Tag Archives: skunk control

Bats, Raccoons, Skunks, Snakes, Trapping, Wild Animal

A Day in the Life

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I’m no different than any other 17 year old girl. I go to school, hang out with my friends, go to the occasional party (where there’s parent supervision of course), and I work. Of course my job isn’t typical of a 17 year old. Most of my friends work in the fast food business, or even at a mall or some kind of clothing store. Now don’t get me wrong, I love food and I love clothes, but I would never want to work there. When people ask me about my job I usually tell them I’m a personal assistant for a private contractor. It’s just easier to say that instead of explaining what I actually do. I have the coolest job ever. It’s never boring, and it gives me the most insane stories to tell!

I’ve done everything from wrestling snakes, to saving baby birds! You get so much knowledge from a job like this. You learn all about problem solving. People always have problems like raccoons stuck in their chimneys, skunks in their window well, or even snakes under their porch! Can you even imagine your surprise if you walked out onto your porch one day to see a three foot long blow snake sitting on your porch?! Well, in my experience, not very many people would be very excited about that. Now you may be thinking, what kind of 17 year old girl finds this kind of job entertaining?

I’ve never been the kind of girl who screams when she sees a spider or a snake. I was the girl who was wrestling around with the guys and looking for snakes to take home for the weekend. Now, you would never classify me as the girl who works as a part time trapper. I wear high heels at least three times a week, I never leave the house without my eyebrows filled in. But after school you can catch me crawling under porches, into attics, and even down chimneys in order to catch invasive wildlife! In fact, my favorite part of the job is helping people restore their homes to the peaceful ways they were before the animals invaded. After all, no one wants to hear bats in the attic, raccoons in the chimney, or skunks under the house! Which is why I get so much joy in helping people solve all of their wildlife problems. After all, it’s just another day in the life for me.

Skunks

Skunk Control

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The last thing I wanted to do when we got home late from our camping trip was worry about skunk control.  We had a great and well-deserved trip, and we were exhausted by the time we finally pulled up to our home.  We had already decided we’d leave all the stuff in the truck and unpack in the morning, since it was late, we were tired, and we didn’t want to wake up neighbors by making noise as we unloaded.  So, we pulled in the driveway, grabbed the food bag that would go directly into the fridge, and unlocked the front door.

I’ll admit, we were so tired we didn’t realize the house smelled funny until after we’d put the food in the fridge, fed the cat, checked our messages and headed upstairs.  Halfway up the stairs, my husband stopped and sniffed.  “Do you smell that?” he asked me.  I sniffed and smelled a faint musky odor.  It was definitely animal in origin, and at first I assumed it was the cat.  “Maybe Snuffles got mad at us and used a closet for her toilet?” I suggested.  “No, it’s not the cat, I don’t think,” said my husband.  “It smells like, I don’t know, some wild animal or something.”

Skunks
A mother and her baby skunks living underneath a house.
(Artwork by Sharon Davis. Contact us for her contact info.)

The thought of wild animal smell in our house was too much to let slide until we were more coherent in the morning, after a night’s rest.  So, we spent the next forty minutes wandering around the house, inside and out, sniffing and looking and hoping we wouldn’t come face to face with an animal.  Camping is fine.  We expect to see wild animals, although we do everything we can to keep them away from the tent, of course, and at a distance.  When we’re at home, we expect wild animals to remain outside.  Far outside.  I was making another round around the house with my flashlight in the dark, and rounded the south side just in time to hear a rustling in the bushes next to our foundation, and see a little black and white striped animal hustle back underneath the undergrowth.  This was no animal we could just scare away.  We would need skunk control.

I made it back inside the house where my husband was looking through the basement, and explained what I saw.  He agreed we would need to get a professional to do the skunk control for us.  We just weren’t equipped to handle it ourselves.  More than likely, the skunk was attracted to our house because of the cat food bowl we’d filled outside.  We didn’t want the cat to go hungry during our four-day camping trip, so we’d filled her bowl to overflowing.  Cats are so easy.  They’ll just eat their fill and come back for more when they’re hungry again.  Of course, we didn’t think about how the cat food would attract other animals, especially skunks.  So, the skunk probably smelled the food, helped itself, and dug a little burrow or den or whatever they sleep in right under  the foundation of our home, over by the bushes that had halfway hidden the skunk earlier.

