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BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: danno on January 04, 2008, 09:14:34 AM

Title: removing skunks
Post by: danno on January 04, 2008, 09:14:34 AM
I was reading ABC XYZ last night and got to the section on skunks.  Heres a link to one of the suppliers that sell the trap that I have used for years for no hassle, no odor skunk removal.  I prefer the smaller model for skunks and oppossums and the larger for coons.  They dont spray what they cant see. All you have to do is pick it up and carry it away. If you want to kill them, just stand it on end, fill a 5 gal pail with water and leave the hose running.  Pour the pail in fast to get them floating and finish filling with the hose leaveing it run in the door for 15 minutes. Dont cut this time short.  They will usually spray when you dump the pail but it wont be arrowmatic and will float away with the water.  You can also just tie a rope to the handle and toss it in a pond but they will paint the trap and the smell will take awile to air out

http://www.critterridders.com/traps.htm#skunk
Dura-Poly Plastic-catch, solid walled, box trap is available in white-only and is made in Canada. This trap measures 9" x 9" x 24" and is very heavily constructed. This is the preferred skunk trap of many. I would suggest drilling some holes for ventilation near the rear of the trap.
Used for trapping raccoons, skunk,
woodchuck, & cats.
IN STOCK !!
924W
Title: Re: removing skunks
Post by: JP on January 04, 2008, 10:52:37 AM
I hardly know anything about skunks, but they must be good for something. Perhaps there are agencies that will pick them up after they have been trapped, so you don't have to resort to killing them.

Sincerely, JP
Title: Re: removing skunks
Post by: Cindi on January 04, 2008, 11:26:59 AM
JP, skunks stink.  If you have ever come into contact with a skunk, you will know why they should not be around the human being territory.  Up in the bush, maybe they have some useful part of the wildlife.  It would  be nice if they could go back to their natural habitat.  But, if other places are like we are.  Try and get someone to come out and remove these critters.  Ain't gonna happen for eons.

When I was a young woman, raising two daughters on my own and living in a pretty run down house, the kitchen floor in the corner had separated from the wall.  Don't ask me how, 'cause I have never figured this one out, but a skunk had made its way into my house.  I think it got through a wall or something, came up through the separation of the floor and wall.  It was one of those smaller ones with the multiple stripes, civic cat maybe?  I don't know.  But this damnable thing let loose in my home.  It had entered the laundry room and was behind the wringer washer (yes, in those days I had a wringer washer, eeeks!!!!).  Something had disturbed it (probably me) and what a stench.....  I will say no more.

Anyways, skunks are a wretched nuisance and need to be up in the bush, high up on a mountain plain, where the streets have no name.  Have a wonderful day, Cindi
Title: Re: removing skunks
Post by: bassman1977 on January 04, 2008, 12:03:34 PM
I've heard of people keeping them as pets if their stink sack is removed.  A lot of the wild ones are rabies carriers.
Title: Re: removing skunks
Post by: Moonshae on January 04, 2008, 02:36:42 PM
Dog + skunk × 10 minutes before bed = not fun.

On a related note, tomato juice really does work, and pretty quickly, too.
Title: Re: removing skunks
Post by: Scadsobees on January 04, 2008, 05:18:07 PM
Quote from: Moonshae on January 04, 2008, 02:36:42 PM
Dog + skunk × 10 minutes before bed = not fun.

On a related note, tomato juice really does work, and pretty quickly, too.

(Dog + skunk + 10 minutes before bed ) x 10 feet from the kitchen = not fun and funny tasting food for a week. :shock:

We didn't have tomato juice so we tried tomato paste and we had a black and red husky who smelled bad.

Skunks like the city.
Rick
Title: Re: removing skunks
Post by: wayne on January 04, 2008, 07:05:27 PM
  Skunks eat alot of grubs and bugs around the property. They also eat frogs, mice and anything they can catch or get to.
  They are easy to catch and I re-locate hundreds every year. Any covered trap is good, and I use the uncovered ones as often or not with a piece of open stove pipe for a cover or a rubber mat over the top.
  As long as you have it covered and don't startle it they won't spray. Talk softly and move slowly is all I need to do. There is a good market for that smell. It brings $10 an ounce or more, and a big skunk is good for that much.
  For those with the knack the old wooden box type rabbit trap is great for these and other garden pests. Easy to make and handy to have.
Title: Re: removing skunks
Post by: daniel on January 04, 2008, 07:26:30 PM
I had trouble with skunks and racoon a couple years ago. I had a trapper try to help with not much luck. So I but lots of long staples in a piece of plywood with my air stapler and put this in front of the hives. I have seen where they have scratched the grass away from these pads but to not get to the hives. I have not had a problem with them since. Now ants thats another problem here.  Dan
Title: Re: removing skunks
Post by: Jerrymac on January 04, 2008, 07:29:10 PM
But Cindi. The skunks were there before people. You are the intruder.

