I f convincing your family of skunks seems too drastic a move, let the family stay until the babies are old enough to take off on their own. Once you are sure the skunks have moved out, cover up their entry and exit. Remember, skunks dig for food, so make sure that when you block their entry, the barrier continues approximately 6 inches below the soil. Do not trap and relocate skunks. Despite their smelly reputation, skunks are beneficial to people. They eat a huge number of agricultural pests, such as army worms, potato beetles and squash bugs.
One of their favorite foods is grubs, which they dig up from the soil. Ahungry skunk can save people lots of money in terms of the amount of pesticides they might use if the skunk was not at work all night. Skunks will also eat spiders, snails, earthworms, carrion, berries, nuts, roots, small rodents and garbage. Watch for signs of agitation, and freeze until the skunk calms down. Dogs can easily startle skunks since their tendency is to run directly at the skunk without pause.
If you have skunks in your neighborhood, you may want to make noise at night before letting your dog out in the yard. Simply calling out to warn the skunks will typically startle them out of your yard prior to letting the dog out. Den under Building: The openings to skunk dens are usually about four to six inches wide, and smell faintly like skunk. Baby skunks are typically born in May and June and remain in their dens for eight weeks.
If at all possible, be patient and wait for the skunk family to leave on their own. Once you think the den is unoccupied, loosely stuff the den hole with crumpled newspaper.
Amend the area to prevent future skunks or other animals from moving in by covering the entrance with wire mesh that extends underground.
Digging in Lawns: Skunks love eating insects, so if your lawn or new sod has an infestation of grubs, you may find skunks digging in the yard to find food. Typically, homeowners will see many holes in the yard, usually about two inches in size. The best way to prevent this conflict is to get rid of the grub problem.
There are also other commercial grub treatments available on the market; visit your local garden center and ask about pesticide-free grub treatment. The simplest way to keep beehives safe is to elevate the hives off the ground. Raiding Chicken Coops: Exclusion is the only long-term solution.
Make sure chickens are securely closed in the coop at night; fencing around the coop should extend eight inches underground. Remember to watch carefully for signs of agitation when approaching the trapped skunk; move slowly and speak softly as you work. If the window well is large enough, slide a rough, wooden board into the well to act as a ramp for the skunk; the skunk will likely climb out at night. If the well is small, and the ramp board is too steep more than a degree angle , you can lower a bucket on its side into the well, after placing some smelly food cat food, tuna, or peanut butter in the bucket.
When the skunk takes the bait, very slowly pull the bucket out — ideally using a rope, so you can stay at a distance. In these situations, the only safe solution is to contain the skunk and transport it to a permitted wildlife rehabilitator.
Out During the Day: Skunks are nocturnal, but sometimes are seen during the day, particularly if the skunk is a nursing mother looking for food. As long as the skunk is alert and walking normally, there is no cause for concern. If the skunk appears lethargic or is stumbling and having difficulty walking, call your local animal control officer. Some frisky males will roam up to 5 miles in one night to rack up conquests.
Once a female is impregnated, she aggressively shuns the male throughout the duration of her pregnancy. If the pregnancy fails before the end of the breeding season, she may become receptive and pregnant once again as late as May. Thus her gestation period is 59 to 77 days. A skunk mother gives birth to a litter of two to 10 babies, or kits. Each kit weighs between 32 and 35 grams. They are born without coats, but their striped patterns are present in their skin pigmentation.
By their eighth day, the kits are able to release musk from their scent glands, at 3 weeks of age, their eyes open. Kits nurse from their mothers until weaning occurs at 8 weeks of age. Once weaned, the young skunks venture out with their mother on hunting and foraging expeditions, trailing behind her single-file and learning the finer points of survival. The male plays no role in parenting his offspring.
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