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They do travel as much as a mile a night but seldom venture more than four miles from their den. You can use skunk repellent to get rid of skunks and keep them off your property, but if they continue to cause damage, relocating a problem skunk is quite easy as these are not territorial creatures.
How far do skunks wander?
Food. Skunks usually keep their foraging range just under a mile, though males and young animals sometimes wander as far as five miles. As omnivores, they look to small rodents, insects, and seasonal fruits to make up most of their diet.
Can skunks find their way back home?
This is because skunks are good in locating their food sources and their dwellings. For that reason, if you relocate them to a place within your vicinity you will still live to deal with skunks problem as they will definitely come back to take their place in your property or garden.
How long do skunks stay in one place?
Skunks typically have a single litter of four to six babies in May-June; skunks den in old woodchuck burrows, hollow logs, wood or rock piles, or under buildings and stone walls. The young remain in the den for about eight weeks.
What is the home range of a skunk?
Home ranges are considered to be about 4 square miles, but most skunks do not travel more than a mile or so in one night’s activity. Communal dens are common during the time of year that young are not being raised, and 6 to 20 skunks might share a den with one male at a time.
Where do skunks go during the day?
Even though skunks are the most active during the night, they are also active during the day. Skunks will, however, spend the most of the day in hiding. They will be leaving their dens, but they will als hide from plain sight.
Do skunks survive relocation?
Relocating skunks—even to wild or wooded areas—is illegal in most states and will likely result in their death because they will have trouble finding adequate food, water, and shelter and won’t have a natural immunity to foreign parasites and diseases.
How do you get a skunk to leave?
A bright light or a motion sensor flood light will scare skunks away. Most animals, including skunks, dislike the smell of citrus fruits. Place orange or lemon peels around the yard as a natural skunk repellent. Predator urine (dogs, coyotes) can be used to repel a skunk.
Do skunks stay in one area?
Skunks sometimes dig in lawns to find grubs and worms. Usually damage is minimal, and since skunks tend not to stay long in one area, tolerance is the best course of action. If you do wish to protect your lawn, you can lay chicken wire over vulnerable areas and stake it down to prevent skunks from digging.
How far will a skunk come back?
They do travel as much as a mile a night but seldom venture more than four miles from their den. You can use skunk repellent to get rid of skunks and keep them off your property, but if they continue to cause damage, relocating a problem skunk is quite easy as these are not territorial creatures.
How do you get a skunk to relocate?
Fortunately, getting skunks to go away can be a fairly straightforward job. Say Goodbye to Grubs. Skunks consume grubs. Drive Them Away with Repellents. The use of repellents can make skunks move from your home and/or garden. Visit The Den. Monitor Outdoor Food. Set Up a Fence.
Will skunks move on?
From early spring until late fall, skunks migrate from den to den every few days or so. Other than possibly digging a few holes in your yard and getting into your trash, damage from skunks is not usually cause for concern. For this reason, the best course of action is to wait out their stay until they move on.
How deep will skunks dig?
Skunks have short, stubby legs which give them power to dig under foundation of at least 2 feet deep to access crawl spaces. Don’t be surprised, even though you don’t smell a skunk, a skunk lives on your property.
How big is a skunk den?
Cone-shaped holes Skunks are omnivores and feed on a wide variety of plant and insect life. They’re particularly partial to subterranean foods, such as roots, grubs, and worms. To obtain these treats, skunks dig small, round, cone-shaped holes in your yard or garden. These holes measure around 3 to 5 inches across.
What to do if you see a skunk in your yard?
Back away from the skunk very slowly and steadily. Don’t turn your back, make sudden movements, raise your arms, or run. Instead, try to put about 10 feet between yourself and the skunk, but don’t rush.
How many skunks live in one area?
Skunk Dens Typically solitary pests, skunks can be drawn together during colder weather in these makeshift homes, sometimes with as many as 20 individuals living together.
How fast can skunks run?
Skunks can spray several times in rapid succession. Skunks have poor vision, but acute hearing and smell (how ironic). Skunks are slow, only running up to 10 mph.
How fast do skunks multiply?
Skunks give birth to one litter annually. Only during the middle to late summer months will you witness a mother skunk followed by a single row of her little replicas in tow.
