Skunks: How to Get Them Away From Your House

On Wednesday, Patch told you how to figure out if skunks had burrowed into your yard or under your deck or stairs and how to seal up those holes. But, sometimes homeowners need a little bit of help getting the skunks to go away.

If you need help removing a skunk and you live in the Joliet or Crest Hill area, Joliet Township Animal Control rents traps. The traps require a $100 deposit and have a $50 usage fee for a 5-day rental.

"People are definitely encouraged to rent the traps from us," Sarah Gimbel, Joliet Township Animal Control said.

Resident who are 65 and older have the $50 fee waived. All renters have the $100 deposit returned when the trap comes back.

Joliet Township Animal Control picks up the trap when an animal is caught inside. Even if you are trying to trap a skunk and catch another animal, JTAC will take away the trapped animal. When you pick up the cage, JTAC offers tips on the kinds of foods to use as bait. As is the rumor, skunks can be attracted into a trap using fried chicken, however, JTAC does not specify one brand over another.

If you are trying to trap skunk, you can also use fish, popcorn, marshmallows, vanilla wafers or grape jelly.

Stay tuned Friday for our last in the series - Skunks: What Really Gets the Smell Out of Your Pet?