Skunk removal

[jessmarimba]

A skunk family burrowed it's way from their den into my crawl space. They don't smell too great (though they haven't sprayed under there) so I called a wildlife removal company to get rid of them. They set traps and will supposedly relocate the skunks, though I'll need to plug up their den and attempt to skunk-proof that part of my yard. As long as we have alley dumpsters with a constant massive food source, the neighborhood is going to have pests (which is how I ended up with the feral cat colony, too).

My question is about the trap system. They're baiting and supposedly using bait that cats don't like, but so far we've caught one skunk, one cat, and two squirrels. I released the very bewildered cat (a neighbor's pet) and squirrels myself, since they charge every time they come mess with the traps. The odds of catching skunks don't seem so great at the moment. Anyone have any experience with this?

(I'm considering installing a few lights in the crawl space as another deterrent and just leaving them on all the time. A little crazy, but the energy use from the compact fluorescents should be pretty low. Crazy? Reasonable?)

[indysteel]

I spent a decent chunk of change last year dealing with the damage done by raccoons, groundhogs and chipmunks. A few drops of fox urine took care of the chipmunks. We took down some trees close to our roof line to deal with the raccoons and we're just waiting to see if any groundhogs return. All I can say is good luck!

[Jolt]

Not sure about the lights but have heard that skunks (ironically) don't like strong smells...maybe put something scented in there once they have been removed, to discourage the little stinkers from using that area as a nest again.

[OakLeaf]

I don't know whether lighting the space would help or not - but you could just get some of those stick-on battery powered closet lights rather than installing fixtures. Way simpler and I think they provide plenty of light.

[pumpkinpony]

I used to have the same problem in the barn when trying to trap skunks and not barn cats... I found jalapeno sardines to work quite well. I don't guess cats like them as much but the skunks still found it appealing. Cheap enough at the grocery store.

[jessmarimba]

Thanks. The removal company is providing the bait but I may have to re-bait one of the traps since the squirrel might've eaten everything.

And that's a good idea for the lights. Might be a good temporary solution, since I just need to keep them out until my shoulder is ok enough to bury a chicken wire barrier to the crawl space. I got a recommendation to use ammonia rags to keep them away (since they don't like the smell) but the area might be too big for a stinky option to work. Plus I have to smell anything I put in the crawl space, too!

[smilingcat]

Borrow a un-neutered male dog and have him pee around the entry point to the burrow. Or anywhere the skunk may want to walk by.

Wild critters have enough sense to stay away from potential predators.

[westtexas]

My mom went through the same thing last year. She tried all the tricks in the book. What worked most reliably was baiting the traps with Little Debbie's Oatmeal Cream Pies. Any other bait and we caught who-knows-what. But the cream pies did the trick every time. We ended up relocating about 6 skunks from under the deck before all was said and done. We did it ourselves because out here due to rabies risk, they are simply destroyed after being trapped.