How to Discourage Skunks in Your Garden

Hi I'm Jim Harmon, California Pest Management. We are going to talk a little bit today about skunks. You can see right here that I have had a skunk that has just recently come and pulled some of my turf back in my back yard. What is he doing? He is looking for food. Typically skunks, especially specially sodded turf, they will go ahead and just roll that back looking for the grubs and other insects underneath. They are pretty much going to eat other insects whenever possible. Now one of the other areas we see a lot of times with skunks is looking for a place to have a family so any hollow void will work perfectly for them. They don't really like to dig burrows into the ground. They would rather go into a void at the base of a tree or in a pole at your house. As far as our skunks, why are they here? Well they're looking for food, they're coming through. A lot of times you might have mom bringing the youngsters out for their first visit into the real world and she is introducing them to everybody and they are very cute. Normally skunks won't bother you. Leave them alone and they will go their own way. They will come and go for your garbage especially if your cans are left open or if there is any open garbage left out or your garden and your vegetables and fruits are rotting on the vine. They do love that, that's candy so keep that all cleaned up and if you do have a skunk that continues to come through your back yard the best thing to do is to trap them out. Otherwise the other option is Naphthalene flakes, moth flakes put around the perimeter of your yard. It will work but it is going to smell so horrid your neighbors might not like you either. Good luck.