing the mother is getting ready to boot them out anyway as they are all fighting each other...
Did I mention M80s don't phase them either....?

[Rattlesnake Gal]

Originally Posted by Lakesrider

Did I mention M80s don't phase them either....?

It's a good thing! You could have set them off and your house would really stink!

My crazy father used to make friends with our local skunks. It seemed to act very much like a cat. I think it was a ploy to get some alone time at the pool.

[GFP]

My son had a problem with a family of skunks who lived under his deck. He waited until they came out at dusk, because they always did.
Bravely, he crawled under the deck to see that they were all out, then he and his father put up screening so they could not come back in. He had to make sure some of it was buried because they are diggers. They found another home, and have never returned.

[Chickie]

Lakesider,

What is the status of your odiferous guests? Have they checked out of their vacation hide-away as yet, or have they decided to stay on a while longer to enjoy the foliage? Hopefully the younguns have been weaned by now and have been cast out by their Mom.

I saw one of those black and white critters scurrying down the sidewalk early this morning. Daylight was fast approaching and it was probably making a beeline for home, as it seemed to have a definite destination in mind. They generally tend to just amble along, but this guy was really booking it. It was headed in the direction of McDonald's, so it may have been anxious to pick up a quick coffee before calling it a night.