Are you seeing skunks in the yard? Skunks are busy little omnivores that are common throughout the GTA. They invade our gardens in search of food and shelter, putting us all at risk of getting sprayed. If you are seeing these animals on your property, there may be a den nearby. Female skunks build dens in the spring when they need a place to have their babies. Call Skunk Control today if you are interested in having an inspection. We provide humane skunk removal and exclusion services that come with a 2-year warranty.
Skunk Reproduction
Skunks breed when they emerge from their winter dens, usually between February and March. Females are pregnant for roughly 66 days, giving birth to a litter of kits sometime between April and June. Skunks typically have 4 to 6 kits at a time. They are blind for the first 3 weeks of their lives, then begin to venture out with their mothers at about 8 weeks of age. They leave the den permanently in the fall. Female skunks like to raise their young under decks, sheds, and porches, where they feel safe. Skunk invasions are therefore very common throughout the spring.
How to Get Rid of Skunks
If you suspect that there is a family of skunks on your property, it is best that you wait until the kits have grown before you try to remove them. If not, you risk separating the mother from her kits. This is not only inhumane but risks causing more damage to your property as the mother desperately tries to get back to her kits. Leaving the kits behind will leave them to starve and cause odour problems. Hurting skunks is also illegal in Ontario without the proper hunting license. Wait until summer, then evict the animals humanely.
Skunks will leave on their own, but you can ensure that they won’t come back by installing a one-way door to the entrance of the den. The one-way door consists of a plastic or mesh flap that swings outward, letting the animals leave on their own time. Once out, they are unable to get back inside. Then, exclude the rest of the structure by digging a trench along its perimeter, then securing a pest-proof mesh to its sides. Burying a mesh like this will stop skunks and other burrowing pests from digging underneath. Excluding the deck, shed, and extension of the home is recommended.
Hire a Professional Skunk Remover
Skunks are most active in the spring when they have their babies. If there are skunks on your property, he most reliable way you can get rid of them is to hire a professional. Our technicians are trained and experienced in all forms of skunk removal. We can determine at what stage of the lifecycle the skunks are, then remove them humanely. We can also keep them out by pest-proofing the structures you have in the yard. Call Skunk Control today for safe, affordable, and guaranteed skunk removal services.