This past Spring my mom's dog got into a fight with a skunk. The animal control people told her that if a skunk is out during the day it is probably rabid. It was. The dog lost.
Title: Re: removing skunks
Post by: annette on January 04, 2008, 08:07:25 PM
A couple of winters ago a skunk got under our house and sprayed in the middle of the night. It must have been right under our bedroom, because it woke me up at 3:00 in the morning and I thought someone was trying to kill us. I could not connect the odor with that of skunk. It is unbelievable at ground zero!!!

Hate them.

Annette
Title: Re: removing skunks
Post by: JP on January 04, 2008, 08:50:48 PM
Whenever I pass a dead skunk on the road I think of coffee, and I smell coffee. Never seen one up close. I don't believe we should just kill something that's hungry unless its a rat. Like Jerry pointed out, we are the intruders.

skunkadoodle doo, JP
Title: Re: removing skunks
Post by: SteveSC on January 04, 2008, 08:54:48 PM
We had a skunk get under our trash can stand 2 summers ago.  I caught a glimpse of a tail one day after the dogs were barking at it. I put the dogs up. I got the water hose and pulled the stand away from the house.  The skunk started climbing the rock on the house going around toward the garage ( at the time we had no garage doors installed ).  I kept spraying the critter with water - right in the head.  He kept coming but didn't spray us - I guess they don't spray when getting drown..lol

Anyway the wife finally had to knock him off the side of the house with a long pool net while I continued to spray him - the last thing I wanted was that skunk somehow getting in the garage under the truck or car. After he hit the ground he came right back at the garage.  The only thing I could get a hold of quickly was a trash can lid - a big plastic one.  I captured him under the lid in the yard.  An important note here is that skunks DO spray under plastic trash can lids.  I thought I was going to gag while holding lid down - wife was laughing her head off.. :-D She had to go get a piece of plywood ( I was hoping she wouldn't get a 4X8 sheet ) so I could slip it under the skunk and sandwich it in between the lid.  The whole time the wife was telling me not the hurt " his little feet " with the plywood.

Finally Mr. Skunk was released in the woods and hasn't been seen since.  I stunk for two days - the wife laughed for two days. The reason I stunk so bad was that a plastic trash can lid isn't deep enough for a grown male skunk to get under so the sides of the lids weren't flat against the ground - you can imagine..!  So goes my rescue of a skunk.

If interested you can remove skunks with a trash can lid and a piece of plywood - a wife with a sick sense of humor helps also.. :)
Title: Re: removing skunks
Post by: Brian D. Bray on January 04, 2008, 09:41:39 PM
About 20 years ago I had a family of skunks take up residence under my house, they weren't a problem unless the kids got too roudy jumping around the house, especially near the back porch.  When I was a kid, my Dad had to fill in a well he was digging when a skunk decided to take up residence in it.  The skunk fed daily without having to leave its new home as frogs, mice, small birds, snakes, etc fell down the well on a daily basis.  It ruined things for my brother and I, we had been in the habit of climbing down into the well and capturing a new playmate every day.
Title: Re: removing skunks
Post by: Kimbrell on January 04, 2008, 10:14:23 PM
I have a problem with skunks.  (We live in the sticks.)  My outside dogs are sprayed at least once a month (slow learning curve!).  My house dogs have even been sprayed when the skunks managed to get into my fenced backyard.  Anyway I have been told that the skunks are looking for Japanese Beetle larvae and that the remedy for this is Milky Spore to kill the larvae.  No grubs means no skunks.  It sounds like a great idea if someone would come up with an efficient way to spread the spores over a large acreage.  Also I might consider it if it was a whole lot cheaper!
Title: Re: removing skunks
Post by: Michael Bush on January 04, 2008, 10:19:00 PM
The problem I have is that getting rid of one skunk isn't enough.  There is always a family of them.  I just went to top entrances and my skunk problems dissapeared and I didn't have to fight the skunks anymore...

http://www.bushfarms.com/beeslazy.htm#topentrance
Title: Re: removing skunks
Post by: Sean Kelly on January 05, 2008, 09:23:01 AM
Take a small piece of plywood and put a bunch of nails in it and put it on the landing board in front of the hive.  The skunks scratch at the landing board to get the bees to come out, so by putting something unpleasent on the landing board keeps them away.  So far it's been working for me.  I've also seen pictures of a small coil of barbwire on the landing board.  Bees can get through with no problems and discourages skunks from getting an easy snack.  :-)

Sean Kelly
Title: Re: removing skunks
Post by: NWIN Beekeeper on January 05, 2008, 11:21:13 AM
Skunks and 'possums like eggs.

