SKUNK!
Heavens to Betsy I think I just spotted a skunk slipping under my back porch tonight! The scene: Kim makes 3 trillion trips from her Pryus to her Pocono home away from home. It is dark (she fails to immediately unload her car upon arrival because she has precious daylight + warm weather to get some outdoor painting done.) So, in the dark she makes the schlep from car to back door and is startled by a rustling noise just off to her left. Frozen in place (as if her elixir for earth worm phobia had worn off & they were swarming at her feet), she nearly drops bag of winter shoes (time to retire Wanda Winter) and sees what she 
thinks MOST CERTAINLY is the bright white stripe of fur on an otherwise midnight black creature now squeezing under her back porch! Should she proceed or risk being sprayed?!?Tune in next time for another installment of "As the Skunk Stinks".
Seriously...what humane thing can I do to suggest strongly another location for Mr. Squeezy - under - the - porchy?
Luckily, I escaped having to bathe in tomato soup. (I don't have time for this!! I am throwing Lyndall Stout's BABY SHOWER here in a week!!! (Pretty in Pink!) What if Mr. Stink Bomb sprays all the ladies in their pretty day dresses upon arrival??? SUPER YIKES!)
(THIS JUST IN -- CHECK OUT MY POLL TO THE RIGHT...WHAT KIND OF UNINVITED GUEST WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE LIVING UNDER YOUR PORCH?)
Labels: CAMPBELLS TOMATO SOUP, LYNDALL STOUT BABY SHOWER, SKUNK, SPRAY
posted by Kim M. @ 10:39 PM
8 Comments:
Quite sure you don't need my help for this. Just call animal control, and have them remove (relocate) it.
Only problem may be if the area under the porch is the den for a female about to have it's litter. This is birthing season now...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skunk
ya know what kim? i think the skunk is getting a really raw deal. totally unfair.
Kim, I had same problem a few years ago. I used moth balls which I scattered liberally under my deck. It seemed to have worked! I've also live trapped them on my property in Adamstown, Md. However, very tricky to get them out without an accident!! I know they make a PVC live trap which makes it easier to trap and transport. Jack Kephart
Kim, Had the same situation on several past occasions. I used moth balls scattered liberally up under my deck or placed in a plastic container with holes punched all over. I've also live trapped them but very tricky to get them out without an accident!!! they also make a solid PVC live trap which makes it somewhat easier to trap and transport. Advise any question, Jack Kephart, Adamstown Md
Kim,
Per your skunk issue, there is stuff sold at every local hardware store, such as Lowes or Home Depot that will repel raccoons, deer, skunks, etc. It's a granular powder that you just sprinkle around, and the smell will chase away the animal. (Moth balls might also work, they keep cats out of flower beds).
Good Luck,
Dawn
I made use of USED KITTY LITTER to get rid of groundhogs/woodchucks under my shed and garage. The groundhogs natural predator is cats. My girlfriend suggested using used kitty litter so I had my cat friends gather it for me. I spread it around the sides where the digging was occuring and voila! Groundhogs have gone back to the woods. Maybe this type of idea would work for you. I just don't know what the natural predator for a skunk is!
Hmmmmm thanks y'all. Moth balls seems to be the most popular comment and email into me...I like the used kitty litter idea as I have a ton of that! I'm worried if it is a mom skunk, that she is sitting a bunch of babies and I don't want her to abandon them or stress them out...I'll give it some time and hopefully they'll move on to a better spot! Thank you!!
Regarding the skunk issue...comments from The University of Delaware's Cooperative Extension Service published in the magazine, Delaware Beach Life:
"To prevent skunks from making a den under a building, seal off all foundation openings with wire mesh. Do this when the animals are not at home. To live-trap a skunk, bait it with sardines or cat food. Use a box trap; then cover it with a cloth to move it."
A Web site for more information is www.ag.udel.edu/extension
Good luck.
Janie
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