Pew! Homeowners Complain of Skunks Under Their Porches

Two Monroe residents want to evict skunks living under their porches this winter.

On Feb. 19, a Barn Hill Road resident told police that a skunk took over an old woodchuck den underneath concrete steps in front  of his house. Then on Feb. 20, a Patmar Circle woman reported seeing a skunk several times. Police said it appears to be living under her raised porch.

Monroe Animal Control Officer Ed Risko said the homeowners have also smelled skunk odors from their uninvited guests.

In both cases, the hiring of a nuisance wildlife control operator was recommended for trapping and to put up a temporary exclusionary device to keep the animals out. Risko said the devices would be temporary due to the frozen snow covered ground.

Skunk Tips

The following block quotes contain tips from The Fund for Animals.

How do I get a skunk out of my garage? Open the garage door before dusk and sprinkle an eight-inch band of flour under it so you can watch for a track of exiting footprints. Close the door after you ensure the skunk is gone.

Risko also says a skunk can be trapped in a box by leaving it open in the garage. The animal walks into it like a den and sleeps, he said, adding you can then close it and leave it by the edge of the woods. The skunk will find its own way out.

There is a skunk with a yogurt cup stuck on its head. What do I do? The skunk will not spray anything he can't see, so hold the yogurt cup firmly in a gloved hand. Upon feeling resistance, the skunk will pull back and his head should pop out. Stand motionless, and the skunk will not see or spray you.

Risko has said you can put a blanket over the skunk so it can't see you, take the cup off its head, then lift the blanket.

A Skunk Deodorizer

The Fund for Animals offers a "Magical Skunk Deodorizer Recipe" for dogs, clothes, skin etc.

One quart 3% hydrogen peroxide

1/4 cup baking soda

1 tsp. of liquid dish or laundry soap

Mix these 3 ingredients together, then dip a washrag in the solution and rub down the dog. Rinse and the odor will disappear within minutes! A word of warning: hydrogen peroxide may give a dark-furred animal "rust-colored highlights."