Occasionally spotting a skunk or two in your neighborhood is not always cause for concern or skunk repellent.   Skunks are typically mild animals that cause damage to your lawn and gardens while searching for food.   The most obvious sign of a skunk is its smell, entirely unmistakable.   The more intense the smell, the closer the skunk is.

Another identifiable factor is a skunk’s droppings, being 2-4 inches long and about 1/2 inch round and will contain a variety of material inside such as fruit seeds or animal hair.

Skunks can create widespread damage to your lawn and gardens by digging into the ground in search of insect larvae.   Look for tracks, as a skunks front paws have 5 toes with a nail coming off each one, about an inch long and an inch wide.   If you notice tracks on a regular basis, you probably need to use a skunk repellent.

If you are routinely plagued by a skunk’s offensive odor, find holes in your yard, or know you have a skunk den on your property, there are a variety of ways to not only get rid of skunks, but to deter them from nesting in your yard.  This two minute video, by California Pest Management, describes how to discourage a skunk from your lawn and gardens.

With the turning point of Winter into Spring, many homeowners will once again be plagued by the presence of skunks, maybe in their backyard, or just passing through their neighborhood.  While there are many skunk repellents that can be bought at your local home store, many homeowners will search for alternative ways to safely remove them.

One such alternative to skunk poison is to trap it (safely) and release it in another location, such as a wild, wooded area.

1.  Choose a Live Trap
Choosing the proper live trap is important to remain safe while trapping a skunk.  Trap dimensions should measure 11 x 12 x 30 inches, and should have a release mechanism that does not require you to come in direct contact with the trap when opening the door to release the skunk.

2.  Bait the Trap
Many options are available when choosing the bait for your skunk trap.  Common baits include peanut butter on bread, fresh canned fish, cat food, or crisp bacon.  Place bait on a small plate at the back of the trap.  Do not use items that would be harmful or considered skunk poison.

3.  Place the Trap
Place the trap in an area where you see the skunk regularly, as close to it’s den as possible (if you were able to locate it).  Follow the instructions for the live trap you are using to set it up properly.

Releasing a Trapped Skunk

Contacting your local animal control is the safest way to remove a trapped skunk from your property.  Animal Control Specialists are trained to remove skunks from traps in order to remain safe and to protect the skunk from being harmed.  In addition, professionals will check for any baby skunks left behind in the den, and remove those as well.

If you are one who is really not comfortable with the trapping and removal of a skunk, there are other methods that you could try in order to deter skunks from your property.

There are a few types of homemade skunk repellents that can be made from common household items that you probably already have in your kitchen.  Not only will you save money by not buying manufactured products, but the items needed are non-toxic to the environment.

A variety of natural skunk repellents are also available to help you rid your yard of the pesky skunks.  From digging holes to spraying your pets, skunks are one of the more troublesome critters that come out of hibernation in Spring.  If you are one of the many, and unlucky, people who have had your pet sprayed by a skunk, you’ve probably tried tomato juice only to realize that the smell just didn’t go away.  In order to remove skunk smell from my dog, I now make sure I keep a bottle of Skunk Odor Shampoo in my home (just in case).

As the days grow longer and the chill in the air starts to wear off, many areas of the country will start to see signs of the animal everyone loves to hate, skunks.  It could be a whiff of skunk smell you catch in the air, or finding holes in your yard that were not there yesterday, skunks will let you know they are out of hibernation.  As we welcome the warmer weather, we also need to be prepared for the spring activity that comes with it.

The variety of skunk repellent methods people use to deter skunks from their property range from basic and easy fixes to elaborate, professional remediation.  This article will focus on the natural and homemade ways of keeping skunks out of your yard, away from your pets, and free from under outside structures, such as a shed or deck.

Make a Skunk Spray

Castor Spray

■1 Cup Castor Oil
■1 Cup Liquid Dish Soap
■1 Gallon Water
■Spray Bottle

Mix Castor oil, dish soap, and water together, then pour into a spray bottle.  Spray the skunk repellent on the lawn to deter skunks from digging holes while looking for grubs.  This method is particularly effective to prevent skunks from entering the area.

