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Skunks
Skunks
Skunks Can Be A Nuisance, Destructive, and a Health Risk!
Skunks are common in suburban areas. They are known for their ability to spray a liquid with a strong, awful scent from their anal glands. They use their spray as their main tool of defense. Encounters with dogs and people trying to catch and remove them, has resulted in a skunk spraying in defense. Skunks can also bite and scratch if cornered. Bites and scratches from skunks can cause rabies, which is possibly fatal when left untreated.
Skunks can be a nuisance. A skunk may enter an open garage or shed. They also commonly dig holes in lawns in search of grubs and worms. Because of the strong, lingering odor and concern about being sprayed, people do not want skunks living under a deck or old structure on their property. One common complaint is that skunks get into garages, basements, barns, under porches and mobile homes. A skunk control service is trained to remove nuisance skunks safely.
About Skunks
Of the family Mephitidae, different species of skunk vary in appearance from black-and-white to brown, cream or ginger in color, but black-and-white is the most common to people in Ontario. They have black fur on the back with two white stripes, which join near the neck and tail. The tail is bushy and curled back. These animals have short, well-muscled legs and long front claws for digging. They also have five toes on each foot.
A skunk’s spray is strong and offensive enough to ward off bears and other potential attackers. A skunk’s sulfuric spray has a range of up to 10 feet, and its odor can be detected up to 1.5 miles. Skunks are nocturnal and typically spend their days sleeping in burrows. Even though skunks are mostly active at night, they sometimes look for food during the day, especially in the spring, when they have offspring that require more food.
Diet
Skunks are omnivorous, eating both plant and animal material. They eat insects, larvae, grubs, earthworms, rodents, salamanders, frogs, birds, snakes, moles, and eggs. They also eat berries, roots, leaves, and nuts. Skunks can eat garbage left by humans and unsecured pet food. Skunks have also been known to kill poultry and to eat eggs.
Skunk Reproduction
Skunks mate in early spring. The female excavates a den to house her litter of four to seven kits. Skunks have a gestation period of about 66 days. Skunk kits are born blind and deaf, but have a soft layer of fur. About three weeks after birth, they first open their eyes. They are weaned about two months after birth. Skunks typically stay with their mother until one year of age. In winter it is not unusual for several adult females and young to share a burrow. Adult males often den alone.
Professional Skunk Removal Services Provides Peace Of Mind
If you are experiencing a nuisance skunk in or around your property, whether home or business, contact a skunk removal service before the situation gets out of control. It is important to make sure the skunk has not been settled long enough to have established a den and given birth, and that they have any accessible foods secured in tightly sealed containers.
A skunk removal issue is best left to professional skunk control services. A wildlife control service is trained to remove skunks and help implement strategies to prevent denning before an animal moves in. Please feel free to contact us by phone or email anytime. We are available seven days per week to provide pests such as skunk, and pest control services in Hamilton, Oakville, Burlington, and surrounding areas, or to answer any of your questions.
