In the News -
November 2007
Cooler weather means skunks are on the prowl
FORDYCE, Ark. - As the seasons change and temperatures begin to cool, skunks
begin moving around looking for places to spend the winter. Skunks usually come
into heat in late winter, so they're looking for the perfect den location to
overwinter and raise their young, says Bobby Hall, Dallas County staff chair for
the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service.
"Openings under houses and outbuildings are prime targets for skunks,” says
Hall. "Skunks like being around humans, especially those with cats, because of
the abundance of food available to them. Skunks love commercial cat food.”
Hall recalled once going outside to feed his black and white cat. He
approached what he thought was his cat eating in the food bowl. "As I readied
myself to pour the food, I realized it was not my cat. Fortunately, the skunk
was more interested in eating than it was in me.”
If you have a skunk that dens under your house, you should close all
entrances except one, and then set that entrance with a small, live trap.
Skunks prefer to move around at night, says Hall. Overly aggressive skunks
and those that approach without hesitation should be treated with extra
precaution, since skunks have been known to carry rabies.
If you trap a skunk, Hall says you may well ask yourself, "Now that I've
caught it, what do I do with it?”
Hall is an old hand at trapping, having trapped 24 with the help of two
neighbors. But he says it's a thankless, lonely job.
"You're on your own after you catch a skunk,” says Hall. You have no friends,
and others you ask for help suddenly become busy with other matters.
Hall urges people to use major caution in dealing with trapped skunks, adding
that it can be done properly without having to lose your family.
"My philosophy is to trap and cover,” he recommends. Approach the trap
cautiously, keeping the cover between you and the trap. Once covered, the skunk
can be transported to a dark, safe location for release. He recommends using a
truck - preferably borrowed - for transportation, "because putting it in the
back of your new car isn't the most desirable thing.”
The humane thing is to release it several miles from your house, maybe near
someone you don't like, Hall says with a laugh.
Should the unthinkable happen and a spray happens, you will rapidly become a
social outcast. Hall says the traditional method to fight odor is with diluted
solutions of vinegar or tomato juice.
Dr. Becky McPeake, extension wildlife specialist, says scientists have
identified the components that make skunk spray stink and the chemicals that can
counteract the smell.
"For a striped skunk, hydrogen peroxide and baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)
are mild enough to be used on pets, although it may change their hair color,”
she says. "Use the solution immediately after mixing. Don't store it. For
inanimate objects, sodium hypochlorite solutions (liquid laundry bleach) are
cheap and effective.”
The formula for the hydrogen peroxide solution is:
- 1 quart 3 percent hydrogen peroxide (fresh bottle)
- 1/4 cup baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)
- 1-2 teaspoons of liquid dish soap
For more information, contact your county extension agent. The Cooperative
Extension Service is part of the U of A Division of Agriculture.
November 9, 2007Media Contact: Lamar James
Extension Communications Specialist
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2187 or (501) 753-0207
ljames@uaex.edu
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