How to Get Rid of Skunks: A Homeowner’s Practical Guide to Eviction Without Getting Sprayed

Let me tell you what I’ve learned dealing with these critters. The best way to get skunks off your property is the moth ball and peanut butter method combined with sealing all entry points. Moth balls drive them out, peanut butter lures them toward the exit, and proper exclusion barriers keep them from coming back. This approach costs less than $10 and works when you do it right. I’ve seen neighbors waste $150+ on pest control when a trip to the hardware store would’ve solved the problem.

Skunks are nocturnal, mild-mannered, and honestly not looking for trouble. But when they decide your crawl space or shed is prime real estate, that musky spray becomes your problem real quick. Here’s the honest breakdown on getting them out—humanely, legally, and without ending up smelling like a tire fire dipped in garlic for the next month.

What Are Skunks and Why Should You Care?

Before we dive into removal methods, let’s understand what we’re dealing with. Four species of skunks live across the United States, but the two most common are the striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) and the
spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius). The striped skunk—the classic black body with white stripes running down its back—is what most folks encounter.

Here’s the thing about skunks that most people don’t realize: they’re actually beneficial. Skunks eat grubs, cutworms, Japanese beetle larvae, and other crop-destroying insects. They’re nature’s pest control. But when they decide to set up shop under your deck, that benefit doesn’t outweigh the stench.

Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis): The most common skunk species in North America. House-cat sized with prominent white stripes, strong digging claws, and the infamous spray glands. Nocturnal, generally docile, and found coast to coast in fields, sparse forests, and suburban neighborhoods.

What Attracts Skunks to Your Property in the First Place?

Before you can get rid of skunks, you need to understand why they showed up. Skunks are opportunists—they’re attracted to easy food and safe shelter. Remove those, and you’re halfway to solving the problem.

The main attractants include:

• Grubs in your lawn – This is the big one. Those small, cone-shaped holes in your yard? Skunk foraging for beetle larvae. A well-watered, fertilized lawn grows a bumper crop of grubs.
• Pet food left outside – An open buffet invitation
• Unsecured garbage – Trash cans without tight lids are skunk magnets
• Fallen fruit and berries – Sweet treats under apple trees or berry bushes
• Birdseed on the ground – Dropped seed from feeders
• Crawl spaces and sheds – Perfect denning sites that mimic natural burrows
• Compost piles – Kitchen scraps are irresistible to skunks
• Window wells – Easy to fall into, hard for skunks to climb out

Synanthropic Pest: An animal species that has adapted to thrive alongside human habitation, benefiting from anthropogenic resources like garbage, pet food, and structural shelter. Skunks are classic synanthropic pests—your suburban backyard is essentially a skunk paradise with more food and safer shelter than they’d find in the wild.

I reckon most skunk problems start because folks don’t realize their manicured lawn, with all that watering and fertilizing, is growing a bumper crop of grubs. You’re basically running an all-you-can-eat restaurant for skunks and you didn’t even know it.

How Do You Know If a Skunk Is Living Under Your House or Shed?

The unmistakable musky odor is usually the first sign, but there are other clues that confirm you’ve got a resident skunk rather than a passing visitor.

Signs of skunk activity:

• Persistent faint musk smell – Not the full spray, but a lingering odor near structures
• Cone-shaped holes in lawn – 3 to 4 inches deep, from digging for grubs
• Five-toed tracks with claw marks – Unlike cats, skunk claws don’t retract. Look for heel pads about 2 inches long.
• Tubular droppings – About 1-2 inches long with visible undigested insect parts, fruit, or nuts
• Freshly dug burrow entrances – Often under decks, sheds, or porches
• Overturned garbage or scattered trash – Similar to raccoon damage
• Skunk vocalizations at night – Squealing, hissing, growling, grunting, or cooing sounds. Happy skunks actually purr; angry ones stomp their feet loudly.

Here’s a trick the wildlife folks taught me: stuff some leaves or crumpled newspaper into any suspicious hole near your foundation. Come back the next morning. If something pushed through overnight, you’ve confirmed an active den. Skunks are nocturnal, so they’ll be out foraging and need to push past your barrier to get back in before dawn.

Understanding Skunk Spray: How Far Can They Shoot and When Will They Fire?

A skunk can spray you from 10 to 12 feet away—sideways, up, or down—with surprising accuracy. Understanding their defensive behavior helps you avoid getting hit.

