Virginia Skunk Removal, Trapping and Control
(804) 729-0046 or toll-free at (888) 824-7383
Skunks? Skunk Removal, Trapping & Control in Virginia. Virginia seems to have more skunk problems than any of our state I know. Our Wildlife Control Technicians are experts at skunk trapping, capture, removal, control, management and exclusion throughout Virginia. Did you know that skunks in Richmond and Charlottesville are one of the top carriers of rabies in Virginia? If you have skunks hanging around your property, skunks spraying your pets, skunks trapped in a window well, or skunks digging under your porch, deck, shed or garage. We can get rid of your critter problem and show you how to prevent their pesky digging. Although we don’t provide free skunk removal, you’ll find that are wildlife removal costs are cheaper than our competitors. Call us today at (804) 729-0046 or toll-free at (888) 824-7383 to schedule our skunk removal and exclusion services.
Skunk Identification in Virginia
The skunk, a member of the weasel family, is represented by four species in North America. The have short, stocky legs and proportionately large feet equipped with well-developed claws that enable it to be very adept at digging. The striped skunk is characterized by prominent, lateral white stripes that run down its back. Its fur is otherwise jet black. Striped skunks are the most abundant of the four species. The body of the striped skunk is about the size of an ordinary house cat (up to 29 inches long and weighing about 8 pounds). The spotted skunk is smaller (up to 21 inches long and weighing about 2.2 pounds), more weasel-like, and is readily distinguishable by white spots and short, broken white stripes in a dense jet-black coat.
The hooded skunk (Mephitis macroura) is identified by hair on the neck that is spread out into a ruff. It is 28 inches long and weighs the same as the striped skunk. It has an extremely long tail, as long as the head and body combined. The back and tail may be all white, or nearly all black, with two white side stripes. The hog-nosed skunk (Conepatus leucontus) has a long snout that is hairless for about 1 inch at the top. It is 26 inches long and weighs 4 pounds. Its entire back and tail are white and the lower sides and belly are black. Skunks have the ability to discharge nauseating musk from the anal glands and are capable of several discharges, not just one. Skunks, like most other wildlife in Virginia, can often be identified through their droppings (scat).
Home Range of Skunks
The striped skunk is common throughout Charlottesville, Henrico, Glen Allen, Midlothian, Richmond, and throughout Virginia. Spotted skunks are uncommon in most areas of Virginia and are considered a Protected Species in VA. They are distributed throughout most of the United States and northern Mexico. The hooded skunk and the hog-nosed skunk are much less common than striped and spotted skunks. Hooded skunks are limited to southwestern New Mexico and western Texas. The hog-nosed skunk is found in southern Colorado, central and southern New Mexico, the southern half of Texas, and northern Mexico.
General Biology, Reproduction, and Behavior
Adult skunks begin breeding in late February. Yearling females (born in the preceding year) mate in late March. Gestation usually lasts 7 to 10 weeks. Older females bear young during the first part of May, while yearling females bear young in early June. There is usually only 1 litter annually. Litters commonly consist of 4 to 6 young, but may have from 2 to 16. Younger or smaller females have smaller litters than older or larger females. The young stay with the female until fall. Both sexes mature by the following spring. The age potential for a skunk is about 10 years, but few live beyond 3 years in the wild. The normal home range of the skunk is l/2 to 2 miles in diameter. During the breeding season, a male may travel 4 to 5 miles each night.
They are dormant for about a month during the coldest part of winter. They may den together in winter for warmth, but generally are not sociable. They are nocturnal in habit, rather slow-moving and deliberate, and have great confidence in defending themselves against other animals.
Habitat of Pole Cats
Skunks inhabit clearings, pastures, and open lands bordering forests. On prairies, skunks seek cover in the thickets and timber fringes along streams. They establish dens in hollow logs or may climb trees and use hollow limbs.
Food Habits
Skunks eat plant and animal foods in about equal amounts during fall and winter. They eat considerably more animal matter during spring and summer when insects, their preferred food, are more available. Grasshoppers, beetles, and crickets are the adult insects most often taken. Field and house mice are regular and important items in their diet, particularly in winter. Rats, cottontail rabbits, and other small mammals are taken when other food is scarce.
Damage and Damage Identification
Skunks become a nuisance when their burrowing and feeding habits conflict with humans. They may burrow under porches or buildings by entering foundation openings. Garbage or refuse left outdoors may be disturbed by them. Skunks may damage beehives by attempting to feed on bees. Occasionally, they feed on corn, eating only the lower ears. If the cornstalk is knocked over, however, raccoons are more likely the cause of damage. Damage to the upper ears of corn is indicative of birds, deer, or squirrels.
Skunks dig holes in lawns, golf courses, and gardens to search for insect grubs found in the soil. Digging normally appears as small, 3- to 4-inch cone-shaped holes or patches of upturned earth. Several other animals, including domestic dogs, also dig in lawns. They occasionally kill poultry and eat eggs. They normally do not climb fences to get to poultry. By contrast, rats, weasels, mink, and raccoons regularly climb fences. If skunks gain access, they will normally feed on the eggs and occasionally kill one or two fowl. Eggs usually are opened on one end with the edges crushed inward. Weasels, mink, dogs and raccoons usually kill several chickens or ducks at a time. Dogs will often severely mutilate poultry.