Cayenne Pepper Spray

■1 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
■1 Chopped Yellow Onion
■1 Chopped Jalapeno Pepper
■2 Quarts Water
■Spray Bottle
■Strainer

Bring the water, cayenne pepper, chopped yellow onion, and chopped jalapeno pepper to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes.  Allow to cool, then strain into an empty bowl.  Using a funnel, pour the mixture into the spray bottle.  Spray the perimeter of the house, shed, or other outbuildings several times a week for at least two weeks.

Be especially careful with this homemade mixture of ingredients, as the cayenne pepper could be harmful to children if ingested in large quantities.

Keep Skunks Away Naturally

As a victim of the damage that skunk’s can cause, I have tried more than a few different ways to get rid of them, and KEEP them away.  Some worked better than others, some not at all.  The ones listed here are natural methods that DO work, although each situation may be different.

Ammonia - If you have pets, encourage them to urinate around the perimeter of the yard.  Skunks have a natural aversion to another animals ammonia scent, which will help keep them moving along.  Although this method is free if you have pets, homeowners can also purchase it in some pet stores.

Citrus Smells – Place the peels of lemons or oranges around the perimeter of the yard, or even around an outside structure like a shed.  The only problem with this type of skunk repellent is that the air dries the peels out quickly.  In order to keep the skunks away, you will have to continuously replace the peels.

Try these different methods by themselves or in any combination and see what works best for you.

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If you are one of the many who are plagued by an overactive community of skunks, either in your neighborhood or on your property, you should become as informed as possible when trying different skunk repellents to get rid of them.  Over the course of my research to find out the best ways to get rid of my skunk problem, I noted an important finding – Mothballs have been suggested as a skunk deterrent, however they are NOT effective and can be harmful to not only humans, but the environment and our pets and children.

Why are Mothballs Harmful?

Mothballs are actually made of two highly toxic chemicals, paradichlorobenzene and naphthalene.  These chemicals are only effective in high concentrations, which is where the problem lies.  In order for mothballs to work effectively as a skunk deterrent, you have to use so many of them that it becomes hazardous to anyone exposed to them.

Paradichlorobenzene and Naphthalene have both been reported to damage the liver and kidneys in high doses, as well as cause eye injury.  Mothballs can be especially dangerous if swallowed. 

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Homemade Alternatives to Mothballs

Do yourself and your family a favor when attempting to keep skunks away from your property and DO NOT use mothballs.  Instead, try this homemade skunk repellent.  Not only will you save money, but the items needed are non-toxic to the environment.

Make Your Own Pepper Spray

• 1 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
• 1 Chopped Yellow Onion
• 1 Chopped Jalapeno Pepper
• 2 Quarts Water
• Spray Bottle
• Strainer

Bring the water, cayenne pepper, chopped yellow onion, and chopped jalapeno pepper to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes.  Allow to cool, then strain into an empty bowl.  Using a funnel, pour the mixture into the spray bottle.  Spray the perimeter of the house, shed, or other outbuildings several times a week for at least two weeks.

Trap and Relocate Skunks

Another alternative to using mothballs or a different form of skunk poison to control your pesky critter is to trap and relocate them.  This can be done either by yourself or your local animal control department.  If you are doing it yourself, choosing the right trap is the most important step in the process. 

Upon attempting to help my neighbor trap and relocate a skunk that made a home for itself under their shed, I can tell you that with the proper precautions and right trap, it can be a relatively painless process.  The trap we used was the Green Dual Door Live Animal Pet Trap/Cage by Pet Trex.  I’ve included this video of how to put it together, as that seemed to be the hardest part for us!

Once the trap was set up, we placed cat food towards the back of the trap.  We placed the trap near the opening of the shed where the skunk had taken up residence and called it a night.  Over the course of the night, we had caught ourselves a medium sized skunk! 

Because the trap is made of heavy duty steel, we were confident that the trap would remain intact during the relocation process.  An important tip to remember when approaching a trapped skunk is to walk slowly, and have a dark blanket or black trash bag to drape over the trap.  This keeps the skunk from becoming alarmed and spraying it’s foul scent.  In the event of being on the receiving end of a skunk’s spray, I’ve found Natures Miracle to be the best way to remove skunk smell from not only your pets, but clothing as well.

Next step was to put the trap in the back of my neighbor’s truck and take the skunk to what will hopefully become its new home.  We drove about 5 miles from the neighborhood and let the skunk free in a wooded area.  Thanks to the trap, we were able to use the most natural skunk repellent to rid them from the yard!

