Skunk Control: Get Skunks Out From Under Your Deck and Keep Them Out

The dog won’t stop barking at the deck, there is a faint skunky smell by the back door, and the lawn has small holes dug in it every morning. A skunk has probably moved in, and a den under the house can mean a litter of kits. This guide helps you confirm it’s a skunk, get it out without trapping young and close the space so another one doesn’t move in.

How to identify skunks

Most homeowners deal with the striped skunk. The smaller spotted skunk is less common around homes and is protected in some states. Both are mostly out at dawn, dusk and night, and both see poorly but smell and hear well.

A skunky smell does not always mean a skunk. Opossums can release a musk that smells like weak skunk spray, and a dog that was sprayed somewhere else can carry the odor home. If the animal you see is gray with a long bare tail, read our opossum guide. Raccoons also den under decks; the raccoon guide covers them.

Signs of skunks around your home

• Dogs barking at the same spot under a deck, porch or shed, often the first sign.
• A burrow or worn gap at the edge of a deck, porch, slab or foundation.
• Small pits or cone-shaped holes in the lawn, and sections of sod rolled back.
• A faint skunk odor nearby. In late winter, that smell around a building can mean a pregnant female is looking for a nest site under it.

Why skunks move in

Skunks often move into burrows that ground squirrels, foxes or other animals dug, enlarging them as needed. They also use brush piles, hollow logs and culverts. In towns, the space under decks, porches and buildings makes a dry, protected den. Food keeps them around: lawn grubs and other insects, pet food, garbage and fallen fruit.

Striped skunks usually mate in February and March. Kits are born about 9 weeks later, typically 4 to 6 per litter, and start following their mother on nightly foraging trips at 2 to 3 months old. So from about May into summer, any skunk den under your house may hold young.

Rabies and other risks

Skunks can carry rabies. In California they are among the most common carriers. They can also carry leptospirosis, canine distemper and tularemia, among other diseases.

Be wary of a skunk that is unusually tame or listless, out in daylight and acting oddly, or approaching people aggressively. Keep away and call animal control or your health department. Anyone bitten by a skunk should see a doctor, even for a small bite, and the bite should be reported to the local health department. Keep dogs and cats vaccinated against rabies; some dogs tangle with skunks again and again.

Keep pets and children away from a skunk den. A sprayed dog is a nuisance. A bitten dog or child is a medical problem.

How to get a skunk out from under a deck or porch

1. Check the calendar. Missouri’s conservation department notes that young may be in the den in May and June and are usually out by mid-August. Penn State warns that sealing a burrow from early May to mid-August may trap young inside. If you can, wait until the family leaves.
2. Make the den less comfortable. A floodlight aimed at the entrance can encourage a skunk to move on. Don’t put ammonia rags or other strong repellents under a house people live in, because fumes can get into the home through the heating and cooling system. Missouri’s conservation department does not recommend mothballs: they are not known to work, and the naphthalene in them is toxic.
3. Find out if anyone is home. Spread a smooth layer of flour about 1/8 inch thick in front of the opening and check it soon after dark. Skunk tracks leading out mean the animal has left for the night.
4. Or use a one-way door. Hinge a piece of 1/2-inch hardware cloth or plywood, larger than the opening, at the top so it swings outward. A skunk can push out but can’t get back in. This won’t work if the kits are too young to walk out on their own.
5. Seal the opening at night, once you know the den is empty. Skunks are out foraging then.

Blocking decks, porches and sheds for good

Once the skunk is out, close the space so the next one can’t dig in.

• Use 1/4-inch hardware cloth. It keeps out skunks, and it stops rats and mice too. Sheet metal, wood or concrete also work on foundation gaps.
• Bury it. In soft soil, UC IPM recommends burying the wire at least 6 inches deep so skunks can’t dig under. For a sturdier L-shaped footer, Penn State describes 3-foot mesh fencing (written for poultry yards) with the lowest foot buried and the bottom 6 inches bent outward at a right angle, so a digging animal runs into wire. Where skunks are determined diggers, Penn State suggests going 1 1/2 to 2 feet down.
• Close window wells with mesh or a fiberglass dome, and put a board with cleats in any well a skunk has already fallen into so it can climb out.
• Cover concrete slab edges by burying wire mesh along the slab.