Tracks may be used to identify the animal causing damage. Both the hind and forefeet of skunks have five toes. In some cases, the fifth toe may not be obvious. Claw marks are usually visible, but the heels of the forefeet normally are not. The hindfeet tracks are approximately 2 1/2 inches long. Skunk droppings can often be identified by the undigested insect parts they contain. Droppings are 1/4 to 1/2 inch in diameter and 1 to 2 inches long.
Odor is not always a reliable indicator of the presence or absence of skunks. Sometimes dogs, cats, or other animals that have been sprayed by skunks move under houses and make owners mistakenly think skunks are present.
Rabies may be carried by skunks with great frequency. They are the primary carriers of rabies in the Richmond Virginia and Central Virginia areas. When rabies outbreaks occur, the ease with which rabid animals can be contacted increases. Therefore, rabid skunks are prime vectors for the spread of the virus. Avoid overly aggressive skunks that approach without hesitation. Any skunk showing abnormal behavior, such as daytime activity, may be rabid and should be treated with caution. Report suspicious behavior to local animal control authorities.
Have skunks sprayed your dog, cat or other pet in Central Virginia? We can help. Give us a call.
Legal Status of Skunks in Virginia
Striped skunks are not protected by law in most states, but the spotted skunk is fully protected in Virginia. Legal status and licensing requirements may vary. Check with state wildlife officials before removing any skunks.
Damage Prevention and Control Methods
Exclusion
Keep skunks from denning under buildings by sealing off all foundation openings. Cover all openings with wire mesh, sheet metal, or concrete. Bury fencing 1 1/2 to 2 feet where skunks can gain access by digging. Seal all ground-level openings into poultry buildings and close doors at night. Poultry yards and coops without subsurface foundations may be fenced with 3-foot wire mesh fencing. Bury the lowest foot of fencing with the bottom 6 inches bent outward from the yard or building. They can be excluded from window wells or similar pits with mesh fencing. Place beehives on stands 3 feet high. It may be necessary to install aluminum guards around the bases of hives if they attempt to climb the supports. Skunks, however, normally do not climb. Use tight-fitting lids to keep them out of garbage cans.
Habitat Modification
Properly dispose of garbage or other food sources that will attract skunks. They are often attracted to rodents living in barns, crawl spaces, sheds, and garages. Rodent control programs may be necessary to eliminate this attraction. Debris such as lumber, fence posts, and junk cars provide shelter for skunks, and may encourage them to use an area. Clean up the area to discourage skunks.
Frightening
Lights and sounds may provide temporary relief from skunk activity.
Repellents
There are no registered repellents for these animals. Repellents are only a temporary measure. Permanent solutions require other methods.
Toxicants
No toxicants are registered for use in controlling skunks.
Trapping
Best left to a licensed Virginia Wildlife Control Professional.
Shooting
Not recommended.
Skunk Removal – Questions & Answers
Q. How do I keep skunks from digging up my yard?
A. They often dig in the yard in search of grubs and other insects. A sign that you may have a skunk problem is the conical shaped holes that they leave in the lawn when searching for insects. Occasionally, a grubicide will help with the grubs, but will not prevent the skunks from digging in your yard for other insects. The best way to get rid of skunks is to have them humanely trapped and removed by one of our Skunk Removal Experts.
Q. How do I get rid of skunks?
A. Skunks are often attracted to an area because of the availability of food and shelter. They will feed on food left outside for pets, trash and seeds scattered about at bird feeders. Taking your pets food inside at night, securing trash cans, removing debris piles and transitioning away from seed type bird feeders will often help. The best way to get rid of skunks is to have them humanely trapped and removed by one of our Skunk Removal Experts. Also, having us install skunk-proof barriers around decks, porches, garages, sheds and other areas favored by them as denning sights will often alleviate the problem and help keep it from reoccurring.
Q. What do skunks eat?
A. They eat plant and animal foods including grasshoppers, beetles, and crickets. Field and house mice are regular and important items in their diet, particularly in winter. Rats, cottontail rabbits, and other small mammals are taken when other food is scarce.
Q. Can a baby skunk spray?
A. Yes, baby skunks can spray and it smells just as bad as the spray of an adult.
Q. Do skunk repellents work?
A. The short answer is no. There are no products on the market that have been proven effective at deterring or repelling them. Contrary to what you may have heard or read, mothballs DO NOT repel skunks or any other nuisance animal.
Q. What do skunks eat?
A. They eat field mice and rats. Occasionally they eat moles, which cause damage to lawns, or insects such as white grubs, cutworms, potato beetle grubs, and other species that damage lawns, yards, sod, crops, or hay.
Q. Do you remove skunks in Charlottesville VA?
A. Yes, we provide skunk removal, trapping, control and odor elimination services in Charlottesville VA, Richmond VA and many other areas of Virginia.
