Skunk away?

Question

I have a skunk in my neighborhood (I mean a real one), that seems to walk around at night and visit all the houses here. I'm not sure if he just natually smells, but for some reason when he decides to visit my home...it smells awful in my yard. I thought maybe he was spraying because of my dog, but now my dog sleeps inside and he still smells up the place. It's terrible and I have to get up in the middle of the night and close all the windows (he's not out there every night). Is there anything that I can do to discourage the skunk to NOT visit my back yard?

No, not the trash. The trash can is in the garage:(

Answer 1

If possible, eliminate outdoor sources of water.

Battery operated flashing lights, tape recorded human noises, scattered moth balls and ammonia-soaked rags strategically placed may deter skunks from entering your yard.

Sprinkle cayenne pepper around your yard to discourage digging.

Fences are effective as long as they are buried at least 1 1/2 feet in the ground.

Debris and brush piles should be removed or stacked neatly to eliminate suitable cavities.

Blow-up or plastic great horned owls may be strategically placed and periodically moved to deter skunks.

Keep fruit trees picked and don't leave rotted fruit on the ground.

Restrict use of birdseed. Skunks are attracted to it and to the birds and rodents that use the feeder.

Answer 2

I had that problem when my dog used to chase a skunk under my crawl space called the department of conservation they said to have a bowl of ammonia and have a rag in it an place it inside crawl space have not seen skunk since have also used a small amount on trash days to keep other animals out of trash

Answer 3

It's got to be food. Do you have grubs in your yard? Are there lots of little skunk sized holes in the turf? If you get rid of the food source (aka grubs) the skunk won't visit any more.

Answer 4

wondering if he is eating something in your trash.