Under a skunk’s tail are two pouches with the spray glands. Each pouch contains enough ammunition for about six shots. After depleting their supply, it takes roughly a week to replenish. That’s why skunks don’t spray casually—they’re conserving a limited resource.

The warning sequence before a skunk sprays:

1. Stamping front feet – The first warning. Stop and back away slowly.
2. Raised tail – Second warning. Seriously, stop moving toward them.
3. Hissing and short forward charges – They’re testing if you’ll retreat.
4. Twisting hind end toward you – This is “loading the gun.” Run.
5. Spotted skunks do a handstand – Rump in the air, eyes on target. It’s distinctive and terrifying.
6. U-position and spray – The skunk snaps into a U-shape with both head and rear facing you, then
   fires.

The golden-yellow spray contains sulfide mercaptans—that’s the chemistry behind why it smells like a combination of rotten eggs, garlic, and burnt rubber. Dogs tend to ignore all these warnings, which is why they get sprayed so often. If your dog is outside at night, that’s a recipe for a midnight de-skunking session.

The Moth Ball and Peanut Butter Method: A Step-by-Step Guide

This is the method that actually works for under $5. I’ve seen it recommended by wildlife refuges and confirmed by neighbors who’ve dealt with this exact problem. The irony is beautiful—stinky skunks hate the smell of moth balls.

Important caveat: This method works best for evicting skunks that haven’t fully established residence. A woman from Tennessee reported that once skunks had been living under her house for weeks, moth balls alone didn’t budge them. If they’ve been there a while, you may need the one-way door method (covered below).

Step 1: Locate All Entry Points

Walk around your shed, deck, or crawl space and find every hole or gap that’s 3 inches or larger. Skunks can squeeze through surprisingly small openings. Mark each one.

Step 2: Block All But One Exit

Seal every opening except the main one you want the skunk to use. Use hardware cloth, scrap lumber, or rocks. This isn’t the permanent fix—you’re just funneling traffic toward one door.

Step 3: Set the Peanut Butter Bait

Leave a generous scoop of peanut butter near the remaining exit using a disposable spoon or smeared on a rock. This attracts the skunk toward the exit path. Keep that opening clear and obvious.

Step 4: Deploy the Moth Balls

Grab a box of moth balls from the hardware store (naphthalene type, usually a couple dollars). Toss handfuls toward where the skunk is hiding. The fumes will make the space unbearable. Within minutes, you should see a grumpy skunk waddle out looking for fresh air.

Pro tip: If you’ve got a large crawl space and can’t throw far enough, a slingshot works surprisingly well for distributing moth balls to far corners. Just don’t hit the skunk directly—that’ll make things worse. If the moth balls shatter on impact, they’ll sublimate faster and create a stronger initial dose, but you’ll need to reapply sooner.

Safety note: Moth balls contain naphthalene, which is toxic if ingested by pets or children. Keep them confined to the crawl space or den area. They’ll sublimate (evaporate) over about a month, but the skunk should be gone long before that.

Step 5: Permanent Exclusion

Once you’re certain the skunk is gone (no disturbance to your entry barriers for 3+ nights), seal everything permanently. Use 16 or 19-gauge galvanized hardware cloth with 1/2″ x 1/2″ mesh. Not chicken wire—skunks can chew through that or squeeze through the gaps.

The L-Footer Barrier: How to Keep Skunks Out Permanently

Here’s the thing most folks get wrong—a fence that just touches the ground won’t stop a skunk. These animals are diggers. They’ll tunnel right under your shiny new barrier in one night.

The L-Footer (also called an apron barrier) is the engineering solution that actually works:

1. Dig a trench – 12 inches deep and 12 inches wide along the structure’s perimeter
2. Attach hardware cloth – Fasten to the structure’s base, extending down into the trench
3. Bend the bottom outward – Create a 90-degree angle pointing away from the structure
4. Backfill and compact – Bury that horizontal section with soil

When a skunk tries to dig at the foundation, it hits the vertical wire, goes down, hits more wire, and gives up. They don’t have the behavioral instinct to back up 12 inches and try again. It’s not that they couldn’t—they just don’t think to.

How to Get Rid of Grubs to Remove the Food Source

If you eliminate grubs, skunks have less reason to dig up your lawn. This is prevention, not eviction, but it’s crucial for long-term success.

