As a homeowner, one problem you may face is keeping wildlife from nesting around your home. One type of animal that often takes up residence under back decks is a skunk. While skunks are non-aggressive creatures and don’t pose a significant danger to people or pets, they have the ability to spray a noxious odor on predators when they feel threatened. It’s best to keep skunks off your property if you want to protect your sense of smell in case you accidentally startle the creatures living under your deck. Here are three effective techniques to deter skunks from your property and when to contact Skedaddle for skunk removal in Milwaukee.

1. Install Lights

Skunks are nocturnal, so they are most active during the night. They prefer to avoid interactions with humans. Bright lights indicate the presence of people, so skunks usually try to avoid brightly lit areas. You can make your home a less appealing environment for the creatures by installing motion-activated lights around your house. When the light senses movement in the yard, it floods the property with a bright light that scares the skunks away.

2. Cover Garbage and Recycling Bins

Skunks are omnivorous, so they eat a huge variety of foods. This fact makes it difficult to eliminate food sources entirely, but you can make it harder for skunks to find sustenance by properly securing the bins you use to hold garbage, compost, and recycled materials.

Like many other animals, skunks are opportunistic scavengers. They prefer to select the easiest food source available to survive. Unsecured garbage cans make perfect buffets for the creatures. Skunks are clever and can figure out how to get inside garbage bins even when they have closed lids. They root through the trash to find pieces of human food you have thrown away.

You may think that it is enough to secure bags of trash in an outside canister by throwing a lid over it, but skunks are adept at figuring out how to access the trash regardless of a lid. The best way to keep the animals out of your garbage and recycling bins is to secure them with a lock.

3. Eliminate Natural Food Sources

Asking yourself what do skunks eat in the summer is a good way to eliminate potential food sources. Unfortunately, skunks eat such a varied diet that it is difficult to eliminate every source of food. Even if you keep your trash cans tightly secured, skunks will feast on vegetable gardens, honeybees in flour gardens, bird eggs, and bird seed.

Make sure all of your gardens are secured with proper fencing to keep skunks out. The animals are notorious diggers, so the fence should extend at least a few inches below ground level. You may also need to eliminate bird feeders from your yard or place a tray under them to catch dropped pieces.

What To Do When You Need Professional Help

You can often keep skunks off of your property by taking measures to deter them, but sometimes, your best efforts fail. When a skunk makes a den under your back deck, you need to call a professional for help with removal. If you try to remove the animal yourself, you risk being sprayed by the noxious odor skunks are notorious for, or you could accidentally harm the creature. At Skedaddle, we have a team of professionals who understand skunks and how to remove them in a safe and efficient manner. We can also provide you with tips on how to keep the creatures away in the future.

Schedule an Appointment for Skunk Removal in Milwaukee

Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control is here when you need help getting rid of skunks that are nesting near your home. Our experts have spent time studying skunks and know how to remove them safely while minimizing their stress, so contact us today to schedule an appointment for help with skunk removal.