Skunks

Two things bring a skunk to attention: a lawn full of small holes that appeared overnight, and an opening under a deck, a shed or a porch. This page covers what the animal is, how to tell its digging from something else’s, and what the sources support doing about it. Exclusion comes before trapping here, because that is the order the sources themselves put it in.

One rule governs everything below and it is worth reading before anything else on this page. Nebraska Extension states that you should never secure a hole unless you are certain that it is no longer active. Sealing an occupied den shuts the animals inside it. The test that establishes whether a hole is active is in the exclusion section, alongside the mesh specification, not somewhere further down.

What It Is

Species counts differ between sources because they are counting different areas, so each is given here with its area attached. Montana State University Extension states that the skunk, a member of the weasel family, is represented by four species in North America, and that striped skunks are the most abundant of the four species.

• The striped skunk. Penn State Extension identifies it as Mephitis mephitis, characterized by prominent, lateral white stripes that run down its back.
• The spotted skunks. Nebraska Extension names the eastern spotted skunk as Spilogale putorius, and University of California IPM names the western spotted skunk as Spilogale gracilis. University of California IPM describes spotted skunks as black with white spots or short white streaks. University of Kentucky adds that they are much more nervous than striped skunks and are better climbers, which matters for exclusion below.
• Two species per state, four in North America. University of California IPM states that two species of skunk are found in California, the spotted skunk and the striped skunk, which is the species most commonly found around homes. (as of 04/2015) Nebraska Extension likewise names two for Nebraska. Neither is a national count.

On size, Montana State University Extension describes the striped skunk as about the size of an ordinary house cat, up to 29 inches long and weighing about 8 pounds, and the spotted skunk as smaller, up to 21 inches long. The Missouri Department of Conservation gives measured ranges: total length 20 to 30 inches, tail length 7 to 15 inches, and weight 2 and a half to 11 and a half pounds, with the spotted skunk smaller at three quarters to 2 and three quarter pounds.

On where they are, the figures the sources give are state-scoped rather than national. University of Kentucky states that the striped skunk can be found in every county of Kentucky, and that the spotted skunk is rare and can be found only in the southeastern corner of the state. Penn State Extension states that the spotted skunk occurs in a few southcentral Pennsylvania counties, that skunk populations range from 2 to 50 individuals per square mile, and that with the urbanization of rural areas, people and skunks have come in closer contact. (as of June 2006) University of Kentucky states that skunk home ranges normally vary from one to one and a half miles.

What the Digging Looks Like

Skunk feeding damage is many small holes rather than a few big ones, and the contrast with a raccoon is the most useful single check.

• Cone-shaped holes. Nebraska Extension describes skunk damage to a lawn as a collection of cone-shaped holes dug at the surface of the ground, dug for grubs and other insect larvae. The Missouri Department of Conservation describes it as digging up soil in small pits.
• Hole size, three figures. University of Kentucky gives 3 to 4 inch cone-shaped holes or patches of upturned earth. Penn State Extension and Montana State University Extension give small cone-shaped holes or patches of upturned earth, up to 3 to 4 inches. University of California IPM gives cone-shaped depressions that range from 3 to 5 inches across.
• Where it happens. Penn State Extension and Montana State University Extension both state that skunks dig holes in lawns, golf courses, and gardens to search for insect grubs found in the soil. University of California IPM adds that they may also damage lawns by rolling back sections of sod.
• The raccoon contrast. Nebraska Extension states that damage to turf caused by raccoons typically is much more extensive, with large chunks of sod being rolled and torn.
• Den entrance. Nebraska Extension states that active burrows will be grass-free and 3 to 5 inches in diameter, and that entrances typically are 3 to 5 inches in diameter with little to no grass growing around the opening. Montana State University Extension notes that skunks may burrow under porches or buildings by entering foundation openings.
• Other traces. Penn State Extension states that droppings are a quarter to a half inch in diameter and 1 to 2 inches long. Montana State University Extension gives hind foot tracks as approximately 2 and a half inches long.

