Skunk Removal and Facts

SKUNKS

The Striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) is a very common animal in the San Francisco Bay Area. It weighs about 6 to 14 pounds and approximately 20 to 32 inches. This species is typically black in color with two white strips from the center of their face down through their bushy tail. This skunk has two scent glands near the anus in which a strong musky spray is expelled.

BIOLOGY

Skunks are nocturnal which means they are active in the night. They feed on birds, eggs, rodents, insects and garbage. Breeding occurs in February through March each year and can also have some strong odors occurring during these times. The bad news is that I found that once a skunk has sprayed it now is attracting more skunks to this location to try to breed. The gestation period is approximately 62 to 66 days with a litter of 4 to 8 young. The young will often disperse late in the summer months. I have found over many years in the wildlife field that if you don’t take the time to trap all the skunks that those not trapped may return to breed again in the same site during the next season.

DAMAGE TO STRUCTURES

Skunks in the wild live in hollow logs and burrows. Unfortunately in urban areas they often seek out shelter within homes and businesses from Tiburon, San Rafael, and Novato to Sonoma, Napa, St Helena, Vacaville, Alamo and Danville. They tear off foundation vent screens or dig directly under the foundation and up the other side to live in the under floor area. Once they enter the under floor they can make a nesting site in a number of locations. I have found them using the insulation tacked below the floor to make a sort of hammock, crawling up the pipes to live in the hollow area around the tub, digging a burrow in the ground or just sleeping on a layer of bedding material right on the ground. Skunks can chew on electrical wires and by this and their bringing in grass and leaf material for bedding, a fire can occur in the structure. Skunks can also do a great deal of damage to air ducts. We perform full inspections of attics and under floor spaces to find out how the animals are entering, looking for damage they may have done and all this while the animals are still in these spaces. We trap and remove skunks in Solano, Sonoma, Napa, Marin, Sacramento, Contra Costa and Yolo counties.

DISEASE IN SKUNKS

The Department of Agriculture stated that approximately up to 65% of skunks tested positive for rabies in areas so this is a great concern to humans and domestic animals. Rabies is transmitted by a bite from an infected animal. Rabies can be fatal in both humans and animals without proper treatment. skunks also can carry canine distemper, canine hepatitis, leptospirosis, Qfever and other diseases. Skunks are often infested with fleas, mites and ticks which also carry and transmit disease.

SKUNK ODOR ON PETS

There are a number of products available on the internet you can keep on hand to bathe your pet should it be sprayed. Most pet stores carry shampoo made just for this purpose. Home remedies can also be found on the internet and tomato juice has been used for years.