Skunk Identification & Prevention

Skunks are small furry animals about the size of your average cat. Skunks typically live alone but gather in groups during mating season, usually in February and early March in New York. Male skunks are bucks, females are does, and babies are kits.

Their black and white fur helps us identify these animals easily and warns other animals. Many skunks have black fur with white stripes, but depending on the species, their white fur can be a spotted or swirled pattern.

What skunks are most well-known for is their potent odor. When skunks become frightened and feel in danger, they spray a foul-smelling, oily substance from glands at the base of their tail.

While skunks are not typically aggressive towards people or pets, we don't want to share our yards with these wild animals. You or a pet unknowingly coming too close to a skunk in your yard and startling them is likely to cause them to spray—a very unpleasant experience!

Additionally, when skunks are in our yards, they are destructive. They will dig holes throughout our lawns and gardens as they hunt for grubs and other insects to eat. Skunks love to dig through trash, and one trash bag left outside can result in a huge mess to clean up. Furthermore, if you own chickens, skunks will feast on their eggs and sometimes will harm or kill the chickens themselves.

The biggest concern with sharing outdoor spaces with skunks is the pathogens and parasites they carry, such as rabies, leptospirosis, roundworm, fleas, and ticks.

Below is a quick overview of some of the most common things that attract the attention of skunks and make them a permanent fixture on your property.

• Outdoor pet feeding stations
• Bird feeders or other wild animal feeders
• Chicken coops
• Gardens
• Trash and compost

Skunks are wild animals that have adapted to living with people. As we have taken over many of their natural habitats, these opportunistic animals have learned to live successfully with us, taking advantage of the food and shelter our properties offer.

Outside, in nature, away from people, skunks live near water sources in wooded areas, fields, meadows, and other grassy spaces.

Properties near their natural habitats tend to have the most problem with skunks, but people living in more urban areas also have to deal with these smelly intruders.

Skunks will come and go from yards that provide them with reliable food sources. But, if you notice that skunks are regularly causing problems in your yard, they have likely created a den somewhere on your property. Our yards often offer these animals convenient den sites like spaces under decks, foundations, sheds, woodpiles, fallen trees, and construction debris.

Skunks are nocturnal, so you won't likely spot them during the day. Dusk and dawn are the most common times people see these animals waddling through their yards and foraging for food. If you regularly spot skunks in your yard, you don't need to search for "home pest control near me"; call us at RodentX!

If skunks have become a permanent fixture on your Rochester, NY, property, it is always best to reach out to a professional. Skunks are wild animals, and you'll need the experience of a wildlife expert to remove them safely.

Here at RodentX, we work closely with our customers to ensure complete satisfaction with our services. Our skilled team supports you and safely traps and removes the problematic skunks causing issues for you and your family. Don't try to handle a skunk problem on your own; call today to learn more about wildlife control in Rochester.

You can do several things to make your Rochester, NY, property less attractive to skunks. Use the following tips to make skunks want to live somewhere other than in your yard!

• If you own chickens, ensure their coop is secure and collect their eggs daily.
• Maintain your property's garden areas, regularly harvesting fruit and vegetables.
• Remove bird and wild animal feeders from your yard.
• Clean up brush or wood piles and other yard debris.
• Install mesh fencing under decks and sheds where skunks could den. 
• Keep the doors of sheds, garages, and barns closed. 
• If possible, always feed pets indoors.
• Make sure all trash bags are inside securely lidded trash cans.

Despite your best efforts, if skunks ever find their way to your property, immediately contact us at RodentX to learn about our safe and humane wildlife control service in Rochester. We are here for all your skunk and wildlife control needs!