Help! Skunk problem in garage!

[Hey, Moe!]

I do have a garage to park my car in. It is shared with the upstairs tenant at the apartment where I live. It is not a "man cave," just a place to get my car out of the weather (the doors don't even close).

Tonight, as I was about to pull in my half of the garage (about 11PM), I noticed that there was a critter behind the recycling bin. It was a skunk!

I turned the hose on him, and he moved around a bit, but did not leave. For sure, he is a soaking wet skunk right now.

I kept my car outside the garage (it is about 30 feet from my back door), and turned off all lights. I figured that by daybreak, he will leave, since skunks are nocturnal.

There is no garbage that he can get into. My garbage can is a large, heavy, new Rubbermaid can with a tight-fitting lid.

My question is this. Without the ability to close the garage door, how can I convince this skunk to stay out of the garage in the future?

[axel_ny]

Originally Posted by Hey, Moe!

My question is this. Without the ability to close the garage door, how can I convince this skunk to stay out of the garage in the future?

give him a free detail job

[Accumulator]

Hey, Moe- I'd call the local nuisance-animal company and have them (humanely) trap it.

Living in a woods, and not being interested in shooting such pests, I'm on a first-name basis with the guys from a company called Critter Control

With a skunk, I'd be leery if just setting up my big Havahart trap; it might not be happy about being caught and a ticked-off skunk, well...you know...

[alexjn1]

I guess the big question is; are you within city limits? If so animal control would be your best bet.

I am a farm boy so we resolve our skunk problems with a Remington 870.

There are ways to live trap skunks (I have never tried it) but I was told once that if you do live trap a skunk quietly and slowly move toward the closed trap with a blanket outstretched so not to startle the animal and gently lay the blanket over the trap (similar to covering a bird cage at night) and let sit for a few minutes to let the animal calm down then move skunk outside to the release area and only remove enough blanket to allow the exit door to be opened. Then RUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It would be a good idea to stop by the pet store first to get some skunk remover just in case.

Most skunks are fairly calm and only react when they feel threatened or they are surprised. We have had them walk up on our porch before, look at us and then wander off without an aggressive tail being raised.

[DaGonz]

Pepe Le Pew is attracted to what 's in the recycling bin. Make sure that you thoroughly rinse out any containers that may have had food items inside... cans, take out styrofoam containers, bottles, etc.

I've heard that the smell of mothballs will help keep a skunk at bay... put a couple near the door opening and see what happens.

[bigltc]

My wife throws Pine Sol around to keep the racoons out of the garage.

[gtpaul]

My grandfather had caught a skunk with a havahart cage (used to trap squirrels and rabbits who eat his lettuce).

We knocked the cage over the first time to get the door's to swing open, took him 30 mins to leave.

Next morning... pretty sure it was the same skunk. I went up to it covered the cage in a thick blanket. I then proceeded to lift the cage slowly into a 55 gallon rubbermaid container filled with water.

Cruel but it had to be done. Companies wanted $250 to come and remove it.

[Accumulator]

gtpaul- If you gotta kill something, I'd do it a whole lot more humanely than that. I sure wouldn't drown something so save $250. Sorry to be so but I feel quite strongly about this topic....I sure wouldn't want somebody drowning my pets and IMO it's all the same thing.

Shoot it (cleanly) or pay a pro.

[langod]

Originally Posted by alexjn1

I was told once that if you do live trap a skunk quietly and slowly move toward the closed trap with a blanket outstretched so not to startle the animal and gently lay the blanket over the trap (similar to covering a bird cage at night) and let sit for a few minutes to let the animal calm down then move skunk outside to the release area and only remove enough blanket to allow the exit door to be opened. Then RUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This does work -- I have done it with skunks that I trapped accidentally in a Havahart trap. From what I understand, the skunk doesn't "know" what the blanket is and so holds off on spraying. Skunks don't WANT to spray because it takes them a while to reload, so to speak. They also have very few predators, so they aren't afraid of much. Those two things together are what makes it fairly safe to be around skunks as long as you are non-threatening. I've walked up on them at night in my yard and they usually just wander off. They really don't care to be around you.
As far as releasing the animal from the trap, the ones I caught really didn't seem too upset -- one even sniffed at my hands much like a cat. I opened the trap and just eased away.

For what it's worth -- skunks generally do a little agitated dance before spraying. First facing you -- that's warning one; then with they rear towards you -- that's the second warning. Guess what happens at step 3?


And I agree with Accumulator -- if you're gonna kill it, at least be humane and quick about it. It's not the animals fault you don't want it around -- it's just being a skunk.

[Jokeman]

Leave Juicy Fruit gum around. They will eat it and since they cannot digest it they will die.

[Accumulator]

Originally Posted by langod

It's not the animals fault you don't want it around -- it's just being a skunk.

Hear, hear!

And I live in a woods, with skunks, racoons, opossums, foxes, you name it often getting into the fenced areas (where they can run into people and pets). I deal with it just fine and have never had to kill any of them, though I'll admit I've come *very* close to it. Who knows, tonight might be the night I have to, but it'd be because I *had* to, to protect myself or mine.

Originally Posted by Jokeman

Leave Juicy Fruit gum around. They will eat it and since they cannot digest it they will die.

*IF* that's true (other critters don't suffer ill effects from eating gum), it sounds like another really nasty way to go

Pain and suffering are pain and suffering, whether experienced by some skunk or by your most beloved [human]- and pain and suffering suck.

[karburn]

One more thought. If it's seeking shelter like that, it may be ill. Just be careful - I wish I had better advice. Hopefully he has relocated on his own by now