How to Get Rid of Skunks

• Deter skunks by setting up motion-activated lights and sprinklers.
• Remove food sources by securing your trash and pet food, and keeping your yard free of bird seed and grubs.
• Seal off small areas with chicken wire, and use skunk repellent or ammonia-soaked rags to deter skunks.
• If all else fails, contact a professional to trap and release the skunk away from your property.

Install lights in your yard.

Skunks shy away from bright lights at night. Put up large motion-sensor lights and point them at your yard to deter skunks and make them go away. Keep in mind that the lights will probably deter other critters and wildlife from your yard as well. Skunks are nocturnal, which is why they tend to stay away from bright lights.

Use motion-activated sprinklers.

Sprinklers will frighten skunks and keep them out of your yard. Consider adding motion-activated sprinklers to turn on whenever a skunk comes near. Place them strategically close to areas where you suspect skunks might want to shelter, like under your deck or inside a window well.

Turn a loud radio on at night.

Skunks don’t like loud noises, and a radio may scare them away. If you know that skunks like to head inside an outdoor shed or under your deck, place a radio nearby and turn it onto a talk radio station. Leave it on at night to scare skunks away and keep them off your property. If you have neighbors close by, they might not appreciate this tactic. Instead, try an ultrasonic skunk repellent that emits a high-pitched noise. Skunks can hear it, but humans can’t.

Secure your garbage and compost containers.

Keep trash cans secured tightly to remove a skunk’s food source. Skunks are scavengers, and an open trash can or compost pile is like a 3-course meal for them. Keep your garbage in a thick plastic container with a tight-fitting lid, and put it inside, if possible. If you have a compost pile outside, don’t put kitchen scraps in it until the skunks are gone. Leaving kitchen scraps outside is a great way to attract skunks to your yard.

Feed pets indoors.

Keep pet food inside to avoid giving skunks a free meal. If you have outdoor animals, take them inside to feed them as often as possible. If that’s not an option, stick around after your animals eat and clean up any leftover food as best as you can. If you store any pet food outside, keep it secure in a plastic bin with a tight-fitting lid.

Keep bird feed off the ground.

Skunks love bird seed, so clean it up when you see it on the ground. Feeding the birds around your home is great, but it can sometimes get a little messy. If you notice any bird seed on the ground, clean it up before nightfall to avoid attracting skunks. If you can’t stay on top of cleaning up bird seed around your home, consider taking down your bird feeders until the skunks aren’t a problem anymore.

Treat your yard for grubs.

Get rid of grubs to remove a natural food source for skunks. Your tall, watered lawn may be hiding a plethora of delicious grubs that attract skunks. To quickly get rid of grubs, stop watering your lawn for 3 to 4 weeks. As your lawn dries out, the grubs will die, and the skunks will look for food elsewhere. You can also release nematodes in your lawn, or sprinkle milky spore over your lawn to kill grubs. However, these methods can take years to kill off grubs, so they’re not ideal.

Seal small areas with chicken wire.

Deter skunks from entering small areas with chicken wire. There may be spots on your property that skunks are attracted to, like the area under your deck. Put up chicken wire to keep skunks out and prevent them from making a home. Make sure you aren’t blocking off an area that has skunks in it currently, since trapping them in a small space could kill them. If you’re not sure, put loose dirt or wood shavings into an area and leave it for 2 to 3 days. If the dirt and wood chips aren’t disturbed after 3 days, you can safely assume that no skunks are living there.

Place ammonia-soaked rags around your yard.

The smell of ammonia is a known skunk deterrent. Ironically, skunks aren’t a huge fan of strong smells, like ammonia. Dip a few rags into ammonia and leave them around your property to hopefully send the skunks elsewhere. Ammonia tends to evaporate quickly. Be sure to replace the rags every day for this technique to be effective. Some people also have success with other strong scents, like soaps and citrus sprays. These aren’t proven by experts to deter skunks, but they can’t hurt, either.

Try a commercial skunk repellent.

Commercial repellents are formulated to deter skunks from your home. Buy a bottle of skunk repellent, then spray it around the perimeter of your yard. The smell of the repellent will deter the skunks and make them go elsewhere. Most skunk repellents are safe to use around animals and children. However, always read the label carefully on your skunk repellent, and follow the safety instructions on the bottle.

Contact a professional for live trapping.

Trap and release skunks on your property to move them elsewhere. If you’ve tried multiple methods and you still see skunks coming in and out of your property, contact a professional to trap and release them. A professional trapper will set up a cage to catch the skunk, then drive them out to a better habitat that’s suited for their needs. To hire a professional trapper, talk to someone from the wildlife department in your state or county. They may advise you to contact a private trapper. Look into your local laws before attempting to trap and release a skunk. In some states, this is illegal.