Why Skunks Are Active During the Fall?

Spring is usually considered the active season for skunks. Their mating season begins in late winter, and the babies are born in April or May. However, during the fall, you may see or smell signs of skunk activity in your neighbourhood. If these signs are present on your property, you may have a problem that requires professional wildlife control in York for skunk removal. Here are some reasons why skunks are more active in the fall.

The Babies Are Starting To Go Off on Their Own

Baby skunks are born in the spring and nurse from their mother during the first six weeks of their life. During this time, they are almost completely helpless, though they do acquire the ability to spray at only a few weeks old. After six weeks, the babies start weaning from their mother and are able to follow her outside the den to start learning how to find their own food. Baby skunks stay with their mother all through the summer. By fall, they are fully grown and old enough to start heading out on their own. Skunks are generally nocturnal, but young skunks are more likely to be active during the daytime, so you might see them out in your yard. Male skunks go off on their own right away, but young female skunks may stay with their mother through the winter. Their combined body heat helps to keep them warm when temperatures outside are cold.

Preparing for Winter

Skunks don't exactly hibernate, but they do become less active during the winter. When the temperature outside is cold, they enter a state called torpor. They hide in underground dens or burrows that protect them from the cold and they enter deep sleep. As they sleep, their metabolism slows down significantly to preserve body temperature. If the temperature outside increases to above freezing, skunks may come out of torpor temporarily. They may leave the den to forage for food if it is warm enough outside, and on at least one occasion during the winter, their scent glands have to be emptied out so their bodies can make more of the odoriferous fluid. When the temperature becomes cold again, skunks go back to sleep. This cycle can play out several times before spring arrives. Layers of fat under the skunk's skin provide insulation from the cold. The skunk's body breaks it down for nourishment while the skunk is in torpor and therefore not foraging for food. During fall, skunks can sense that the temperature is turning colder and become more active foraging for food to build up sufficient fat stores before winter.

Finding a Winter Den

During the fall, skunks also start looking for a den in which to spend the winter. Because young female skunks often spend their first winter with their mother, the den may have to be large enough to accommodate several animals, though they will sleep close together for warmth. Skunks are burrowing animals and certainly have the ability to dig a new den on their own. However, they usually prefer to dig a den under a larger object that provides some protection. Such an object may be a rock or a hollow tree, but skunks may also burrow underneath a shed, porch, or deck. Skunks occasionally forage for food in the winter but don't want to go very far from their dens to find it. Therefore, if there are open garbage cans, bowls of pet food, unharvested garden plants, or grubs under the ground around your home, the skunks may decide it is a perfect place to dig a winter den.

Why You Should Turn to Skedaddle for Wildlife Control in York

During our assessment of your property, we confirm which type of animal is present. We remove the animals humanely, seal entry points so they can't get back in, and clean up where they have been, removing any skunk smell. Learn more about the services we offer in York.