Grub control options:

• Beneficial nematodes – Microscopic organisms that kill grubs naturally. Apply to moist soil in late summer when grubs are young. Takes time to establish but provides ongoing control.
• Milky spore disease – A bacteria (Bacillus popilliae) that specifically targets Japanese beetle larvae. Takes 1-3 years to fully colonize your lawn but provides 10+ years of protection afterward.
• Stop watering for 3-4 weeks – Dry conditions kill grubs. Your lawn may brown temporarily, but it’ll recover. The grubs won’t.
• Commercial grub killers – Chemical options work faster but require annual reapplication.

Contact your local Cooperative Extension Service for region-specific recommendations. What works in Tennessee might not be best for Arizona.

What About Commercial Repellents and Deterrents?

I’ll be honest—most commercial repellents offer temporary relief at best. Skunks habituate quickly. That bottle of predator urine might work for a week, then they figure out no actual coyote is around and come right back.

What Has Some Effect:

• Motion-activated sprinklers – The sudden water blast startles them. Combines physical surprise with auditory shock. Best deterrent short of physical barriers.
• Motion-activated lights – Skunks are nocturnal and photophobic. Bright flood lights help, especially if placed at den entrances. One homeowner in Kentucky reported success using clamp-style work lights with the brightest bulbs available, pointed directly at crawl space openings.
• Castor oil sprays – Some homeowners report success when sprayed at night while the skunk is away foraging. The Humane Society considers this a mild, acceptable repellent.
• Loud radio at night – Talk radio near the den can disturb skunks enough to relocate. Works better for new residents than established ones.

What Doesn’t Work (Despite What the Internet Says):

• Ammonia-soaked rags – Requires constant reapplication, evaporates quickly, and can be inhumane in confined spaces where it irritates eyes and lungs
• Predator urine – Expensive, washes away in rain, skunks habituate quickly. Also, the Humane Society notes that commercial predator urine is often harvested inhumanely.
• Ultrasonic devices – I spent $75 on one of those sonic pest controllers once. The skunks walked along the edge of its radius like they were window shopping. Total waste of money.
• Mothballs scattered around the yard – Only works to drive them from enclosed dens, not as a general yard repellent
• Human or dog urine – Despite the ammonia theory, real-world testing shows skunks aren’t impressed
• Drano, ground black pepper, scented candles – None of these work once a skunk has established residence

The honest answer? Spend your money on exclusion materials, not repellent products. A $30 roll of hardware cloth provides permanent protection. A $40 bottle of coyote urine provides maybe two weeks of hope.

Can You Trap and Relocate a Skunk Yourself?

Here’s where it gets legally complicated. In most US states, trapping and relocating skunks is either illegal or heavily regulated. I know that sounds backwards, but there are good reasons.

Skunks are classified as rabies vector species in many areas. Relocating them can spread disease to new populations. Plus, relocated wildlife often doesn’t survive—they’re dropped in unfamiliar territory, can’t find food or shelter, and get killed by resident animals defending their turf.

If you do trap a skunk: Cover the trap immediately with a large dark blanket or tarp. Skunks rely on vision to aim their spray—if they can’t see you, they’re much less likely to fire. Approach slowly and calmly. Many trappers report that covered skunks remain docile during transport.

If you absolutely need a skunk trapped and removed, contact your local Wildlife Control office or hire a licensed Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator (NWCO). Yes, it costs $150 or more. But it’s legal, humane, and you don’t risk getting sprayed.

The One-Way Door Method: Let Them Evict Themselves

This is the gold standard for humane skunk removal when moth balls alone don’t do the trick. A one-way door lets the skunk leave normally but prevents re-entry.

How it works:

1. Install L-footer exclusion mesh around the entire structure except the main entry hole
2. Attach a one-way door (tunnel with spring-loaded or gravity flap) over that hole
3. Dust flour around the exit to track footprints
4. Wait 3-5 nights (in winter, wait longer—skunks may be inactive for extended periods)
5. When flour shows tracks leading out but none coming in, remove the door and seal permanently

CRITICAL WARNING: Never use one-way doors during April through August without confirming no babies are present. Locking a mother out means baby skunks (kits) die of starvation inside your foundation. You’ll go from a skunk problem to a dead animal smell problem that’s 10 times worse. If you see a mama skunk with babies in tow—and I’ve seen them waddle right across patios, brazen as can be—wait until the kits are old enough to follow her out foraging before installing the door.

What If a Skunk Gets Into Your Garage?

Don’t panic. Seriously. Skunks spray when threatened, and a panicked human chasing them with a broom is definitely threatening.

