Texas Skunks

Damage Concerns

Skunks raid garbage cans, damage bee hives, eat bird eggs, and dig holes in lawns for worms, grubs, and insects. These odiferous creatures often live under dwellings (e.g. porches, crawl spaces, sheds) and cause objectionable odors.
 

Biology and Habits

Striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) are nocturnal (active at night), approximately 2' long, and weight 6-8 lbs. They are slow, deliberate, and confident they can defend themselves. Skunks discharge musk from the anal gland, are capable of firing several shots, and can spray 10 - 15 feet with accuracy. Prior to spraying they usually give a warning by stomping their feet. 

Skunks are omnivorous - eating both plant and animal foods. They prefer insects in the summer, and mice in the winter. The main predator of the skunk is the Great Horned Owl, which obviously has a poor sense of smell!  They breed in February/March with a 7 - 10 week gestation, and usually have one litter per year. There are 4 - 6 young that stay with the female until fall. Skunks nest in ground burrows and crawl spaces. Skunks in the northern U.S. are inactive for 4 - 8 weeks during the coldest part of the winter.
 

Management

Critter Control recommends installing hardware-clothe for rat-walls and sealing skunk entry holes entry holes. Electric fence may be used for site specific skunk exclusion around decks and porches. Cleaning up wood piles, brush and food sources will limit skunk habitat and reduce the attraction of skunks to the property.


Control

Skunk trapping techniques include cage traps (covered with canvas or a blanket) for live skunk trapping, using cat-food, fish, or chicken, for bait.  Live skunk trapping is the preferred method for skunk control because lethal control will usually result in release of scent. While skunks are generally mild-tempered, loud noises or quick and aggressive actions should be avoided.  Keep pets and children from exciting or tormenting the caged skunk.  Skunk traps are set over or near the entrance to the den.  Typical entries are under porches, sheds, and crawl spaces.


Skunk Spray Remedy

Here is a recipe you can make at home, which is very effective against skunk odors.  Apply the mixture directly to the sprayed surface.  DO NOT store the mixture in plastic bottles.

  • A hydrogen peroxide/baking soda recipe:
  • 1-quart of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide
  • 1/4 cup of Baking Soda
  • 1 teaspoon of Liquid Soap
  • Wash while it is bubbling...rinse off with tap water.

