therwol Loc: USA

I have a problem with skunks in my yard at night. I live on a 1 acre property in the California foothills. About half of it is fenced so that my two dogs can't get out, but skunks can walk right through the fence to get in. I just watched one do just that. It went under my car to get out of the light I had just turned on. One of my dogs got it once, the other twice. I can't tell you how horrible that is, having to wash the dogs in hydrogen peroxide, baking soda and dish soap. It is impossible to get all of the smell off, and they smell for a couple of weeks afterward.

I have been putting down skunk repellant for the past two weeks, and every morning I find new holes in my yard where they're digging for whatever they eat. Has anyone else had to deal with this? I've done Google searches, and aside from skunk repellant, there are recommendations for putting down animal urine, ammonia, vinegar etc. Amazon sells motion sensor lights to put around your property to make them leave.

Animal control will trap them and kill them. I'm not keen on that, but I'm getting desperate. If anyone has successfully gotten rid of these critters, tell me how it was done.

Laramie Loc: Tempe

Martha Stewart suggests motion activated lights and capsaicin.

MadMikeOne Loc: So. NJ Shore - a bit west of Atlantic City

From the tone of your post, it sounds as though your main concern is the fact that your dogs keep getting "skunked". At the risk of sounding "snarky", have you considered keeping your dogs inside at night? If that is not possible, I'd suggest contacting a pest control company that will trap & re-locate the skunks. You could also try installing more motion sensor lights.

jcave Loc: Cecilia, Kentucky

Orange peels repel skunks. Seriously. Try them.

sourdough58 Loc: Maine

I have been in the animal control business for over 30 yrs https://crittercatcher.org/ I have trapped and relocated 100s and 100s of skunks this is the trap I use the most for skunks bait with buttered popcorn buy the trap here https://www.wildlifecontrolsupplies.com/animal/NWSTT6.html

AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!

I was told that using a spray of wolf or coyote urine would keep them out. Available on Amazon.

JimNC

I have been told that the enzymes in real tomato juice will kill the smell

therwol Loc: USA

We do keep our dogs (Beagles) in at night, but they do have to go out to relieve themselves before we go to bed, otherwise we have a problem in the house in the morning. This is when they have been skunked, even though I turn on lights and take a peek outside before letting them out. I'm now becoming a bit paranoid about walking to my car at night.

Aside from the problem with the dogs, the skunks have dug hundreds and hundreds of holes on my property over the past 2-3 months. Also understand that I live on a rural property that is heavily wooded and has many rocks/boulders behind which these things can hide. I don't know where they're going in the daytime. I can see under our shed. They're not there.

therwol Loc: USA

I have a half acre I'm concerned about. That would require a large number of orange peels.

Canisdirus

I'm surprised your dogs have been hit more than once.
It's an inevitability when we live in their space...and it is theirs.
All of my dogs have received the holy water at some point.

But never again.

Just calm your dogs down in regards to the skunk. The dogs take their cues from you.

therwol Loc: USA

Too bad you're in Maine. I don't think a house call to California would be practical. Thanks for the link to the trap. I don't think I could handle it myself, but it's good to know.

therwol Loc: USA

I keep thinking about this, especially after seeing one stroll across my property last night. I need a permanent solution. Anything I apply that has an odor is only temporary. They'll come back. I'm going to make some phone calls today and see if someone can take care of this humanely.

therwol Loc: USA

The dogs go outside off leash, day or night. The property is well fenced, and they can't get out. They don't stay out very long. The incidents have occurred withing a minute of letting them outside.

therwol Loc: USA

I heard that about tomato juice as well. I researched it. It doesn't work as well as the peroxide/baking soda/dish soap mixture. The main problem is that the dogs get it in the face, and you can't put this concoction near the eyes.

FredCM Loc: Central Illinois

The skunks might be after lawn grubs. If so get Scott's GRUB-X, apply it and water it in. You can check your yard for grubs easily enough, if the turf pulls up like a rug would and you see plenty of grubs there's your problem.

There are Nature's Miracle (brand name) products that do a good job of neutralizing skunk odor.

As an aside, you might recall from Gen. Psychology 101 that earthworms learn not to get on a copper grid because the scientist will shock them. Behavioral stuff. I had a schnauzer that got sprayed several times, he wouldn't learn that a black kitty with white stripes means a Nature's Miracle bath. He's not as smart as an earthworm.