Tag Archives: skunk removal

Spring Lawn Damage

Many homeowners spend painstakingly long hours perfecting their lawn and landscaping. To much shock, they may wake up one morning to find the property in disarray— the ground having been clearly dug into in multiple spots. Just what caused all of this damage? The culprit you may not expect, skunks!

example of skunk damage in woods

Why Skunks Dig in the Ground

Skunks typically dig in search of food or shelter. Where there are huge chunks of grass that seem to be pulled right out of the earth, the skunks have likely been harvesting grubs that lie beneath the surface. They pull the grass to get to grubs found just below the first layer of soil. A single skunk can cause significant property damage, but an entire family of skunks ransacking for grubs can rack up quite the landscaping bill.

Other Issues

Skunks damage lawns and damage the home, trying to find a place to burrow. Obviously, they are most notorious for spraying household pets, but skunks can also carry diseases and bite if trapped. This is especially true if their first defense mechanism, spraying, don’t allow them to escape. Bites and droppings in the yard can cause diseases, which can then spread to your family.

How to Tell if Skunks are the Culprit

It’s important to note that skunks aren’t the only culprits of lawn damage, so how can you tell if they are the problem? Spotting a skunk would obviously tell you this, but if the homeowner doesn’t see the skunk in their yard, they must look for other tell-tale signs. The stench of nearby skunk spray would fall under this category. But what if you’re 0/2 for skunk signs? If there are visible tracks, comparing them to skunk tracks can help you properly identify them. Your best bet is to contact a licensed pest control specialist for proper identification and trapping.

Removing Skunks from the Yard

Those who have had their property damaged by skunks will likely want to know how to prevent it from happening again. One of the most sure-fire ways to deter skunks is by using light. Skunks are nocturnal, so a motion-activated floodlight may work to scare them away. Spraying predator urine around the property is also said to discourage skunks from the area. However, even the most valiant of DIY eradication efforts often come up shorthanded. Calling a professional is most often the last resort when it really should be first. Trapping or coming into physical contact with the skunk must be done by a professional. This ensures they are properly taken care of. In terms of relocation, it must be done by a professional as well. In some states, it is illegal for a homeowner to trap and release wildlife on their own.

Keep Skunks Out of the Yard

Once the skunks have been eradicated, the homeowner may want to take preventative measures to ensure the skunks will not return and further damage their property. The most effective way to do this is by making sure the yard is correctly cared for so you won’t find any grubs under the grass. Another way is to consider fencing off parts or all of the yard. This has the benefit of keeping all sorts of other animals off of the property as well.

Despite how much time and care you put into your lawn and landscaping, skunks can (and will) wreck it if grubs are available. They’ll often return and bring friends. If you’ve noticed damage to your lawn and you suspect it is because of skunks, contact Hogarth’s Pest Control & Wildlife Removal to help you solve this issue once and for all.

Love Stinks

Love is in the air, and it’s almost as if we can smell it. Oh, wait… we can. However, it isn’t love that is making our eyes water, but rather the all too familiar stench of skunks. In Michigan, skunk mating season stretches from February through the end of March. This means you may notice that familiar smell wafting through your neighborhood, as well as increased sightings of skunks’ bushy black tails scurrying for cover— or maybe even some of the less fortunate specimens alongside the road.

Skunks Mating Habits

The trademark stink we’ve come to recognize occurs when males attempt to court females who may not be “in the mood”, per se. When this happens, female skunks will generate the aroma to repel the dejected suitors. Fortunately, this epic skunk romance only lasts a short time.

After a sixty-day gestation, the pregnant female skunks give birth to their litter of 4 to seven pups in April to May. Older females come into their breeding season earlier in the season than the younger females and, therefore, give birth to their litters earlier in the spring. Older females also tend to bear larger litters. Females tend to breed by their second summer. In a typical population of skunks, the vast majority of the females will be pregnant or will have just had litters.

Most female striped skunks only reproduce once a year; however, males will reproduce multiple times, with numerous females. After mating, the females no longer associate with males and will become aggressive towards them.

Litters & Life Expectancy

After mating, female skunks disperse from their winter dens to separate maternal dens to wait out their gestation.

The young are born blind and deaf with short, fine fur. Despite this, they already have patterns present on what little coat they have at birth. Pups do not open their eyes until they are about three weeks old, and then they continue to nurse until they are about six weeks to two months old. It is around this time that they learn to forage and hunt by following their mother in a single-file line during outings. The mothers protect their young; during this time, she displays extremely defensive behavior, so it is essential to avoid a little of skunk pups should you come across one. The male young become independent by July to August, while the female young may remain with their mothers until the following spring season. Both males and females begin mating around ten months old.

Unfortunately for most, striped skunks usually do not survive their first year due to severe weather conditions and disease. After that first year, they can live up to seven years in the wild and up to a decade in captivity. Other factors contributing to skunk mortality include predation and parasitism, as well as risk from road systems and hunting. Like humans, skunks who don’t get lucky can’t die of shame. As the saying goes— try, try again.

So the next time you’re outside this spring season and notice that familiar stench, take a moment of silence for yet another guy who, much to his chagrin, struck out on love. Poor sap. Better luck next time!

Skunks

Skunks are very common throughout Michigan and are known to cause damage to lawns due to their burrowing and digging for grubs. They can often be found under decks and on occasion, can get into homes and buildings without proper exclusion. Though most people think skunks spray anything they come in contact with, they typically only spray when they feel extremely threatened. To avoid the wrath of their spray, it is best to keep your distance to avoid making the animal feel like it’s in danger.

Preventing Skunks

Trapping skunks are one of the easiest ways to control. This prevents further lawn damage while relocating them to a different area. It’s best to cover the trap with a blanket or burlap; skunks tend to avoid spraying if they can’t see their target. However, it’s always best to call a professional when dealing with the trapping and relocation of skunks. This is mainly avoid being sprayed or bitten, as skunks can carry rabies. It’s also important to make sure your home has proper exclusion (fences and sealing under decks).

Skunks don’t have many predators apart from the Great Horned owl. Juveniles are occasionally taken on by foxes, coyotes, and large dogs. Males are slightly larger than females. They are comparable in size to a domestic cat. Females usually reproduce once a year, although males may reproduce with multiple females, and some will travel upwards of 2 to 10 miles to find a female to breed with. Breeding starts in February and March and usually produces a litter between 4 and 7 babies. Males become independent from their mother by July, while the females continue to follow their mother until the following spring. Both males and females become sexually mature around 10 months of age. Most skunks do not survive their first year due to harsh weather conditions or diseases. After their first year they can live up to seven years in the wild and up to ten years in captivity, considering they stay clear of predators, cars and hunters.

Wildlife Services

We receive calls everyday regarding customers dealing with skunks, raccoons, and various other critters around their homes. It is our top priority to address wildlife jobs as soon as possible. This works to ensure the animals don’t cause damage to the customer’s homes and yards. We specialize in trapping these animals and relocating them away from the original location. The law requires us to relocate the animals at least 25 miles away to ensure they don’t return.

Raccoons and skunks are two of the main wildlife issues that we deal with here in Northern Michigan. In most cases, they have young with them as well. These animals can cause an enormous amount of destruction to a home, as the mothers are trying to make a safe home for young to keep them away from the males, who will actually resort to eating them if they have no other food source. Raccoons can be extremely mean creatures and do not appreciate tampering with their homes and young! This is why we always advise having a professional come to trap and relocate any wildlife critters you may have. Heres a photo of a juvenile raccoon we recently trapped and relocated: