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An encounter with an angry or frightened skunk can be, well, memorable, and not in a good way. A skunk’s smelly spray has been known to stop even bears in their tracks, and the pungent aroma can be detected by humans up to a mile away. Skunk spray is actually a sulfur compound, and with a range of up to 15 feet, this form of defense for the critter can certainly become an issue.
To make matters worse, not only will a peeved Pepe Le Pew spray your cat or dog, or even you, but skunks can also ruin lawns and gardens by digging holes in search for grubs in the soil, as their diet mostly consists of beetles, larvae and earthworms.
How to Repel Skunks
Skunks do much of their damage at night. Bright lights are a great way to repel skunks, though are likely to attract unwanted bugs instead. Using a skunk repellent alleviates this concern. By using an effective skunk repellent, you will be able to stop skunks from coming in your yard, ruining your garden you worked hard for and digging through your trash.
You can also create a homemade repellent by mixing together cayenne pepper, onions, jalapeno peppers and water and spraying it near the entrance to the skunk’s den. Unfortunately, these concoctions don’t always work, and like our friend the skunk, they stink!
Skunk Trapping Tips
Along with rats and armadillos, some wildlife experts rank skunks in the top three when it comes to difficulty in trapping, so catching one can be a challenge. If you have a live skunk trap, it's important to ensure you use the best bait for skunks. Baits that work to trap a skunk include canned fish (such as sardines), fresh insect larvae (such as may beetles), crisp bacon, cat food or bread with peanut butter. Simply place in whichever bait you choose in your skunk trap.
Some skunk removal tips can help you dispose of it safely and effectively. Once you’ve caught the skunk, approach carefully with a towel or sheet and cover the trap. If a skunk can’t see you, there’s less of a chance it will spray. Transport the skunk to a remote area far from your home for release.
I accidently caught a skunk in a humane trap. Called animal control. 3 hrs. later , sun was starting to get on her. A young skunk. Called the skunk recue, told me how to do it. It was not as easy as they said. But was not going to let anyone kill her or him. yes, my frined and I got sprayed. But we released him out of the trap. and he took off. My house smelled for 4 days. they are very cat like. Judy Griffith
I would like to buy a Raccoon Trap that holes the baby Raccoons so you can catch the mother.
Hi Michael,
You could certainly use one of our traps to trap a baby raccoon in order to lure the mother and trap her as well, in an additional trap. However, it may prove difficult for you to trap the baby and not the mother. We recommend waiting until the baby is grown enough to survive on its own before attempting to capture either one, as you may capture the mother and leave the baby stranded.
Please let us know if we can be of help in any other way!
Thank you,
Your Friends at Havahart®
Better check your Fish & Game Laws, as, in some states it is illegal to transport any nuisance animal. You can catch the animal and release it on your property, however you cannot transport the animal to another location.
It only makes sense, if you have a problem with certain animals, no one else wants your problem in their yard, either!
Look up your state’s Fish & Game or Fish & Wildlife Laws before planning to transport any game animal!
We always urge our customers to check with their local Game Commission or Humane Society to ensure they are acting within their state and county laws for relocating wild animals. Thank you!
Your Friends at Havahart®
I have a skunk trapped in a live trap.What do I do? How do I get it out without being sprayed. Police department will not help. Thank you Lori
Hi Lori,
Be very careful! Skunks spray when they are frightened. To move a skunk in a trap, quietly drop a sheet over the trap, pick it up gently without shaking or jerking. In order to spray, skunks have to raise their tails, haunch up and aim. If the trap is low, and the skunk is unable to to raise their tail or turn their back to you, they most likely won’t spray.
Please watch this video to help you know exactly what to do to release your skunk safely: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUP6VDMG_nA
Thank you!
Your Friends at Havahart®
i am having problems with a skunk spraying my dog! dog got sprayed 2x last week. when i used dog food in the trap we caught my neighbors cat!! he was not happy, but the dog was excited!
someone told me to try canned fish, the post says to use sardines, will tunafish work?
is there something i can use and not catch the neighbors cat, time is of the most important thing? i want to catch it before hibernation!
Hi Crobar,
Thanks for your question! Sorry to hear your dog has been getting sprayed by a skunk!
You may consider trying bread crust soaked with peanut butter to catch the skunk rather than your neighbor’s cat. Also, skunks do not actually hibernate, but they will become less active and search for a warm place to stay such as underneath your deck. They are most active from dusk to dawn, as far as timing goes.
Good luck!
Your Friends at Havahart®
should i be concerned about the kids playing aroud where i think it is sleeping during the day? also, how often will a skunk bite an animal that it has sprayed?
should i take my dog to the vet to be checked? my family is a little weary about going out until it is gone, this seems like it could take a while!!
any advise and help would be awsome, ill try the peanutbutter tonight.
thanks for the help
I just got one of your traps yesterday I have skunks and raccoons ripping through my trash so I put on on bread in the trap last night and this morning a raccoon was in it! He was strangely docile I took him far away to the woods and let him go tonight I set the trap the same and am hoping to catch the skunk or possibly another raccoon just wanted to say your trap worked great…and anyone wondering peanut butter is a great bait…thanks
Hi Shane,
That is great news! Thank you for your feedback. Peanut butter is the best bait for a variety of animals, so hopefully you have similar luck with the rest of the animals raiding your trash!
Best,
Your Friends at Havahart®
Hi Crobar,
We’d recommend against the children playing near the “den” as skunks will spray out of fear. Typically, you do not need to worry about your dog being bitten if it has been sprayed, unless the dog persists toward the skunk. Skunks spray as their first defense mechanism, which typically dissuades the predator! Also, if your dog has his rabies vaccine, and no signs of bites, there is not a cause for worry.
Has the peanut butter worked?
Thanks!
Your Friends at Havahart®
Hi, I just purchased one of your traps because I have had a skunk under my house for over a week now spraying constantly. I have opened a vent that leads to the house, but my questions are 1) its almost Nov in Chicago, will the skunk become less active any day now or do I have time still? 2) do skunks co-habitat with each other? 3) what are the chances that children are with a mother skunk this close to winter / do skunks semi-hibernate solo or with children/mates?
I am trying to ascertain if I will be attempting to trap multiple Pepe’s, and if children still follow their mother around this far from mating / birth season (I’ve been told mating occurs in the Spring).
Thanks in advance! As you can imagine, I’d like the little guy/gal gone ASAP as my German Shepherd has to stay in the house with the smell while I’m at work all day
Hi Sean,
We’re happy to help! We’ll answer your questions in order below:
1) This really depends on the temperatures. If it goes below freezing, skunks can go into their ‘hibernation’ which is actually a ‘torpor’. It depends on the skunk, though, and the weather. In November in your area, skunks should still be semi-active.
2) Skunks live their lives solo, but may hibernate or den with others during the winter. (More below).
3) After 3 months, young skunks have grown and are completely independent. Because skunks generally live solo, there is a good chance this skunk does not have babies. However, if they have begun to hibernate, there may be several female skunks hibernating in the den with the chances of one male hibernating there as well. Skunks will den together when it is cold outside. As we said in #1, this should not be happening unless there are below freezing temperatures.
Skunks typically will not spray unless they are directly in harm’s way, so your skunk may be spraying due to your dog. We would advise you set a trap and relocate the skunk you catch, then be aware of any others by observing signs and smells. Keep in mind, skunks will not spray one another even if they are fighting over a den.
Good luck!
Thanks!
Your Friends at Havahart®
I need help. I had a skunk problem 2 years ago and now they are back again. They are under my house. I have a live trap and put peanut butter on bread and nothing happened. I added an open can of tuna fish, but still nothing. I smell is driving me crazy. I am open to any suggestions.
Hi Dave,
Sorry to hear about your skunk problem! If it is a Havahart® trap, do you know the model number?
The skunk may be wary of the trap because of a past experience. Another option is to try applying our Critter Ridder® granular animal repellent under your house to encourage them to leave. The granular form will work through low temperatures. We hope the issue is solved for you soon!
Thanks!
Your Friends at Havahart®
the only problem is that if your trying to catch a certain animal like a skunk i have always never capture a skunk. The peanut butter works well for coons but they get to it before the skunks do i have tried putting it out at dusk and all that i have tried sardines same thing cat food in a can works ok but it is sill fifty fifth so any ides for a bait that the coons will not get before the skunks
Last month, a skunk sprayed in the crawlspace under our house, called the county vector control. They left a live trap and we have caught 6 so far. Haven’t been so lucky the past week, but we know there is one out there as I fill in the hole under the foundation w/ dirt and it is open in the daytime, plus we have smelled the skunk on occasion. Bait used so far includes a mix of dry dog food + crushed up chips (only had tortilla chips) at the time and this mix worked well for the 1st 6. Tried a mix of crackers + marshmallows for a few days, but am back to trying the dog food and chips. Moved the trap to a slightly different location. Hopefully, will get the one under the house soon. Supposedly, in NCalif, mating season last until the end of Feb, sure hope we don’t have a problem until then. Will try the other bait options mentioned by others soon. Thanks
I live on a acreage with a skunk problem, I have trapped several, but there are more we can smell them every morning. But, they won’t get in the trap anymore.
Do I need to clean the trap, if so with what?
I have been using peanut butter and have moved the trap. Would a different bait be better, what other suggestion can you offer?
Thanks…
Hi Bruce,
Cleaning the trap after each use is important, not only to ensure you continue to trap the animals, but to risk the spread of disease. Traps should be washed, disinfected with a bleach solution (1 part bleach to 9 parts of water and let it remain on for 20 minutes), and thoroughly rinsed after each capture to stop the spread of any potential disease. Animals frequently defecate and urinate when captured and it is unhealthy to put bait down unless trap is cleaned thoroughly.
You may also want to try a different bait, such as cracknels or canned fish that would smell more and attract the skunks that are left.
We hope this helps and wish you luck!
Thank you!
Your Friends at Havahart®