Two cautions from the sources are worth more than any single measurement. Montana State University Extension states that several other animals, including domestic dogs, also dig in lawns, and Penn State Extension states that it is important to try and identify the problem species before undertaking control measures. Smell is not the shortcut it seems either: Montana State University Extension states that odor is not always a reliable indicator of the presence or absence of skunks, Nebraska Extension states that dens emitting a musky odor likely are occupied by foxes, and both Penn State Extension and Montana State University Extension note that animals that have been sprayed by skunks move under houses, which can make an owner think a skunk is present when it is not.

When They Are Active

The sources divide on this, and the division matters later on this page, so both positions are given attributed.

• Strictly nocturnal. Nebraska Extension states that skunks are nocturnal, active from dusk to dawn. University of Kentucky states that skunks are nocturnal, becoming active from sunset to slightly after sunrise. Penn State Extension and Montana State University Extension state that they are nocturnal in habit, rather slow-moving and deliberate.
• Dawn, dusk, night, and sometimes daylight. University of California IPM states that skunks are usually active at dawn, dusk, and during the night, and adds explicitly that they can be active during the daytime, particularly in human-use areas.

The sources agree about winter. Nebraska Extension states that skunks do not hibernate, but can become dormant or semi-active, and University of Kentucky states that skunks may remain inactive in the den for a period of days or weeks during cold weather.

Why They Dig

The digging is feeding behavior. University of California IPM describes a highly varied diet including insects, grubs, earthworms, small rodents, snakes, lizards, frogs, mushrooms, berries and fruit, pet food, and garbage. Penn State Extension and Montana State University Extension state that insects are their preferred food and are more available in spring and summer, and Penn State Extension states that they eat plant and animal matter in about equal amounts during fall and winter.

• Penn State Extension states that they seem to prefer grasshoppers, white grubs, beetles, and crickets. University of Kentucky names grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, wasps, cutworms, and other insect larvae.
• Penn State Extension and Montana State University Extension both state that field and house mice are regular and important items in the skunk diet, particularly in winter.
• The Missouri Department of Conservation states that in spring and summer, insects are their preferred food, including bees, wasps, hives, larvae, and honey. University of Kentucky states that skunks can also damage beehives as they feed on adult and larval bees.
• University of California IPM states that skunks will also opportunistically feed on bird eggs.

Two sources put the other side of the ledger. Penn State Extension states that skunks feed on large numbers of agricultural and garden pests, and Montana State University Extension states that an economic evaluation of the feeding habits of skunks shows that only 5 percent of the diet is made up of items that are economically valuable to people.

Dens, and When Kits Are In Them

Where a skunk dens decides whether it is a problem at all, and when kits are present decides whether an opening can be closed.

• University of California IPM states that skunks often den in burrows, and will often use abandoned burrows dug by ground squirrels, foxes, or coyotes and enlarge them if necessary. Penn State Extension adds that they may use old woodchuck burrows.
• Nebraska Extension states that they prefer to den in sheltered areas under stumps, fallen trees, lumber piles, decks, and porches. University of Kentucky lists vacant buildings, under house porches, culverts, brush piles and tree stumps.
• University of Kentucky states that skunks use a variety of dens for loafing during the day, for giving birth and raising young, and for periods of inactivity during the winter.

On timing, Montana State University Extension states that adult skunks begin breeding in late February, Penn State Extension gives late February through late March, and University of California IPM gives February and March for the striped skunk. University of Kentucky states that skunks mate in February and that the young are born in May and June. Montana State University Extension states that yearling females mate in late March, and that older females bear young during the first part of May while yearling females bear young in early June. University of California IPM gives gestation as about 9 weeks and Nebraska Extension gives it as about 63 days. Montana State University Extension states there is usually only one litter annually. Penn State Extension reports that a male may travel 4 to 5 miles each night while breeding.

