Skunks are omnivores and enjoy an insectivore and carnivorous diet in the summer and then a more omnivorous diet in the winter when mice become the only proteins they can get ahold of. Wild native mice like deer and field mice can climb, jump and move quickly so it’s a benefit to the skunks that European house mice were accidentally introduced to the ecosystem of North America. They feed skunks en mass. Skunks are not limited to that, however. While they love almost any large juicy insect and grubs they are also interested in your bird feeder and your trash. They will often come to your property if you have anything from open garbage cans and bags on the ground if you eat outside if you have animal and bird feeders and if you do not take care of your lawn. That is a lot, isn’t it?
A lot of reasons for skunks to come on your property. And what if you have a pet? They will get sprayed unless you take them inside and no dog like sitting inside on a sunny day. Skunks have protected wildlife but are also annoying pests with the magic power to make you, your children, your pets, your property and even the inside of your house smell like hell warmed over after it froze. The stench they produce is so powerful because the molecules that produce the smell are so potent. There need to be only eleven parts per million of the molecules and they will smell like it’s a million parts per million. This is the reason it’s so hard to get the smell out of both you and your things. The smell is a lipid on one side and hydrophilic on the other so it can bind to just about anything from lipid-coated human skin to water soluble fabric.
This can be a disaster for anyone with skunks on their property so make sure to prepare for skunk mating season which just so happens to last from February to June and can even go into July. Males will travel huge distances every day and travel to every property they can to find a mate. They will battle each other with spray and even the females will spray a male mate they do not want. This happening on your property can be devastating so make sure they have no reason to be there in the first place. You must make sure, and this is for everything from raccoons to rats to cockroaches and squirrels. Seal your garbage. Seal it tight and lock it so it cannot be opened by anyone or anything without a key. This is very important as your trash is legally private but that does not stop some people from looking through it to find out your little secrets. There are many reasons to lock your garbage but preventing skunks and nosey neighbours are the biggest. Doing this, removing any animal feeders and being very clean and careful when cooking and eating outside you can prevent all animals from coming to your property very easily. Call Skunk Control for effective wildlife-proofing services in the GTA.