Despite their adorable appearance, skunks are troublesome critters with a powerful smell. Did you know that a single spray can last up to four days? Skunks also risk damaging the garden, eating your plants and ruining your hard work. It is best that you keep them out. Wildlife Trapping assists in preventing and reducing property damage, controlling damaging exotic species, and restoring endangered species and migrating birds. The following lists what you can do to keep skunks and other pests out of the yard.
Call a Wildlife Removal Company
Skunk removal is much easier said than done. If there are animals giving you trouble, call a wildlife removal company. They can identify the source of the problem and address it for you. Even if there are no animals currently living in the yard, they can pest-proof it for you, sealing every potential entry point. The services that professionals provide are safe and effective.
Remove hiding spots
Skunks, raccoons, opossums, and other animals like to den under decks and sheds throughout the winter. Keep them out by repairing any holes you find in their structures. A gap between the porch steps, for example, may fit a raccoon. Block these with planks of wood or metal mesh.
For bonus protection, dig a trench around the sides of your deck and shed and screw a mesh into their sides. Make sure the mesh sticks out from the sides and goes down into the ground. This will prevent skunks and other burrowing animals from digging underneath.
Other hiding spots, such as scrap materials, piles of leaves, and overgrown shrubs should be removed as well. Trim down your hedges and vines, then rake the leaves and bag them up for collection. Pull weeds, mow the lawn, and move things away from the walls of the home, such as firewood. Remember that animals are attracted to overgrown yards where they can hide.
Get rid of food
Pests are drawn to yards where they can find food. Bring your dirty dishes inside as soon as you are done eating on the patio and clean the barbecue after each use. Use securely lidded garbage cans and keep them out of reach, if you can. Consider investing in a storage shed for garbage and clean the cans on a regular basis.
If you have fruit trees, pick up their fruit as soon as they fall to the ground. If you like to feed the birds, use a hanging feeder, or get rid of the bird feeder entirely. Bird feeders are magnets for rodents, skunks, and raccoons. You should also avoid leaving any pet food out, especially during the night. Pet food is perfect for urban wildlife and they will come back to your home for more.
Protect your produce – raised bed, fence,
Growing produce will unfortunately attract skunks to the yard. Consider starting the next growing season with a raised garden bed to keep them out. Raised garden beds lift plants a few feet above ground, making it harder for pests to reach them. They also protect your trees’ roots, extend the growing season, and make gardening a little easier on your back! Put a mesh cover on top of the garden bed, and pests will be unable to eat your plants.
Instead of building a bed, you can build a fence. A sturdy fence helps keep skunks out of the garden. You can build a permanent one, or a temporary one made of mesh or electric wiring. Surround your garden with a temporary fence next spring, then take it down in the fall. You have other options like fence rental dallas, hiring someone to put it up or you can learn how to make a good one.
Set up electronic deterrents
There is a myriad of electronic deterrents available on the market. Visit your local hardware store or look online for motion-activated deterrents you can leave in the yard. When an animal comes near, it will automatically spray the animal with water, flash lights, or make high-pitched sounds to scare it away. Put one or two of these in areas you do not want there to be pests.
Use apple cider vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is a wonderful product with many uses. In this case, it mimics the smell of predator urine. Try diluting one part apple cider vinegar with three parts water and spraying it around the deck and garden to keep skunks away. You can also soak some rags in the vinegar and placing them around the yard to deter wildlife.