How many kits is not agreed, and the figures are given here as each source states them. University of California IPM gives litters ranging from 4 to 6 kits. Penn State Extension gives 4 to 6 young. Montana State University Extension gives 4 to 6 young but may have from 2 to 16. Nebraska Extension gives litters averaging four to eight kits. University of Kentucky gives usually five to nine young kits, with as many as 18 or as few as two. The Missouri Department of Conservation gives a single litter of 4 to 6 young born from early May to early June. Nebraska Extension notes that young are born blind and hairless but with their striped pattern.

Control: Exclusion First

Exclusion is what the sources put first, and it is the only approach here that stops the problem returning. The specification and the test that has to precede it are both in this section, together, because doing the second without the first shuts animals in.

Before you close anything: establish that the hole is empty

• The test. Nebraska Extension states that you should temporarily seal openings with newspaper or loose dirt to determine if the hole is still in use.
• The rule. Nebraska Extension states that you should never secure a hole unless you are certain that it is no longer active.
• Why it matters most in late spring. University of California IPM states that blocking the entrance is more problematic if there are several young left behind, and University of Kentucky states that the young are born in May and June.
• Timing. Penn State Extension states that skunks are active at night, so night is a good time to close off entrances to dens.
• A one-way door, built rather than bought. University of California IPM describes a one-way, outward-swinging gate that will allow any remaining skunks to leave but not to re-enter, constructed from half-inch mesh hardware cloth hinged at the top of the frame and left loose on the other three sides. Penn State Extension describes the same thing as a one-way door over the opening, improvised to allow skunks to leave. University of Kentucky describes attaching a piece of half-inch hardware cloth to the opening where more than one skunk may be living under a building. All three describe a construction, not a product.
• University of California IPM also describes placing one or more floodlights beneath the building facing outward through the entry point to help drive them out.

The mesh, and how deep to bury it

• Quarter-inch hardware cloth. University of California IPM states to close off all potential entrances or openings under houses, garden tool sheds, mobile homes, porches, and decks with quarter-inch mesh hardware cloth, and notes that the advantage of the small mesh is that it will also exclude rats and house mice if installed correctly. Nebraska Extension states to use quarter-inch wire mesh or other durable material to close entrances. University of Kentucky gives quarter-inch or half-inch hardware cloth or similar material.
• Utah State University Extension states that in buildings without concrete foundations, you should seal all holes with a fine wire mesh to prevent skunks from denning under the structure. Penn State Extension and Montana State University Extension state that all openings should be covered with wire mesh, sheet metal, or concrete, and that skunks are kept from denning under buildings by sealing off all foundation openings.
• Nebraska Extension specifies obtaining a 3-foot-wide roll of half-inch galvanized hardware cloth. For a poultry yard, Penn State Extension gives 3-foot wire mesh fencing and University of Kentucky gives 3-foot-wide, 1-inch poultry netting with the bottom 12 inches buried.
• Spotted skunks climb. Nebraska Extension states that since spotted skunks are good climbers, you should use a 4-foot-wide mesh and create a 6-inch-wide overhang to stop them from climbing.

How deep to bury it is not agreed, and the four figures span 2 inches to 2 feet. University of California IPM says to bury the wire at least 6 inches to discourage skunks from digging under. Nebraska Extension says to bury one side at least 2 to 3 inches below the ground surface, extending it 12 inches outward in an L shape. University of Kentucky says the mesh wire should be buried 12 to 18 inches underground. Penn State Extension and Montana State University Extension say to bury fencing 1 and a half to 2 feet in areas where skunks could gain access by digging. What three sources do agree on is the shape rather than the depth: Penn State Extension describes burying the lowest foot of fencing with the bottom 6 inches bent 90 degrees outward, and University of Kentucky describes the bottom 6 inches bent outward in an L shape. All four depths are reported here as their sources state them, and none is preferred.

Taking away the reasons to stay

• University of California IPM states that potential den sites can be limited by cutting back overgrown shrubbery and by stacking firewood tightly, preferably at least 18 inches above the ground.
• Nebraska Extension states to feed and water pets indoors, or provide them just enough for one feeding.
• University of Kentucky states to place garbage or other food materials in sealed trash cans rather than garbage bags.