We got the number for Allstate Animal Control from the web, and vowed to call them first thing in the morning, even before unpacking the truck.  Skunk control is just the last thing you want to attempt when you’re already tired, it’s late, and all you want is a long, hot shower and a soft bed.

 

 

Skunks

Overpopulation of Skunks

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get rid of skunks

Tammysmom:

Anyone else notice that we seem to have an overpopulation of skunks?  Lately there’s a lot more odorous and destructive animal activity in our city, and more skunk road kill.  Usually, we only notice skunks in this area as we’re driving through a particularly odorous section of road and figure some fox was stupid enough to challenge a skunk.  But, over the last couple of months, I’ve noticed a lot more dead skunks in the road.  If there are more dead skunks in the road, there must be more skunks in the area, right?

Snickerguffaw:

True.

Runninmaster:

Hey, yeah, I’ve been seeing the same thing!  I think you’re right, we have an overpopulation of skunks around here.  I go running pretty much every morning and I’ve even seen a couple scuttling across the path.  Good thing I’ve got my running light or I mighta been sprayed!

Retirednhappy:

Well I’m glad I’m not the only one who thought that.  I had one by my deck the other night.  Looked like it was digging for something, but I didn’t feel like going out to chase it off.

Tammysmom:

You had one by your deck?  Scary!  Makes me wonder if I should be more careful about letting my daughter go out and play outside after dinner.  Do you think any are rabid?

Retirednhappy:

Doubt they’re all rabid, but you can’t be too careful.

Runninmaster:

Yeah, I wouldn’t risk it.  If you’ve got some crawling around in your yard, I say get some help.

Snickerguffaw:

@Retirednhappy  If you got em at your house, there must be something they want.

Tammysmom:

@Snicker  It’s not like anyone puts out skunk food.  I’m beginning to think it’s just that we have more in the area, an overpopulation of skunks, for some reason.  So, we’re more likely to see them around our neighborhoods.

Snickerguffaw:

@Tammysmom  I’m just saying they’re gonna go after what they like.  Pet food, garbage, a mouse, whatever’s around your house.

Retirednhappy:

I assure you there are no mice in my house.

Runninmaster:

I still say get a professional to come in and trap the skunks around your house.  No use letting them dig up your yard or making a den under your stairs or something.

Retirednhappy:

@Runninmaster   You’re probably right.  Better get rid of the skunks now instead of having to repair damage later.  My knee just won’t let me do much around the house anymore.

Snickerguffaw:

Maybe they can get rid of your mice, too.  Juuuuust kidding, dude!

Tammysmom:

I just looked online.  I believe we have an overpopulation of skunks in the area because of the new subdivisions going up.  It used to be nothing but empty fields over there, so their habitat is probably being disturbed.  It looks like the best thing to do is to make sure garbage is secured, and don’t put pet food outside.  Basically, take away their food and water sources in our neighborhood.

Runninmaster:

Thanks for the info.  Will that get rid of all the skunks, then?

Tammysmom:

@Runninmaster  No, but it’ll help keep the problem down.  Looks like the best thing to do is to get a professional wildlife trapper to get rid of the skunks around your house.  Just like you said.

Retirednhappy:

Sounds good to me.  I’ll be calling tomorrow.  Night all.

Tammysmom:

I’m off, too.  Good night, everyone.

Runnimaster:

I have to get out and run tonight before bed.  Chat with you tomorrow!

Snickersguffaw:

Peace.

Exterminator

Weber County Exterminator

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As a skunk, is it possible to ask the Weber County Exterminator to get rid of my embarrassing skunk problem?  I mean, it’s not for me, of course.  It’s for . . . .a friend, right.  A friend.  And, this friend of mine, also a skunk, has this thing for soda.  This is like a real addiction, you see.  She finds the cups just lying around in the parking lot, or in a park, or digs them out of people’s garbage, and then she just licks the inside of the cup until her tongue is raw and she can’t taste the sweet stuff anymore.  I just can’t get enough of the stuff.  I mean, she can’t get enough of the stuff.  And, they say the first step is to admit you have a problem and get help.

Okay, okay, I admit it, it’s not a friend, it’s me.  I’m a skunk and I have an addiction to soda.