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Being the victim in a skunk spray situation is among the worst of nightmares.  Not only is the smell absolutely awful, but the substance is oily and seems to repel water.  In fact, water actually intensifies the smell…did you know that?  I didn’t, and when my dog was on the receiving end of a skunk’s spray I was at a loss for what to do to remove the smell.

The first thing I thought to do was to put him in the bathtub, run the water full blast, and lather him with tomato juice…Wrong, wrong, and wrong!  Upon realizing this was not the way to go, I did some research to find other options to remove the skunk smell from my dog.

One homemade mixture I tried consists of:

1 Quart Hydrogen Peroxide
1/4 Cup Baking Soda
1 to 2 Teaspoons of liquid soap

Do not soak your dog prior to bathing him.  Combine these three ingredients in a plastic container (the mixture will fiz because of the chemical reaction).  Cleanse the affected areas by massaging the mixture into the dog’s fur, using a washcloth or sponge.  Let the solution sit on your dog for 5 minutes, then rinse well with luke warm water.  Repeat washing until the smell is gone.  Do not put mixture into a spray bottle, as the pressure could cause the bottle to explode, and do not store it – use immediately.

This solution seemed to work well, but the scent did linger for a few weeks.  I wanted to find a product that I could keep on hand in case my dog made enemies with another skunk, as well as research skunk repellents to keep them out of my yard in the first place.

The product I purchased was Nature’s Miracle Skunk Odor Remover, which is also used for skunk smell removal on clothing, furniture, people, carpets, and other contaminated surfaces.

I had the opportunity to use this product the second time my dog was sprayed by a skunk.  Because it comes in a bottle with a squirt tap, it was very easy to apply the solution to the affected areas and massage in with a saturated washcloth.  One washing later and the smell was 99% gone!  I also used it to wash the bathtub and the floor of the bathroom, completely removing the skunk smell from the room.

I always have a bottle of Nature’s Miracle Skunk Odor Remover on hand just in case, but with the variety of homemade and natural skunk repellents that I’ve tried, I am relatively skunk problem free!

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I quickly realized I had a skunk problem when my dog was sprayed for the second time in a week and the daily smell of lingering skunk spray just wouldn’t go away.  I checked each and every possibility of a shelter for them on my property but could find no visible indication a skunk or a family of skunks actually living in my yard.  What I did find were holes under the fence on each side of the property, indicating that the skunks were traveling through my yard.

I was plagued with holes upon holes dug out all over my backyard, which I later found out is what skunks do when searching for food.  Every night after dark, the skunk’s adventure began.  I know they came to visit every night because I had covered up the holes during the day.  Realizing this was not a one time occurrence, I started doing some research to find not just skunk repellents, but also how to remove the horrible smell from my dog, the right way!

Instead of looking for a product I could buy to deter skunks from my yard, I wanted to use a homemade skunk repellent that was non-toxic to the environment.  I tried a few “recipes” over the course of the next two weeks and I can say that they all helped in one way or another.  I also tried natural skunk repellents like turning on bright lights after dark and placing orange peels around the perimeter of my yard.  The only manufactured skunk deterrent I did buy was mothballs, which are not convenient due to rain and having to replace them frequently.

I also thought about trying to trap the visiting skunks then relocate them.  I started by calling my local animal control, and was given a few options, all without the use of skunk poison.  One option is to have them come to my home and set a trap, then come back to remove the trap.  A second option was to purchase a trap, bait and set it myself, and call to have the trapped skunk removed.  Others more daring than myself may also have chosen to relocate and release the trapped skunk themselves, however I am not so bold!

The reason for my concern of being sprayed by a skunk, trapped or otherwise, is the horrific experience my dog (and myself) went through.  Upon letting my dog out to complete his nightly routine, a very large skunk chose that time to enter my yard under the fence…where my dog happened to be standing.  The dog bolts towards the skunk, the skunk turns around, up goes the tail, and wham, my dog received a straight shot of skunk spray right to the chest!

The smell was so much worse than any road kill emits, and I was at a complete loss as to what to do to remove the skunk smell.  My first thought was Tomato Juice…that DID NOT work!  My neighbor suggested douche…that was better, but still did not work.  Seven baths, 4 ruined towels, and a sad, sad dog later, he still smelled like skunk.  The smell grew fainter as the days and weeks went on, but had I taken preventive measures to keep the skunks from my yard, this could have been avoided.

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