Control: Enclosed and Covered Traps

This section describes a method, not a product. Nothing is named or recommended here.

University of California IPM states that skunks can be caught with an enclosed cage-type, live-catch trap, and writes of the enclosed kind: “Plastic box traps are superior to wire traps because they are completely enclosed, thus reducing the risk of getting sprayed while removing the trapped animal from the site.” That sentence is University of California IPM’s comparison of two kinds of construction, quoted here as they wrote it, and it is not our own assessment of any product. The same source states that if a wire live trap is used, you should cover the back end with an old blanket, and that skunks are less stressed in dark environments and thus are less likely to spray. Penn State Extension and Montana State University Extension both state that live traps should be covered with canvas before setting to reduce the chances of a trapped skunk discharging its scent, and that the canvas creates a dark, secure environment for the animal; University of Kentucky gives canvas, tarp, or thick burlap. None of that makes a covered trap proof against spraying, and one source says so directly: Nebraska Extension states that a covered trap does not prevent skunks from spraying, and that it only reduces the likelihood.

• Size. Penn State Extension states that live traps should be approximately 10 by 10 by 30 inches in size.
• Placement. Penn State Extension states that skunks can be caught in live traps set near the entrance to their den, and that when a den is used by more than one animal, several traps should be set to reduce capture time.
• Bait. Penn State Extension states to use canned fish-flavored cat food, and that peanut butter, sardines, and chicken entrails are also effective.
• Approach. University of Kentucky states to slowly approach the animal and gently cover the trap with the material if it was not covered when set. Nebraska Extension states that skunks can be caught easily in cage traps, and separately advises carefully checking window wells for trapped skunks.

We have not published a product page for enclosed skunk traps.

Odor

What the sources say about the spray itself comes first, because most of it corrects something widely believed. Montana State University Extension states that skunks discharge nauseating musk from the anal glands and are capable of several discharges, not just one. The Missouri Department of Conservation states that the musk can be aimed and sprayed at will. University of Kentucky describes the warning that usually comes first, that skunks stamp their front feet rapidly and growl or hiss, gives the range as directed accurately up to 10 feet and less accurately for 20 feet, and describes the fluid as a thick, volatile, oily, sulfur-containing compound. Nebraska Extension states that skunks do not emit odor unless provoked to spray, and corrects two common beliefs directly: skunks can spray whether or not their feet are on the ground, and skunks do not disperse the spray by shaking their tails. University of California IPM notes that they often spray dogs that bark and approach rapidly.

On removing it, University of California IPM states that if a skunk sprays a person or pet, the odor can be removed with a mixture of hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and liquid soap, and gives the proportions as 1 quart 3% hydrogen peroxide, 1/4 cup baking soda and 1 teaspoon liquid soap. The same source states that once the hydrogen peroxide is mixed with the baking soda the mixture is unstable and generates oxygen and cannot be bottled or stored, and explains that oxidation changes the chemical composition of skunk scent so that it no longer smells. For a pet, University of California IPM says to call your veterinarian to determine current recommendations for washing the animal. Penn State Extension recommends the same hydrogen peroxide, baking soda and liquid soap solution, and states that clothing can be washed with laundry detergent mixed with half a cup of baking soda.

For a structure rather than a person or an animal, Montana State University Extension describes neutroleum alpha as a scent-masking solution that can be applied to the sprayed area to reduce the odor. Two caveats travel with it: University of California IPM states plainly that you should not use neutroleum-alpha on pets or people, and that products containing it are not readily available. University of California IPM also warns that ammonia and other strong-smelling repellents should not be placed under an occupied building, because fumes can enter the interior space.

Tomato juice is where the sources split, so both positions are given. University of Kentucky lists home remedies that may help to reduce the intensity of the smell as including tomato juice, and Montana State University Extension states that diluted solutions of vinegar or tomato juice may be used to eliminate most of the odor from people, pets, or clothing. Against that, University of California IPM and Penn State Extension both recommend the hydrogen peroxide mixture instead, and Penn State Extension treats vinegar diluted with water as the fallback if you do not have hydrogen peroxide. All four are university extension services and no source is preferred here over another.

