Does anyone know how to get rid of skunks? We have five that come in our yard ever night. I'm scared to take the dog out for fear that one might spray us. Any suggestions?

Can you call animal control in your area?

We did but they won't do anything.

Read this:

Skunk Repellant

I'm all for the natural way and not harming the animals.

Get a live animal trap. See the "free range cats" thread. I got a trap for cats and ended up with a young skunk. Seems they onyl spray when startled. When I caught the skunk, I talked to it from far away and crept up on it and then let it out--he was really curious. Not sure what you would do with it once you caught it--ha, maybe the trap thing isn't a good idea after all!

Any idea why they are comign in your yard? Are they coming at a certain time? Woudl settign sprinklers when they come help? How about getting a ninja squirrel to protect your boundaries???

I don't know about repelling them, but I can't tell you two things about skunks: 1. they are VERY nearsighted - almost blind. 2. their sense of smell rivals a hound dog.

Odds are there's something in your yard attracting them. Do you leave dog food out, by any chance? They are pretty resourceful scavengers and prefer to 'scrounge' in groups like raccooons do.

No dog food. They're feeding on the grubs.

Ah. Maybe have the area right around your house treated for grubs? Remove the bait, remove the scavenger.

We treated the lawn on Sunday. They are eating the dead grubs laying on top of the ground. I haven't see their den or I would put something down there. I think they are coming from the near by woods. One of they is an albino. He's a funny looking little guy.

Dip you are a brave one!

People usually over react to skunks. It takes quite a bit to actually make them spray. I see them all the time in the morning when I run, they like to tear open people's garbage that is set out next to the road - right where I run. The will run away before they will spray in my experience; however, if there is a dog involved, that could be a whole different ball game.

Keep. Dog. In.

We had an outdoor dog that went after one.. dog was sprayed right outside the laundry vent. We had to leave for the next 24 hours.

We've had lots of experience with skunks. They're no fun.

One of my college roommates had a demusked albino skunk for a pet. They're really kinda cool. Maybe once the grubs are gone teh skunks will move along? I'm usually the last to encourage feeding of wildlife, but you might consider setting out some dry dog or cat food for them in the woods further away from your house until the grubs are gone. The lesser of two evils, as it were...

I had a friend with this problem. He trapped the skunks and relocated them. It was quite a procedure to trap and move them. It was a several person process to trap and transport the skunks. He moved the skunks to some woods next to the hospital about 10 miles away. There was one house in that area and it had been empty for a long time.

About 3 months after he moved the skunks the house sold. At about the same time my friend got a new boss. One day he told my friend about the skunk problem at his new house. My friend asked where he lived. I wish I had been there to see the look on his gface when he found out his boss was dealing with the skunks he had released there.

We live in the country and had a "big" family of skunks (9) move in under our shop - they dug a hole and burrowed under it. Eventually everything in the shop started stinking. We tried filling in the hole and placing cement blocks around it, but it didn't stop them. They are good diggers. We finally resorted to calling a local trapper who brought us live traps. There was then only two ways to get rid of them. One by trying to transport them in the cage to somewhere else or by drowning them. You gently tip the trap on end and insert a garden hose which then fills the trap with water. Good luck!

You should talk to Skunk Boy about his adventures. There is a thread on here somewhere about all that.

How sad.

I agree. This turns my stomach.

moth balls work wonders, i'm sure they have 'green' moth balls.

trapping is the best option, animal control should be able to relocate them.

the skunk i had a problem with made a den under my porch. the only reason he didn't come back was because he sprayed in the den, and the skunks won't go back to a place that they sprayed.