Grocery bags in hand, you make your way to the back door only to be confronted by a terrifying sight, a skunk. Anyone who has faced down a skunk, and it has lost is well aware of the caustic spray emitted from the striped beast’s scent gland, which, as stated by the University of California, can be sprayed as far as 6 to 10 feet. Be aware that rabies is rampant within the skunk population. Deterring or removing skunks from your lawn is possible through appropriate sanitation and trapping.
Eliminate any potential sources of food. Including removing any outdoor dog dishes and bird feeders, picking up fallen fruit and covering your trash cans. Placing a heavy object, such as a brick, in addition to the can also prevent the skunk from tipping it over in search of a quick meal.
Clean up heaps of brush or stacks of timber, and trim any overgrown shrubs. All of these offer an attractive hiding area to get a skunk.
Install motion detecting sprinklers around your lawn. The combination of the water spray and the sound created by the moving sprinkler head is sufficient to frighten skunks away from your lawn.
Care for your lawn for white grubs. White and other lawn grubs are relished as food from skunks. Overseeding your lawn and maintaining it properly fertilized and irrigated can help to eliminate the lawn grub infestation. The introduction of predacious nematodes — including Heterorhabditis bacteriophora and Steinernema carpocapsae — is just another effective, natural way to control lawn grubs.
Set up a live trap near the entrance of the skunk’s den. Before nightfall, bait a plastic box snare with a can of tuna or cat food. Vinyl box traps provide more protection against being sprayed than wire models do. When you have captured the skunk, contact your local Fish and Game office prior to relocating the beast. Since skunks are known carriers of rabies, a permit is required before you may release the skunk in another location.