Texas Wildlife Services

Texas Critters

Our local Texas offices offer Skunks services in the following cities:
Abbott, Addison, Alamo Heights, Alamo Heights, Aledo, Allen, Alma, Alvarado, Alvin, Amarillo, Angleton, Angus, Anna, Annetta, Annetta North, Annetta South, Aquilla, Arcola, Argyle, Arlington, Aubrey, Austin, Azle, Balch Springs, Balcones Heights, Bardwell, Barry, Bartlett, Bartonville, Bayou Vista, Baytown, Beasley, Bedford, Bee Cave, Bellaire, Bellmead, Bells, Belton, Benbrook, Beverly Hills, Blooming Grove, Blue Mound, Blue Ridge, Blum, Boerne, Bonney, Bovina, Brazoria, Brazos Bend, Bremond, Briarcliff, Briaroaks, Brookside Village, Bruceville-eddy, Bryan, Buckholts, Bulverde, Bunker Hill Village, Burleson, Bynum, Caddo Mills, Callisburg, Calvert, Cameron, Campbell, Canyon Lake, Carrollton, Castle Hills, Cedar Hill, Cedar Park, Celeste, Celina, Channelview, China Grove, Clear Lake Shores, Cleburne, Clute, Cockrell Hill, College Station, Colleyville, Collinsville, Combine, Commerce, Conroe, Converse, Cool, Coolidge, Coppell, Copper Canyon, Corinth, Corral City, Corsicana, Cottonwood, Covington, Crandall, Crawford, Creedmoor, Cresson, Cross Roads, Cross Timber, Crowley, Cut And Shoot, Cypress, Dallas, Dalworthington Gardens, Damon, Danbury, Davilla, Dawson, Decatur, Decordova, Deer Park, Del Valle, Denison, Denton, Denton, Desoto, Dickinson, Dish, Dominion, Dorchester, Double Oak, Duncanville, East Tawakoni, Eddy, Edgecliff Village, El Lago, Elmendorf, Emhouse, Emory, Ennis, Euless, Eureka, Everman, Fair Oaks Ranch, Fairchilds, Fairview, Farmers Branch, Farmersville, Farwell, Fate, Ferris, Fischer, Florence, Flower Mound, Forest Hill, Forney, Fort Worth, Franklin, Freeport, Friendswood, Friona, Frisco, Frost, Fulshear, Gainesville, Galena Park, Galveston, Garden Ridge, Garland, Garrett, Gause, Georgetown, Gholson, Glen Rose, Glenn Heights, Godley, Golinda, Granbury, Grand Prairie, Grandview, Granger, Grapevine, Grays Prairie, Greenville, Grey Forest, Groesbeck, Gunter, Hackberry, Hallsburg, Haltom City, Harker Heights, Haslet, Hawk Cove, Hearne, Heath, Hebron, Hedwig Village, Helotes, Hewitt, Hickory Creek, High Island, Highland Park, Highland Village, Hill Country Village, Hillcrest, Hillsboro, Hilshire Village, Hitchcock, Holiday Lakes, Holland, Hollywood Park, Houston, Howe, Hubbard, Hudson Oaks, Humble, Hunters Creek Village, Hurst, Hutchins, Hutto, Iowa Colony, Irene, Irving, Italy, Itasca, Jacinto City, Jamaica Beach, Jarrell, Jersey Village, Jones Creek, Jonestown, Josephine, Joshua, Justin, Katy, Kaufman, Keene, Keller, Kemah, Kemp, Kendleton, Kennedale, Kerens, Killeen, Kirby, Knollwood, Kosse, Krugerville, Krum, Kurten, La Marque, La Porte, Lackland, Lacy-lakeview, Lago Vista, Lake Dallas, Lake Jackson, Lake Worth, Lakeside, Lakeway, Lakewood Village, Lancaster, Lavon, League City, Leander, Leander, Leon Valley, Leroy, Lewisville, Liberty Hill, Lincoln Park, Lindsay, Lipan, Little Elm, Little River-academy, Live Oak, Liverpool, Lone Oak, Lorena, Lott, Lowry Crossing, Lucas, Mabank, Macdona, Magnolia, Malone, Manor, Mansfield, Manvel, Marlin, Mart, Maypearl, Mcgregor, Mckinney, Mclendon-chisholm, Meadows Place, Melissa, Mertens, Mesquite, Mexia, Midlothian, Midlothian, Milano, Mildred, Milford, Millican, Millsap, Missourri City, Mobile City, Montgomery, Moody, Mount Calm, Muenster, Murphy, Mustang, Mustang Ridge, Nassau Bay, Navarro, Navasota, Needville, Nevada, New Braunfels, New Hope, Neylandville, Nolanville, North Loop, North Richland Hills, Northlake, Oak Grove, Oak Hill, Oak Leaf, Oak Point, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge North, Oak Valley, Old Ocean, Olmos Park, Orchard, Otto, Ovilla, Oyster Creek, Palmer, Panorama Village, Pantego, Parker, Pasadena, Patton Village, Pearland, Pecan Hill, Pelican Bay, Pendleton, Penelope, Pflugerville, Pflugerville, Pilot Point, Piney Point Village, Plano, Pleak, Point, Point Venture, Ponder, Post Oak Bend City, Pottsboro, Powell, Princeton, Prosper, Quinlan, Quintana, Reagan, Red Oak, Reno, Retreat, Rice, Richardson, Richland, Richland Hills, Richmond, Richwood, Riesel, Rio Vista, River Oaks, Roanoke, Robinson, Rockdale, Rockwall, Rogers, Rollingwood, Roman Forest, Rosebud, Rosenberg, Rosharon, Ross, Rosser, Round Rock, Rowlett, Royse City, Sachse, Sadler, Saginaw, Saint Hedwig, Saint Paul, Salado, San Antonio, San Leanna, Sanctuary, Sanger, Sansom Park, Santa Fe, Schertz, Scurry, Seabrook, Seagoville, Selma, Shady Shores, Shavano Park, Shenandoah, Sherman, Shoreacres, Simonton, Somerset, South Houston, Southlake, Southmayd, Southside Place, Spice Wood, Splendora, Spring, Spring Branch, Spring Valley, Springtown, Stafford, Stagecoach, Sugarland, Sunnyvale, Sunset Valley, Surfside Beach, Sweeny, Talty, Taylor, Taylor Lake Village, Tehuacana, Temple, Terrell, Terrell Hills, Texas City, The Colony, The Hills, The Woodlands, Thompsons, Thorndale, Thornton, Thrall, Tiki Island, Timberwood Park, Tioga, Tolar, Tom Bean, Tomball, Trophy Club, Troy, Union Valley, Universal City, University Park, Valley View, Van Alstyne, Venus, Village Of The Hills, Volente, Von Ormy, Waco, Watauga, Waxahachie, Weatherford, Webberville, Webster, Weir, West, West Columbia, West Houston, West Lake Hills, West Tawakoni, West University Place, Westlake, Weston, Weston Lakes, Westover Hills, Wetmore, Wetmore, White Settlement, Whitesboro, Whitewright, Whitney, Willis, Willow Park, Wilmer, Windcrest, Wixon Valley, Wolfe City, Woodbranch, Woodloch, Woodway, Wylie