The calm exit strategy:

1. Open the garage door (or any exterior door)
2. Leave the area completely
3. Come back after dark—skunks are nocturnal, they’ll naturally want to leave at night
4. Close the door after they’ve left

Make sure the skunk hasn’t been coming and going long enough to establish a den. Remove any accessible food like bags of birdseed and store them in sealed containers.

How to Rescue a Skunk from a Window Well

Skunks have poor eyesight and often fall into window wells or deep pits. Here are two methods to get them out:

Method 1: The Ramp

• Lower a rough board (or one covered in towel or carpet for traction) at no steeper than a 45-degree angle
• Stay out of the skunk’s line of sight while placing it
• Clear the area and wait until nightfall—the skunk will climb out on its own

Method 2: The Garbage Can (for deeper wells)

• Place smelly cheese or cat food at the bottom of a garbage can
• Lower the can on its side with the open end facing the skunk
• Once the skunk enters to eat, carefully tilt the can upright
• Lift it elevator-style out of the well
• Gently tip it on its side and back away—the skunk will amble out

How to Remove Skunk Spray Odor: The Chemistry That Actually Works

Forget tomato juice. That’s a myth based on olfactory fatigue—your nose gets tired of one smell and starts registering another. The skunk musk is still there. (Trust me, I learned this the hard way with ketchup, tomato soup, and Prego spaghetti sauce. My dog smelled like an Italian skunk for weeks.)

Skunk spray contains sulfur-based chemicals called thiols. To neutralize them, you need oxidation. Here’s the formula that actually works:

The Peroxide Formula (Paul Krebaum’s Recipe)

• 1 quart 3% hydrogen peroxide (fresher is better)
• 1/4 cup baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)
• 1 teaspoon liquid dish soap

Application:

1. Mix in an open bucket (it fizzes—don’t seal it or it could explode)
2. Apply immediately to dry fur or skin—wet fur dilutes the solution
3. Work into a lather, avoiding eyes
4. Wait 5 minutes or until fizzing stops
5. Rinse thoroughly with water
6. Repeat if necessary
7. Air dry or towel dry—do NOT use a hair dryer, as heat can set any remaining scent

Warning: Peroxide can bleach fur, so don’t leave it on pets longer than necessary. For spray in eyes, flush immediately with water—skunk spray in eyes is similar to pepper spray and causes intense pain.

Thiols: Sulfur-containing organic compounds responsible for skunk spray’s overwhelming odor. They bind rapidly to olfactory receptors and are chemically similar to the compounds that give rotten eggs and garlic their characteristic smells. Oxidizing agents like hydrogen peroxide convert thiols to odorless sulfonic acids.

Should You Worry About Rabies?

Skunks are one of four primary rabies reservoir species in the United States, alongside raccoons, foxes, and bats. This is a legitimate health concern, not just fear-mongering. Skunks can also carry leptospirosis.

Warning signs of a rabid skunk:

• Active during daytime (skunks are strictly nocturnal)
• Unprovoked aggression or unusual boldness
• Staggering, disorientation, circling
• Limb paralysis
• Uncharacteristic tameness

If you see a skunk displaying these behaviors, do not approach. Keep pets and children inside and contact your local animal control immediately. If any person or pet is bitten, seek medical attention immediately—rabies post-exposure treatment is time-sensitive.

A normal, healthy skunk foraging at dusk or dawn is no cause for alarm. Skunks may also be extra active during spring when feeding young—this alone doesn’t indicate rabies. A skunk stumbling around your yard at noon acting confused? That’s when you call the professionals.

Shop Floor Rating: Skunk Removal Methods Compared

Based on what I’ve seen work for neighbors, what the wildlife experts recommend, and some hard-won personal experience:

The Bottom Line on Skunk Removal

Look, skunks aren’t trying to ruin your life. They’re just looking for food and shelter, and your property happens to offer both. The solution isn’t complicated:

1. Remove attractants – Secure garbage in cans with tight lids, bring in pet food, clean up fallen fruit, store birdseed in sealed containers
2. Treat for grubs – Eliminate their primary food source with beneficial nematodes or milky spore disease
3. Evict humanely – Moth balls and bright lights drive new residents out; one-way doors handle established dens
4. Exclude permanently – L-footer barriers with proper hardware cloth (not chicken wire)

Spend your money on exclusion materials, not pest control services or magic repellent bottles. A $30 investment in hardware cloth and a $3 box of moth balls solves most residential skunk problems permanently. That’s the honest answer.

And if you do mess up and get sprayed? Now you know the hydrogen peroxide formula. Works a lot better than bathing in ketchup and tomato soup, I can tell you that much.