Skunk!

Ahhhh the wonderful smells of summer; fresh flowers, fresh cut grass, fresh summer rains and fresh skunk smell.  Wait, what?

If you have ever experienced the smell of a skunk, you know that it attacks the senses full force!  The attack on your nose & lungs is offensive and has even been known to make your eyes water (mine did  but from crying when I was having a party on a Saturday afternoon after the Friday night skunk spraying under the house!)  Let’s get to know a little more about this silent creature that can bring down the strongest of us.

Skunks are peaceful and non-aggressive animals.  They really try to stay out of harm.  They have a range of a few hundred acres and are primarily nocturnal and solitary animals except when the mamas are raising babies.  They can be active all year long, but in the coldest areas of winter, they spend that time in their dens.

The skunk’s food source is mostly insects of which many are pests to humans.  In regard to that we can think of them as beneficial to have around.  Plant material, including wild fruits, apples and corn are included in their diet along with mice and eggs from ground nesting birds.

Breeding usually occurs in late winter or early spring, so babies are generally born in May or June.  Skunks have the ability to dig their own burrows but will also use abandoned dens of other animals, hollow logs, wood, rock piles, under buildings, stone walls, hay or brush piles and trees or stumps.

Being a docile animal, the skunk’s main line of defense is a complex chemical substance that includes sulfuric acid that can be released from either one or two independently targetable anal glands.  This allows the skunk to face any threat instead of running away.

How Do You Keep Skunks Away?

Now that you know a little more about a skunk, let’s look at a way to keep them from your home or business so you can continue smelling the fragrant scents of summer.  My customers have asked for years for a product that will keep skunks away and until now, all I have had to offer is a  live trap (then you still have to dispose of the stinky skunk!) and a sympathetic ear.

Now there is a product called Shot-Gun Repels-All animal repellent granules.  This repels-all granule not only repels skunks but also deer, rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, dogs, cats, raccoons, porcupines, bird, rats, beavers, groundhogs  and shrews from around your home, business and garden.  Repels-All animal repellent can be used where kids and pets play. It is also biodegradable and won’t harm lawns, gardens or other plants when used correctly.

Repels-All contains a unique blend of ingredients that cause a mild irritation in animal’s nasal passages.  This irritation is triggered when an animal touches, tastes or smells the repellent granules making the animals’ natural instinct to flee/escape immediate.  It has an unpleasant taste and smell that animals find irritating.  This repellent does not harm the animals, it just drives them away!