Q. Do skunks have rabies?
A. They are one of the top carriers of rabies in Virginia. Other animals that are common rabies carriers in Central Virginia include raccoons, foxes and bats.
Q. Why are skunks attracted to my home?
A. There are many reasons why skunks and other wildlife are attracted to your home. We wrote this informative blog post that will explain Why Are Skunks Attracted To My Home.
Skunk Odor Removal
Many individuals find the smell of skunk musk nauseating. The scent is persistent and difficult to remove. Diluted solutions of vinegar or tomato juice may be used to eliminate most of the odor from people, pets, or clothing, but is not the best solution. We’ve found that a mixture of baking soda, peroxide, and Dawn dish soap works better at removing skunk odors. Clothing may also be soaked in weak solutions of household chloride bleach or ammonia. On camping trips, clothing can be smoked over a cedar or juniper fire.
Neutroleum alpha is a scent-masking solution that can be applied to the sprayed area to reduce the odor. It is available through some commercial cleaning suppliers and the local USDA-APHIS-ADC office. Walls or structural areas that have been sprayed by skunks can be washed down with vinegar or tomato juice solutions or sprayed with neutroleum alpha. Use ventilation fans to speed up the process of odor dissipation. Where musk has entered the eyes, severe burning and an excessive tear flow may occur. Temporary blindness of 10 or 15 minutes may result. Rinse the eyes with water to speed recovery.
Economics of Damage and Control of Skunks
Skunks should not be needlessly destroyed. They are highly beneficial to farmers, gardeners, and landowners because they feed on large numbers of agricultural and garden pests. They prey on field mice and rats, both of which may girdle trees or cause health problems. Occasionally they eat moles, which cause damage to lawns, or insects such as white grubs, cutworms, potato beetle grubs, and other species that damage lawns, crops, or hay.
They occasionally feed on ground-nesting birds, but their impact is usually minimal due to the large abundance of alternative foods. Skunks also feed on the eggs of upland game birds and waterfowl. In waterfowl production areas, nest destruction by egg-seeking predators such as skunks can significantly reduce reproduction. The occasional problems caused by the presence of skunks are generally outweighed by their beneficial habits. Some people even allow skunks to den under abandoned buildings or woodpiles. Unless skunks become really bothersome, they should be left alone. An economic evaluation of the feeding habits of skunks shows that only 5% of the diet is made up of items that are economically valuable to people.
The hide of the skunk is tough, durable, and able to withstand rough use. Generally there is little market for skunk pelts but when other furbearer prices are high, skunks are worth pelting.
Our Service Areas in Virginia
Virginia Professional Wildlife Removal Services is a full-service animal wildlife trapping, animal removal, animal capture, pest control, animal control, and wildlife management company serving counties, cities, towns and communities throughout Virginia. We provide residential, commercial, and industrial animal removal, animal control, animal trapping, animal capture, pest control and wildlife management services in Afton, Albemarle County, Alexandria, Amelia County, Annandale, Arlington, Ashburn, Ashland, Barboursville, Bellwood, Belmont, Bensley, Bermuda Hundred, Bon Air, Boyd Tavern, Brandermill, Bumpass, Burke, Central VA, Centreville, Chamberlain, Charlottesville, Chesapeake, Chester, Chesterfield County, Colonial Heights, Crozet, Cuckoo, CVille, Dale City, Doswell, Dumbarton, Earlysville, East Highland Park, Enon, Ettrick, Fairfax, Fair Oaks, Ferncliff, Fluvanna County, Fredericksburg, Genito, Glen Allen, Glenora, Goochland County, Gordonsville, Gum Spring, Hadensville, Hampton, Hampton Park, Hanover County, Harrisonburg, Harrogate, Hening, Henrico County, Highland Springs, Hopewell, Innsbrook, Jefferson Davis, Kents Store, Keswick, Lake Anna, Lake Monticello, Lake Ridge, Lakeside, Laurel, Leesburg, Lewiston, Lignum, Locust Grove, Louisa County, Maidens, Manakin, Manakin-Sabot, Manassas, Manchester, McLean, Montrose, Motoaca, Meadowbrook, Mechanicsville, Midlothian, Mineral, Moseley, Newport News, Norfolk, North Courthouse, North Garden, Oilville, Orange County, Palmyra, Pantops, Petersburg, Portsmouth, Powhatan County, Reams, Reston, Richmond, Richmond County, Robious, Rockville, Rockwood, RVA, Salisbury, Sandston, Sandy Hook, Scottsville, Shannon Hill, Short Pump, South Rockwood, Spring Run, Staunton, Stoney Point, Suffolk, Tidewater, Troy, Tuckahoe, Va, Varina, Virginia, Virginia Beach, Waynesboro, Williamsburg, Winchester, Winterpock, Woodlake, Wyndham, and the surrounding areas of Virginia.
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Contact Us at (804) 729-0046 or toll-free at (888) 824-7383 for Virginia animal trapping, animal control, wildlife removal, pest control, animal capture, animal exclusion or wildlife management in VA involving:
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