Why do Skunks dig?

Have you ever woken up to the shocking sight of your previously beautifully manicured lawn or your garden being a serious eyesore? Have you encountered holes all over the place and cannot figure out how or when this happened? You may need to consider if you of any skunk who loves to visit when the lights go out. The culprit may be the neighborhood skunk.

When do they do the digging anyway
Skunks are nocturnal animals and onlyforage for food when they are in their ‘comfort time’ under the cover of darkness.

Why do they dig?
• They like eating bugs, and since they are not fast, they will be looking for the insects they can dig up from your yard.
• They also eat fruits, vegetables and any treats they will find in your trash cans.

How do you know you have a skunk visiting your yard?
• The skunk has a signature pungent smell that they will leave behind and that lasts a while. So your nose will most likely alert you.
• If your nose doesn’t alert you, then your eyes should convince you. They have droppings measuring up to four inches long and about half an inch wide.
• You will also notice the holes all over the place that measure about four inches. They leave an impression that someone has been tilling your lawn as you slept.

How do I keep them away?
• Use repellents; with onions and peppers you can make a lethal mixture by boiling and strain the fluid and spraying it in all the places the skunk lies to visit. This repels them and they will keep away from your compound
• You can also exclude them from your compound by fencing your compound with impenetrable fencing like chicken mesh. They can climb, but they tire easily and give up fast. The hard work of climbing will discourage them from getting into your compound
• You could try spotlights. This may be expensive for you, but if you can, bright lights discourage them from visiting your yard too often.
• Probably the most important point is to keep your yard clean. Any trash cans must be firmly and tightly shut to discourage them from trying to open it. Any fallen fruits and vegetables must be promptly removed and your compound adequately cleaned to keep them from coming to look for food.

Finally, if you want to avoid trouble with a skunk, simply avoid him/her, otherwise the telltale signs of your meeting will last a few day, That is; the pungent odor you will get from getting sprayed.