Our rodent-proofing guide covers smaller gaps around the foundation.

Stopping lawn digging

Skunks dig small cone-shaped holes, about 3 to 5 inches across, while hunting grubs in the soil, and sometimes roll back strips of sod. The holes show up overnight, since skunks feed after dark.

Fewer grubs means less digging. Our grub control guide explains how to count grubs before you treat, since many lawns have too few to matter. Penn State notes a grub insecticide can cut the food supply but may affect other species, so treat only when the count calls for it and read and follow the label. Also remove the easy meals: bring pet food in at night, keep trash in cans with tight lids and pick up fallen fruit.

Cleaning up skunk spray

Skunk spray is a sulfur compound that clings and is hard to break down. UC IPM, Penn State and the Missouri Department of Conservation all give the same home mix for pets, clothing and objects that were sprayed directly:

• 1 quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide
• 1/4 cup of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of liquid soap

Mix it in an open bucket and use it right away. Never cap or store it, because it can foam and burst a closed container. Pour leftovers down the drain with plenty of water.

If your dog or cat was sprayed: wear gloves, work the mix into the fur, keep it out of the eyes, then rinse the pet thoroughly with water. Peroxide can lighten dark fur. If spray got in the eyes, flush them with plenty of water. Call your veterinarian for their current washing advice, especially if the eyes look irritated.

Clothes: wash with regular detergent plus 1/2 cup of baking soda. Missouri’s conservation department warns that the peroxide mix can bleach, so keep it off rugs and upholstery, and grass it touches may turn brown. The mix is meant for spot treatment, not for deodorizing a whole crawl space.

Trapping and the law

Rules on skunks vary a lot by state:

• California classifies skunks as nongame mammals. Moving a trapped skunk requires written permission from the state wildlife agency, which is unlikely to be granted because of rabies risk.
• Missouri lists the striped skunk as a furbearer, and damage-causing striped skunks may be trapped out of season without a permit, subject to the restrictions in the state wildlife code. Spotted skunks are a species of conservation concern and may not be taken.
• Pennsylvania protects striped skunks as furbearers, but a property owner may trap one that is causing damage without a hunting license.

Striped skunks are not protected in most states, but licensing and relocation rules still vary. Check with your state wildlife agency before you set a trap. Drowning a trapped skunk is not legal in California. Never use rodent poison or burrow fumigants around a home.

When to call a professional

A lone skunk under a deck in fall or winter is often a DIY job: confirm it’s out, then bury the wire. Call a licensed wildlife control operator when:

• A den may hold kits and you can’t wait for them to leave.
• The skunk is under a slab, crawl space or occupied part of the house.
• You need a skunk trapped. UC IPM recommends that inexperienced people hire a professional. Enclosed traps, especially plastic box traps, lower the chance of getting sprayed.
• A skunk is acting sick or has bitten a person or pet. Call the health department too.

A typical visit includes an inspection for every entry point, a plan that accounts for young, installation of a one-way door or trapping where your state allows it, and buried exclusion wire around the deck, porch or shed. Ask:

• Are you licensed for wildlife work in this state?
• How do you check for kits, and what happens if you find them?
• If you trap, what happens to the animal, and is that legal here?
• Will you install the buried barrier, and is it guaranteed?

Our guide to choosing a pest control company has more questions, and pest control costs explains what affects the quote. The wildlife hub covers other yard animals.

Skunk questions

Can I trap the skunk myself? Check your state’s rules first. If trapping is allowed, use a fully enclosed trap baited with something cats ignore, like overripe banana or peanut butter, and cover the trap with a towel or blanket before you move it. A calm skunk in a dark trap is less likely to spray.

The smell is getting stronger days later. Why? A smell that builds over several days often means a skunk has died under the structure, and the carcass needs to come out.

Do store-bought skunk repellents work? UC IPM rates commercial skunk repellents as not very effective. Buried wire and a closed gap do the job.