Skunks Under the Deck? Here’s What to Do (and What Not to Do)
Skunks Under the Deck? Here’s What to Do (and What Not to Do)
Imagine it’s a nice summer night, you go out to enjoy your deck, only to be hit with the overwhelming smell of skunk. It’s more common than you might think! Skunks will nest underneath decks, sheds, and porches in the suburban areas of Westchester County, and when they decide to settle down in your yard, they will spray around your property to mark their territory. This blog will cover what attracts skunks, the common signs, what to do if you notice a skunk problem, and how professionals like Westchester Wildlife can solve your skunk problem safely and carefully.
Why Skunks Choose Decks and Sheds in Westchester
Skunks are nocturnal, reclusive critters that are drawn to dark, warm areas, preferably close to the ground, where they can dig out their dens. Underneath your deck, shed, or porch therefore provides the perfect habitat for skunks. If your yard is littered with dead leaves and wood piles, this can provide skunks with extra cover, as well as attract insects for skunks to eat. Unsealed crawl spaces can also let skunks inside, providing another source of shelter. If you leave bowls of pet food out, these can also attract skunks to your property. Much of the Westchester suburbs are close to the edge of forests, which can make it a hotspot of wildlife activity.
Signs There’s a Skunk on Your Property
- Skunk spray odor: often in the yard or underneath the home
- Visible burrows or disturbed soil around deck or shed: skunks dig underground to nest and find grubs to eat
- Nocturnal rustling sounds: skunks are more active at night, so you might hear them moving around under your house
- Pet agitation or recent outdoor skunk encounter: if your dog is acting upset or comes in smelling like skunk, they most likely found the den in your yard.
What NOT to Do if You Suspect a Skunk
Don’t try to block the den entrance, as you might accidentally trap a mother skunk inside with her babies. The only thing that smells worse than a skunk spray is a dead skunk. Don’t attempt to scare the skunk out, as they can spray when frightened, and may lash out with claws and teeth. Don’t use poison or repellents, as they are inhumane, ineffective, and often illegal. The number one thing you should NOT do if you have a skunk problem is ignore it, as the problem can get worse if left unaddressed.
What You SHOULD Do Instead
Instead of trying to remove the critter under your deck, you should observe from a distance, noting the time of activity and where the entry points are. Then, call a professional like Westchester Wildlife for safe, humane skunk trapping and removal services. Our first step will be scheduling an inspection, so we can determine if the skunk has babies and how to proceed. Next we remove the skunks, perform exclusion work, and repair any damage done, ensuring they don’t come back.
Preventing Future Skunk Problems
The best way to prevent future skunk problems is to call Westchester Wildlife for professional exclusion services. We will bury hardware cloth around decks and sheds to prevent skunks from digging underneath them. You can also secure trash cans, compost piles, and bowls of pet food to limit their food sources, and remove yard debris and wood piles to limit their shelter.
Why Choose Westchester Wildlife
Westchester Wildlife is the best skunk trapping and removal company in the Westchester County area. Our team has years of experience removing skunks from homes in Westchester, so you can count on us getting the job done right. All our wildlife removal practices are safe and humane, ensuring a safe environment for your home without harming the animal in any way. Our services go beyond removal, we also offer cleanup and exclusion services to get your home back in shape and protect it from more wildlife problems in the future. Contact us today to get started with a FREE estimate at 800-273-6673!
Wild Neighbors: How Raccoons Thrive in Westchester’s Suburbs
Wild Neighbors: How Raccoons Thrive in Westchester’s Suburbs
Raccoons are one of the most common wildlife species that you might encounter in the suburbs of Westchester County. These intelligent, nocturnal critters are known to raid trash cans for food, nest inside your attic space, spread diseases, and leave waste behind everywhere. Raccoons are very adaptable, and the conditions of the suburbs are optimal for their survival. Understanding how and why raccoons are thriving in Westchester can help you understand how to keep them out. And if a raccoon has already made its way inside your attic space, you can call Westchester Wildlife for safe and humane trapping and removal services.
Why Raccoons Love the Westchester Area
Raccoons love Westchester because of the abundant sources of food. Raccoons are omnivores that eat whatever they can get their paws on, but many man-made structures in the suburbs provide easier ways for a raccoon to score a quick meal. Trash cans, compost piles, gardens, birdfeeders, bowls of pet food left outside; all of these can feed a hungry raccoon. In addition to an abundance of food, raccoons in Westchester also have plenty of places to seek shelter, like inside attics, crawl spaces, and chimneys. If that weren’t enough, the suburbs also provide refuge from the raccoon’s natural predators, like coyotes, bobcats, and cougars.
Common Signs of a Raccoon Problem
Loud stomping and shuffling sounds coming from inside your attic space or walls, especially at night, are a common sign of a raccoon problem. If you notice torn shingles, soffits, or siding, this can mean raccoons have ripped their way into your home. If your outdoor trash cans or outdoor pet food bowls are tipped over and raided every night, a raccoon is probably living on your property. Raccoon droppings around your yard or attic space are a common sign as well, but use caution when cleaning it up (or wait for professionals), because raccoon droppings can spread raccoon roundworm.
Raccoon Behavior in Westchester
Raccoons commonly nest inside your attic space, ripping through shingles, soffits, and siding to get inside. Once inside, raccoons will rip apart your insulation to add to their nests, often digging latrines within the insulation to deposit their waste. Raccoons will also chew through wires and tear through HVAC ducts. It’s not recommended that you try to remove raccoons yourself, as they might become aggressive when cornered (especially if accompanied by their young) and may lash out with their sharp claws and teeth. Not only can they seriously injure you, raccoon bites and scratches can also oftentimes spread the rabies virus.
How Westchester Wildlife Handles Raccoon Removal
Our first step when removing raccoons is to conduct a thorough inspection of your property, looking for raccoon nests inside attics and crawl spaces. We also check for entry points on roof vents, soffits, chimneys, and more. Then, we begin safely and humanely trapping and removing the raccoons, ensuring that we remove the mothers with their young. After the raccoons are gone, we perform exclusion work to make sure that they don’t come back, and then clean up any mess left behind.
Preventing Future Raccoon Intrusions
Westchester Wildlife can remove raccoons from your property, and once they are gone, we will perform exclusion work to keep them out for good. Exclusion work is the process of locating and sealing off entry points like soffit holes, missing shingles, and missing siding. Exclusion work can also include installing vent guards and wildlife barriers, as well as performing crawl space repairs. Even if you don’t currently have a raccoon infestation, our team can perform exclusion work to ensure that your home doesn’t become a target.
In addition to exclusion work, you can take some additional steps to make your property less inviting to raccoons. Secure trash cans with a tightly-fitting lid and bring in bowls of pet food before bed every night. Trim tree branches that are too close to your home, as they can make it easier for raccoons to get on your roof. Removing food and water sources from your yard will go a long way in making your home less habitable to nuisance wildlife.
When To Call A Professional
When DIY methods of prevention fail, and a raccoon has gotten inside your attic space or wall voids, it’s time to call a professional. Raccoons are unpredictable wild animals with sharp claws and teeth, so always leave raccoon removal to the experts. Westchester Wildlife can help, we offer the best raccoon trapping, removal, and exclusion services Get in touch with our team today to get started with a FREE estimate at (800) 273-6673!