So, the only thing I can think of to do is to ask the Weber County exterminator to help me help me get rid of the soda cups.  Is that possible?  I mean, I’m not hurting anyone . . . but it’s time to ask for help, you know.  Can we get rid of the soda cups just lying around or sitting in the garbage for me to bust into?  Because the only thing I can think of to do is to get rid of the temptation.  I’m just not strong enough to kick the habit myself.

The day I knew I needed real help was the real low point of my life.  I was just minding my own business, looking for grubs, and I walked by a house with the most wonderful smell emanating from the garbage can out front.  This was a family that drank a lot of soda, and ooooh, I could NOT resist.  I got up in the can, rooted around for a while, throwing garbage out across the lawn left and right.  A dog startled me at some point, so I had to spray it.  I couldn’t help it, I wasn’t going to run away and leave the sweet stuff behind!

At long last, I finally found it and thrust my head all the way inside, tasting those wonderful last few drops.  Oooh, pure heaven.  And when I drank every drop and even licked the wax coating off of the inside, it suddenly occurred to me that I could not get my head back out.  There I was, in someone’s driveway, wandering around in circles, my head deep in the recesses of a soda cup.  And that’s when I realized I had a real addiction.

So, what do you think?  I know the Weber County exterminator is the person other people call to take care of their wild animal problems, and I’m a wild animal with a problem.  Will he help?

Skunks

Skunk Control

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I’m not quite sure how to go about asking my neighbor to call a skunk control company to get rid of the skunk in their yard.  I’m just waiting for evidence the skunk is in my yard, so I can call for skunk control myself without making my neighbor feel weird about it.

The neighbor behind us has a very large field.  They used to have horses on their lot, and then they farmed it a little, but now it’s just a big, weedy field.  They’re pretty good about keeping the weeds mowed down, and their field has been home to several feral cats that have been great at keeping the mouse population down.  We even feed a couple of their cats in addition to our own, because it’s nice to be worry-free about rodents like mice, rats or voles.  But, we started keeping our two cats inside and we stopped feeding the cats in their field once the skunk moved in.  Our neighbors love the wild animals around here, so they are refusing to get skunk control.

The neighbors have a very large shed at the end of their field closest to my yard, and a skunk has recently made its den underneath.  Even though it hasn’t sprayed close to our home, the smell is still overpowering, especially when the wind is blowing our way.  When my children are playing in our backyard on their swing set or in the sandbox, the wind shifts and we get a whiff of a musky wild smell.  We’ve gotten kind of used to it, but it’s not pleasant.  We used to be able to enjoy the smell of fresh-cut hay or the blooming cottonwood trees as we played catch or Frisbee in the backyard.  But, now, we end up spending more and more of our summer outside time at a park instead of our own property, because of the skunk smell.

If our neighbors had skunk control technicians come out to get rid of the skunk, we could go back to enjoying summer at home, we could start having barbeques again, my cats could roam freely in our yard without fear of being sprayed, and I wouldn’t constantly worry about my children around a skunk or its fleas or ticks or mites, or whatever else it might have.

I’ve talked with our neighbors and they’re actually quite proud of having a wild animal living back there.  Their home and backyard is far enough away from that shed that it doesn’t bother them, but it’s close enough to my yard and house that it continues to bother us.  Perhaps I’ll go back to putting cat food out, while keeping my children and cats inside for a few days.  Maybe that’ll be enough to lure the skunk into my yard, which would justify me calling for skunk control.  I won’t even have to tell the neighbors.  They’ll probably just assume the skunk moved on to someone else’s shed.

Skunks

Get Rid of Skunks

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I thought I was doing a good thing when I tried to get rid of the skunk out of the window well, but, instead, it acted like I was some huge, vicious, nasty dog that was attacking it.

My wife had decided this weekend was the perfect time to do spring cleaning, which meant a) no golf, b) a big honey-do list, and c) the kids would be bored out of their minds.  My wife does an amazing job with the house and the yard, and she works, and she takes care of all of us, so when she gets her mind set on spring-cleaning, I try to be as supportive as possible.  I tried to prepare the kids.  I gave them each a list of simple chores they could do, and when they were done, I presented them with a soccer ball and backyard goal.  My wife was happy they did their work, and she was happy they were happy, and she was happy that I was helping her out.

