Skunks
Order:
Carnivora
Family: Mustelidae
Species: Mephitis mephitis
Skunks are members of the weasel family. The striped skunk, pictured above, is the most abundant skunk species in the United States. These mammals are capable of the discharging a nauseating musk (methyl mercaptan) from their anal glands. Young adults and adults can spray up to 15 feet. This musk, which skunks can discharge several times with each defense, may cause blindness if sprayed in the eye. In addition to being a nuisance animal, skunks can carry rabies and other diseases, posing a health threat to humans and domesticated animals.
Identification and Habits
The striped skunk, Mephitis mephitis, is jet-black with white stripes running laterally down its back. An adult weighs about 8 pounds and can be up to 29 inches in length. Its legs are short and stocky, and its feet are equipped with claws.
Female skunks give birth in May or June with five or six young per litter. The young usually stay in the den with the mother until autumn. Skunks occupy old woodchuck burrows, crawlspaces, and other protected areas such as spaces underneath mobile homes. PCOs can recognized inhabited dens by skunk droppings, tracks and rubmarks.
Skunks forage at night for food, including vegetables, insects, snakes, frogs, ground-nesting birds and eggs. Because they are poor climbers, they search for food close to the ground. These nocturnal animals can invade poultry houses, damage lawns by digging cone-shaped holes in search of beetle grubs, and knock over trash cans as they scavenge for food scraps.
Their
tracks can be distinguished from those of other mammals by their five-toed
forefeet and hindfeet imprints.
Claw marks will be visible, but the heels of the forefeet might
not.
The hindfeet tracks are approximately 2.5 inches long.
Control
Two cultural controls that discourage skunk activity are securing lids on trash cans and sealing openings beneath buildings. If skunk activity is evident, ensure that all skunks and their young are out of the structure before sealing of entrances to avoid trapping an animal inside. If skunks are damaging lawns, control efforts to reduce the insect population will discourage skunk activity.
Skunks can be removed from dens and other areas by using steel (lethal) and live traps. Select a one-door trap with a modified cover and pre-bait with chicken entrails, sardines or feathers. Secure the trap close to the den opening. Approach a caged skunk with a tarp and immediately cover the trap to avoid being sprayed. As with all trapping, transport the animal with care.
PCOs
must have a company policy in place that describes what to do with the
trapped animal.
Check with state regulations regarding trapping and release permits.
Since skunks are potential vectors of rabies, only an experienced
individual should handle the trap.
Do not release the animal in areas with reported cases of rabies.
(Courtesy of the National Pest Control Association.)