Rabies

The Texas Department of State Health Services states directly that you cannot get rabies by being sprayed by a skunk. University of California IPM states that rabies is a viral disease transmitted by the bite of an infected animal.

On how common it is, the sources describe their own regions and the figures should be read that way. The Texas Department of State Health Services states that Texas periodically experiences outbreaks of rabies in skunks. University of California IPM states that in California, skunks are one of the most common carriers of rabies. Montana State University Extension states that skunks are the primary carriers of rabies in the Midwest, and elsewhere that rabies may be carried by skunks on occasion. Nebraska Extension states that skunks are particularly susceptible to the disease, and gives one dated state figure: in 2012, skunks comprised almost 60 percent of all positive rabies results of animals submitted for testing in Nebraska. That figure is one state in one year and is not a national or current rate.

Whether a skunk out in daylight is rabid is genuinely disputed, and all three positions are given here rather than one. Penn State Extension states that any skunk showing abnormal behavior, such as daytime activity, may be rabid, and University of California IPM states that if they exhibit no fear of people or pets and show some aggressive behavior, chances are quite high that they are rabid. Nebraska Extension states the opposite caution: it is impossible to diagnose rabies using visual signs, because these behaviors also are clinical signs of other diseases. Two sources give ordinary explanations for daylight activity as well: University of California IPM states that skunks can be active during the daytime, particularly in human-use areas, and University of Kentucky states that breeding males move slowly and become active during the day. Nothing on this page should be read as saying that a skunk seen in daylight has rabies.

What the sources agree on is what to do. University of Kentucky states that if you notice a skunk acting strangely, aggressive or nervous, wandering in the daytime, or tame and listless, you should not approach it, and describes the late-stage signs as excessive salivation, unusual aggression or nervousness, wandering about during the daytime, and little fear of humans. The Texas Department of State Health Services advises avoiding contact with wild animals. University of Kentucky states that all pet dogs and cats and important livestock should be vaccinated for rabies, and that skunks and other wild animals should not be kept as pets. University of California IPM states that people can survive the bite of a rabid animal but only if medical attention is received in time.

Questions

Sources

Every factual claim above names the source it rests on, in the sentence that makes it or in the text immediately adjacent to it, and every source named is listed below. Framing, ordering and emphasis are our own judgement and are not a finding of any source. Where sources give different figures for the same measurement, all are reported and attributed rather than averaged.

1. UC Statewide IPM Program, University of California. Skunks — Pest Notes. Page states "Updated: 04/2015". Accessed August 22, 2026. https://ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/skunks/
2. Nebraska Extension, University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Dealing With Skunks, G1769, 2014 edition. Accessed August 22, 2026. https://extensionpubs.unl.edu/publication/g1769/2014/html/view
3. Penn State Extension. Skunks — Solutions to Common Problems. Page states "Updated: June 23, 2006". Accessed August 22, 2026. https://extension.psu.edu/skunks-solutions-to-common-problems
4. University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service (T. Barnes). Managing Skunk Problems in Kentucky, FOR-49. Accessed August 22, 2026. https://publications.mgcafe.uky.edu/files/for49.pdf
5. Montana State University Extension (James E. Knight). Skunks — wildlife damage control. Accessed August 22, 2026. https://animalrangeextension.montana.edu/wildlife/documents/wildlife%20damage%20control%20skunks.pdf
6. Utah State University Extension. Skunks (Mephitidae), nuisance IPM notes. Accessed August 22, 2026. https://extension.usu.edu/planthealth/ipm/notes_nuisance/skunks
7. Missouri Department of Conservation. Striped Skunk field guide. Accessed August 22, 2026. https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/striped-skunk
8. Texas Department of State Health Services. Rabies. Accessed August 22, 2026. https://www.dshs.texas.gov/rabies