Skunk Removal & Trapping Services
If you’re dealing with a skunk problem on or near your property, schedule a skunk trapping and removal service today!
How to Remove a Skunk From Your Property: Hire A Trusted Wildlife Team
Skunks are unpredictable and often take shelter in crawl spaces or under decks, making them hard to reach and harder to evict. Varment Guard’s certified wildlife team uses humane, proven techniques to remove skunks and prevent their return.
Whether you’re dealing with skunk odor in the house or an active den site, trust the professionals who know the best way to catch a skunk and prevent a future problem. Give us a call!
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About Skunks: Wildlife Pest Identification
Skunks are mammals found in both North and South America. These animals are known for their ability to spray an unpleasant-smelling liquid.
Common Name: Striped Skunk
Scientific Name: Mephitis mephitis
Having a skunk on or near your property can be unnerving. You can rely on Varment Guard’s expert skunk removal services to get rid of these pests quickly! Learn more about our wildlife removal services or schedule a service today.
Skunk Biology & Characteristics
- Adult body length (without tail): 13 to 18 inches
- Adult body weight: 6 to 10 pounds
- Gestation period: 63 days
- Litters per year: 1
- Litter size: 2 to 10 young (usually 4 to 6)
- Breeding season: February through March
- Birthing season: April through May
- Age at which young are weaned: 6 to 7 weeks
- Activity period: Night
- Range: 4 square miles or less
- Primary foods: Meats, fish, pet food, insects, fruits, vegetables
How to Get Rid of Skunks: Varment Guard’s Wildlife Services
Live Skunk Trapping: Humane Skunk Control
Live trapping is the most effective and humane method for removing skunks from your property. At Varment Guard, our trained technicians use live-catch wire cage traps—strategically placed along active trails or near entry points—to catch skunks without harm.
What’s the Best Bait to Catch a Skunk?
We use highly attractive baits like peanut butter, canned fish, and fish-flavored cat food—scents skunks can’t resist. Traps are checked daily to ensure prompt skunk removal, rebaiting, and repositioning as needed.
Funnel-Style Traps
In addition to standard traps, our team may use funnel-style traps placed directly over known entry points. These one-way traps safely capture skunks as they exit a structure.
Population Control Trapping
If your property is affected by a larger skunk population, we offer population control trapping. This involves placing baited traps along fence lines, outbuildings, and other high-traffic areas—even if the skunks are nesting elsewhere but regularly visit your property.
Skunk Exclusion: Keep Skunks Out For Good
The best way to keep skunks out from under your home, deck, or shed is to block their access before they move in. Exclusion involves sealing off all potential entry points in foundations, porches, stairwells, and mobile homes. Once a skunk settles beneath a structure, removal becomes more complex and urgent.
Before sealing any entry points, Varment Guard ensures the area is clear using targeted trapping or by installing one-way exclusion doors that allow skunks to exit but not return.
Buried Wire Fencing Exclusion
Buried wire fencing is another key defense. Our technicians install a band of ½-inch mesh hardware cloth around structures, extending it below ground level to prevent skunks from digging back underneath. This method is especially effective for shallow decks, slab foundations, and porch skirts.
Habitat Modification: We Don’t Let Skunks Get Comfortable
Skunks are opportunistic feeders, so removing attractants is key to prevention. Bring pet food indoors overnight, secure trash cans with tight-fitting lids, and promptly clean up fallen fruit near your home. Eliminating these easy food sources discourages skunks from lingering (or moving in).
Live Animal Emergency Removal
Using an animal control pole (catch pole), Varment Guard can quickly capture and remove a skunk that is sick or injured outside or has fallen into an area such as a window well. If we can’t locate the animal, we’ll set skunk traps to capture it. Give us a call!
How to Get Rid of Skunk Smell: Skunk Odor Control Services
Varment Guard offers a service to help eliminate or reduce skunk odor. We use a product that breaks down the skunk odor at the molecular level. This means it doesn’t cover the odor, it eliminates it. It can be used anywhere skunks may have sprayed, including under decks, houses, sunrooms, sheds, and the home’s foundation. It can even be applied to shrubs, bushes, and lawns.
Get Started With the Local Skunk Removal Experts
Wondering how to set a skunk trap? Unsure of what to do if you catch one? DIY is not the answer. Let Varment Guard handle it.
If you need help trapping a skunk or removing nuisance wildlife, Varment Guard operates all over the Midwest and beyond. So, no matter where you are, you can trust us to solve even your trickiest (and stinkiest) wildlife challenges!
Keep Your Property Skunk-Free!
Frequently Asked Questions:
How Do I Know If There’s a Skunk Near My House?
Common signs include cone-shaped holes in the lawn, disturbed soil near porches or decks, skunk droppings, tracks, and—of course—odor. Learn more about the signs of a skunk!
Where Do Skunks Live?
Skunks prefer areas with plenty of food and shelter, including forests, under decks, sheds, and crawl spaces. They often take over burrows made by other animals and typically live alone.
What Should I Do If I See a Skunk?
If you encounter a skunk, stay calm, move slowly, and give the skunk space. Sudden movements may startle the skunk and trigger spraying.
Why Do Skunks Spray? And How Far Can They Spray?
Skunks spray as a defense mechanism. The foul-smelling liquid can reach up to 10 feet and is most effective within 3–5 feet. Fortunately, skunks usually give warning signs before spraying.
How Long Does a Skunk Live?
In the wild, skunks live around 3 to 5 years. In captivity or controlled environments, they may live up to 10 years.
How Long Will a Skunk Live Without Food or Water?
Skunks can survive several days without food but only 1 to 2 days without water, which is why trapped skunks must be checked and removed promptly.
How Do You Catch a Skunk?
The most effective and humane method is using a baited, live-catch trap. Because skunks may spray when startled, it’s best to let trained professionals handle the capture and removal.