I was in the middle of a particularly grimy job in the garage when my little nine year-old girl came in screaming.  Her scream echoed in the nearly empty garage and pierced my ears, but then I finally understood the words she was hurling at me.  “Skunk!!  Daddy, there’s a skunk in the backyard!”

Skunk spray
A skunk getting ready to spray you.
(Artwork by Sharon Davis. Contact us for her contact info.)

I rushed out, calling out to the kids that they were to stay far away from it while I assessed the situation and figured out a way to get rid of the skunk.  Following my daughter’s directions, I saw the skunk trapped in one of the deep window wells.  I cursed myself.  Getting window well covers was actually on my honey-do list, and I was putting it off until the next day.  Woulda, coulda, shoulda, I told myself.

We get a lot of wild animals around our house, so I had already rigged up a make-shift animal catcher for emergencies.  My wife came out of the house, and stopped, eyes wide.  “Don’t you dare,” she warned.  “That thing’ll spray you, and the smell will get all over the house.”

“Trust me.  I know how to get rid of skunks,” I assured her, even though I knew I’d never done it before.  I actually managed to slip the leash around the skunk and pulled it free of the window well trap.  Thinking I had done my good deed for the day, I expected the skunk to give me a warm look thanking me before trundling off to freedom in the woods.  Instead, it bared its sharp teeth at me and growled, as if I had attacked it.  When it turned around and prepared to spray, my wife and kids retreated around to the other side of the house, while my wife grumbled something that sounded dangerously like, “I told you so.”  Well, some of us learn the hard way, I guess.

Skunks

Skunk Control

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“Dad!  Dad!  Dad!  Call Skunk Control right now!!  There’s a skunk in the house!”

I was working at home, because my wife was really sick today and was resting in our darkened bedroom with a cool washcloth over her eyes.  To be honest, I hadn’t really needed to stay home.  Our two girls are twelve and ten, and can pretty much take care of themselves, but they still needed someone to drive them to and from school, and I wanted to be available to get whatever my wife needed.  She rarely got sick.  In fact, the last time she was this sick was over three years ago.  But, I liked to really pamper her and take worries off her mind so that she could get well quickly.  She is the rock of our family, and we just don’t function very well without her.

So, when I heard my twelve year-old daughter, Kenzie, yelling about skunk control, I rushed right out of the home office.  “Shhhh!  Don’t wake your mom!  Now, show me what you’re talking about.”

My ten year old, Baylee, was holding her phone up, recording the whole thing.  “This is sooo cool!” she grinned.

“Dad.  It’s in the kitchen.  You have GOT to call skunk control right now.”

I started to walk towards the kitchen, my two pre-teen girls trailing behind me, alternating between squeaking with alarm, shushing each other, and giggling with excitement.  Ah, to be young again.

But, when I opened the kitchen door, it was skunk-free.  Kenzie jumped up into a nearby chair, squealing as softly as she could, “Where is it?  Where is it?”  Baylee just kept recording.

I picked up a broom and started walking from room to room.  Kenzie had jumped down from her perch to trail me, along with my video-recording Baylee.  There!  It huddled in the living room, tucked between the loveseat and side table.  I froze, unsure of what to do next, as Kenzie whispered, “Don’t scare it, Dad.  It’ll spray.”  That’s exactly what had been going through my mind.  If it sprayed in here, we would have to replace everything from the carpet to the furniture to the drapes.

The skunk caught sight of us, and decided it had enough.  It walked across the living room floor, bold and waddling its behind at us, as if to say it wasn’t worried about us at all.  The three of us followed at a distance, but I knew we’d all get sprayed if it decided it had to defend itself.  It was heading back towards the kitchen, so I urgently whispered to Kenzie that she needed to go the other way, back into the kitchen before it got there, and open up the door to the garage.  “Now!” I urged her.  She took off, threw the door open, and got out of the way just as the skunk walked into the garage.

“Baylee, give me your phone.”

“But, Dad, I’m still filming.”

“Baylee, give me the phone.  It’s time to call skunk control.”

As she did, my wife called down the stairs.  “Honey, what’s going on?”

“Nothing!” I yelled out, as I glared at my daughters, willing them to stay silent on the matter.  Skunk control would take care of this first, and then I’ll let my wife know.