Skunks

Skunks are a common concern among both rural and urban residents in Strathcona County.

 

As is sometimes the case, avoiding the problem works best - discourage skunks from moving in to your yard.

How to discourage skunks from moving in
Skunks are a nuisance around buildings, mainly because of the potential that they will spray. They may also dig in flowerbeds and gardens, eat garbage, and root through compost heaps.

Two things attract skunks - food and shelter.

  • Do not leave pet food or water out overnight.
  • Keep garbage cans tightly closed.
  • Cover compost heaps with a lid.
  • Clean and tidy yards to discourage skunks from moving in. Trash, brush, car bodies and loosely stacked lumber piled on the ground are some of the settings skunks look for to set up a home. Or they may burrow under porches and sheds, or enter a garage through an open door.

If you are going to store articles in the yard, keep them off the ground, and mow grass and weeds.

  • Raise garden sheds on to support beams so the sun can shine underneath.
  • Fully seal off all openings around and under buildings and mobile homes with sheet metal or plywood, buried to a minimum depth of one foot.
  • Nail chicken wire 12 to 24 inches wide to the base of wood decks.
  • Lay chicken wire on the ground like an apron to prevent skunks from burrowing. If you peg the wire corners into the ground, the grass will grow through the mesh for easy mowing.
  • Floodlights or strings of lights may cause a skunk to leave from under steps or a building.
  • Mothballs can be put into the burrow, but they should be crushed to release more odour. Skunks may remove whole mothballs from the burrow.

About the Striped Skunk

  • The Striped Skunk is a member of the weasel family, and is common in Alberta.
  • Skunks are beneficial in that they feed on insects and rodents; however, skunks are not considered desirable because of the potential that they will spray.
  • Skunks have few natural enemies other than man.
  • Their breeding season is February through mid-March.
  • They have a gestation period of nine weeks.
  • The average litter size is four to seven young.
  • Juveniles disperse in late summer and can travel from five to 20 km.
  • In mid-September, skunks begin to look for winter denning sites.
  • Skunks are not true hibernators. They do, however, over-winter in dens, living mainly off of stored fat reserves. They will leave the den on warm winter nights to feed or check out their territory.

More than one skunk may share the same den.

Skunks and spraying

  • Skunks spray not because they like to; they spray to defend themselves, as a last resort.
  • Skunks do not smell. The strong odour they spray is offensive to people and animals, including skunks themselves.
  • Skunks have two scent glands, located at the base of the tail and they can spray up to four metres accurately. A skunk will usually stamp its feet, make short charges or arch its tail over the back before spraying.
  • If it were not for the offensive odour, most people would not know of a skunk living in their yard.

Odour removal

  • Skunk musk is strong, even in small amounts, and may be noticeable for up to one year.
  • Washing with soap helps. Diluted vinegar or tomato juice also helps to eliminate the smell.
  • Straight tomato juice on dogs will make them sticky and smelly.

Some of the new odour removers work well and can be found at your local home improvement centres.

Rabies

  • If a skunk is out during daylight, acting strange and is not afraid of people, do not approach the skunk.
    Call Transportation and Agriculture Services at 780-417-7100.
  • Skunk rabies has not been detected in this area at the present time. It has been found in southern Alberta along the Montana border.

Instructions for trapping skunks

Strathcona County provides skunk traps on a rental basis for a two-week period. Please follow the instructions carefully. If you have any questions, call 780-417-7100. Office hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Setting the trap

  • Set the trap either close to the skunk den or near the skunk's normal line of travel.
  • Push in on the springs on the door and lift at the same time. The trap's trigger is located on the top of the door and hooks onto the bar connected to the pan in the bottom of the trap.

Do not make any adjustments to the trap. If the trap will not work for you, call our office at 780-417-7100 for assistance.

When (and when not) to set the trap

  • Set the trap in the evening before dusk; skunks are active mostly at night. In the morning, close the trap to prevent capturing neighbourhood pets or other animals during the day.
    Staff is available to pick up any captured skunks on regular workdays, but not on weekends or holidays.
  • During a normal workweek, set the trap Sunday through Thursday nights. Be sure to close the trap on Friday morning and do not reset until Sunday night.
  • If there is a holiday during the week, be sure you do not set the trap the night before. There will be no staff available in the morning to pick up a skunk, should you catch one.

Baiting the trap
Place the bait through the inspection port located at the top rear of the trap.

  • Raw wiener and raw bacon work well for skunks.
  • If the skunks are eating your pet food, this will attract the skunk best. 
  • Do not use sardines. Sardines attract cats.

If the bait disappears but the trap has not closed, it may be that another animal is helping itself to a meal. If this is the case, try running a string through the inspection port and securing it outside the trap.

When you catch a skunk
Check the trap each morning.

  • If the trap is closed, look in the inspection port or through the door to make sure it is a skunk that has been captured. With the black traps, you may need to tip the trap on end to see. (Don't worry, skunks do not spray when in a box trap.)
  • Move the trap to an area shaded from the sun.
  • Keep pets away from the captured skunk.
  • Phone the office after 8:30 a.m., and we will send someone to pick up the skunk and trap.
  • Be sure to seal the entrance to a skunk den once the skunks are gone; otherwise other skunks may check out the burrow.

Further information:
Transportation and Agriculture Services
780-417-7100 (24 hours)
Email: 

 

 

Last updated: Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Page ID: 3481

County Hall: 2001 Sherwood Drive, Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada T8A 3W7