Aspirin makes their tummies bleed.

A couple eggs and a bottle of aspirin is a sure way to remove them permanently.

[CAUTION: DO NOT DO THIS AROUND DOGS OR CATS!!]
Title: Re: removing skunks
Post by: Michael Bush on January 05, 2008, 12:10:41 PM
>A couple eggs and a bottle of aspirin is a sure way to remove them permanently.

One egg.  Three crushed asprins.  But why not just remove the temptation for them?
Title: Re: removing skunks
Post by: tig on January 05, 2008, 06:44:21 PM
after reading all the horror stories, i'm glad we don't have skunks here!  LOL
Title: Re: removing skunks
Post by: Sean Kelly on January 06, 2008, 04:40:47 AM
Quote from: Michael Bush on January 05, 2008, 12:10:41 PM
One egg.  Three crushed asprins.  But why not just remove the temptation for them?

Exactly!
Skunks smell a little but they're great pest control.  No need to kill them.  I don't kill anything unless I'm gunna eat it or if there is no other option.  But with most animals (including skunks), take away the treat or make it difficult for them and they will go forage elsewhere.

Sean Kelly
Title: Re: removing skunks
Post by: wtiger on January 06, 2008, 02:37:19 PM
Yeah I just leave skunks alone unless they are really a nuisance.  They breed prolifically so I wouldn't be terrible worried about disposing of them permanently if they are a nuisance.  I 22 round to the belly will keep them from spraying and one to the head or heart will finish them off quickly.  Drowning them seems like a really cruel way to kill them.
Title: Re: removing skunks
Post by: Brian D. Bray on January 06, 2008, 11:10:51 PM
Quote from: Michael Bush on January 04, 2008, 10:19:00 PM
The problem I have is that getting rid of one skunk isn't enough.  There is always a family of them.  I just went to top entrances and my skunk problems dissapeared and I didn't have to fight the skunks anymore...

http://www.bushfarms.com/beeslazy.htm#topentrance

That's one of the problems with most wild animals, when they find a food source they stay with it as long as it lasts.  Going to top entrances proved better than putting 1/4-1/2 inch screens over the entrances.  The screens can be torn off by some preditors but top entrance doesn't even attract their attention.
Title: Re: removing skunks
Post by: johnnybigfish on January 07, 2008, 10:16:22 PM
  I agree with you wtiger. Drowning seems cruel to me too. And, as mentioned earlier, skunks were here first. I havent had them in my hives(yet) but my dogs are after them every now and then, and yes, you bet they get sprayed! My dogs(all 5 of them) sleep inside. When they get sprayed they sleep outside. A good aim from a skunk can make me GAG, but usually its not that strong to make me go "A killin'"
Brian and I have talked about the animals before. Brian and I have racing pigeons. I have hawks getting into my pigeon coop and having a feast! I get crows eating my dogfood. They're coyotes  making my dogs bark. Now, I keep my pigeons in more..I feed the crows more dog food...And I yell at the dogs to "Shut up!"
I shot a hawk twice in the coop...I shot a bobcat once in the coop.
What a WASTE on my part! Theres not much area left for these animals anymore since this town got bigger.
THEN theres the HUNTERS(from their back porches) They will shoot ANYTHING that crosses their land!! AND they ARENT doing it to protect their livestock either.They have no livestock. They do it to see blood and to be able to kill something.
Ok,...Let me get off this soap box before I start in on the@#$%^
who hang the coyotes on the fences.

Oh, by the way...I did'nt think like this 30 years ago..But I wish I had.
your friend,
john
Title: Re: removing skunks
Post by: Bennettoid on January 08, 2008, 09:28:12 AM
Quote from: johnnybigfish on January 07, 2008, 10:16:22 PM
  Ok,...Let me get off this soap box before I start in on the@#$%^
who hang the coyotes on the fences.


But you have to hang coyotes on fences! Its a warning to all the other Coyotes!!
Title: Re: removing skunks
Post by: danno on January 08, 2008, 12:53:41 PM
my comments about what has been written

1 Catch and release in illegal in most states. Most states will let you protect your property but dont send it to you neighbors plus this is how desease is spread

2Tomatoe juice works because it is high in acid. Try plain white vinigar or better yet Shampoo made from baking soda, peroxide and dishsoap you'll be much happier with the results

3 Skunk were here first.  Whenwas this? When adam and eve came around or when monkeies started to walk upright.  Just because at some time in history people desided to move to cities doesnt mean they were here first  We are all animals and we pick a place of our own and defend it weather it be our house or a hole dug under someones house.  Wild animals dont live together in harmony A coon will kill another coon that desides it wants to live in your attic to.

4there is alway more than one   This can be true 2 times of the year.  In winter when one male can live with many females which answers another statement made here " skunks sprayed under my house in the middle of winter"  In Feb is the breeding season and one male living with as many as 25 females will mate them and loose control while doing it.  The other time of the year is late spring/early summer when a female can emerge from a den with as many as 10 babies

5Skunks eat grubs  Yes very true but they are omnivorous and when the grubs are all gone they can and will find something else.

6 "They breed prolifically"   Rodents breed prolifically haveing litters every couple of months year round and newborns being sexualy mature in just a couple of months.  Skunks have one litter a year.

7  " they are great for pest control" This I do agree with.  I have had skunks liveing under my chicken coop and I dont bother them because they eat any baby mice that happen to take up resident under there.  I also see were they have been grubbing in my gardens.  I have no dogs anymore so they are welcome to live there.  I just cough, talk or clear my throat before I get to close in the dark so they can run and hide.     
Title: Re: removing skunks
Post by: wtiger on January 08, 2008, 05:09:05 PM
Quote from: danno on January 08, 2008, 12:53:41 PM
6 "They breed prolifically"   Rodents breed prolifically haveing litters every couple of months year round and newborns being sexualy mature in just a couple of months.  Skunks have one litter a year.   

I would say 5-10 new baby skunks per female a year is fairly prolific.  Especially for an animal that has so few natural predators.  I'm not saying go kill as many as you can, but I haven't felt bad the one or two times I've shot a skunk that was causing a problem.  There are plenty more where it came from.  Generally they're not a nuisance. though and a little prevention can eliminate most potential problems.  It's one of the reasons I have my hives on a stand.
Title: Re: removing skunks
Post by: danno on January 09, 2008, 09:12:40 AM
wtiger I seldom kill a skunk. When I started this post all I was aiming for was giving people a trap and information on safely taking care of an animal that so many are so afraid of.  I myself love these little gental animals.  10 years ago I had a Jack Russel kennel and I trapped and shot them all for obvious reasons.  Now with no dogs they are welcome.  I do alot of coyote and fox trapping and catch many skunks in doing so and these cant be released.  My DNR ADC lic allows me to catch, transport, kill or release Michigan wildlife.  I let all skunks and most other animals go.
Title: Re: removing skunks
Post by: Bennettoid on January 09, 2008, 02:32:57 PM
I don't think any of us who consider ourselves outdoorsman ever take an animals life lightly. Wildlife is one of the reasons I live where I do, I love seeing the fox kits playing in the pasture, and watching the fawns follow their Mom along the edge of the woods, but I still take a couple of deer a year for the freezer, and there are times when a quick dispatch of a nuisance animal is required.
Title: Re: removing skunks
Post by: taipantoo on January 10, 2008, 09:59:29 PM

[/quote]

That's one of the problems with most wild animals, when they find a food source they stay with it as long as it lasts.  Going to top entrances proved better than putting 1/4-1/2 inch screens over the entrances.  The screens can be torn off by some preditors but top entrance doesn't even attract their attention.
[/quote]

You need to make a tube out of the screen so that the skunk will have to stretch over it exposing its' belly, then the bees can sting it in a sensitive spot.
Title: Re: removing skunks
Post by: taipantoo on January 10, 2008, 10:01:45 PM
Quote from: Bennettoid on January 09, 2008, 02:32:57 PM
I don't think any of us who consider ourselves outdoorsman ever take an animals life lightly. Wildlife is one of the reasons I live where I do, I love seeing the fox kits playing in the pasture, and watching the fawns follow their Mom along the edge of the woods, but I still take a couple of deer a year for the freezer, and there are times when a quick dispatch of a nuisance animal is required.

I have a lot of nuisance squirrels.
They are all in my freezer waiting for a good recipe.