Skunks are easy to identify by their appearance and smell! But these beautiful mammals generally mind their own business and are more interested in digging through their dinner than in what you’re doing. “They are primarily insectivores, so they provide a useful ecological service, digging up insects in the soil,” says Sheldon Owen, PhD, an extension wildlife specialist at West Virginia University. “The problem is whether they decide to move in on your porch or crawl space.”

Although skunks prefer insects such as grubs, worms, wasps, crickets and beetles, they also eat mice, voles, moles and other small mammals and attack bee hives. Skunks occasionally eat garbage and carrion. If they get the chance, they sneak into a chicken coop and eat eggs, too, Owen says.

Since homes and yards can be an attractive environment for some skunks, you may find that they have visited yours. Here’s what to do if skunks become a problem in your yard and how to get rid of them.

What are skunks?

Fortunately, skunks are not a big problem for most homeowners. “They are not aggressive, and they will throw your dog sooner than you,” says Michael Mengak, PhD, a certified wildlife biologist and professor at the University of Georgia’s Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources. “But they can carry rabies, so you shouldn’t handle them.”

Skunks are mammals that look more like weasels than rodents. There are two species of skunks in the Southeast: The striped skunk (Mephit mephit), which weighs about 8 to 10 pounds and is the size of a cat; and the less common spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius), which weighs about 5 or 6 pounds. Spotted skunks are a species of concern because scientists aren’t sure why its population has declined in recent years, Mengak says.

How to know if you have skunks

You may see the animal leaving its den or the mother parading through your yard with her babies. Or you may smell urine, feces and musky odor under your house or shed, says Mengak. Skunks are nocturnal but will occasionally feed in daylight, especially if it is a nursing mother.

Another common sign of skunks is the presence of 1- to 3-inch cone-shaped holes all over your lawn. “Skunks look for grubs and worms,” says Clint Waltz, PhD, a turf specialist with the University of Georgia Extension Service. “This is an indication that you may have underlying insect problems in your turf that may not yet have reached a high enough threshold to cause damage to the grass.” But the skunks know the insects are there.

Why skunks can be a problem

Even though skunks are good at eating insects and such pests in the yardyou don’t want to attract them or let them take up residence. In addition to rabies, they can carry diseases such as distemper and leptospirosis, against which animals are vaccinated. And they can be a nuisance digging up plants and gardens in search of insects. Once they take up residence in your garden, they can also become territorial.

How to keep skunks away

Remove potential food sources and exclude skunks from an area are the most effective way to keep them away from your home. But you can also try to make your garden less attractive to them, with these tips:

• With lawn damagemake sure it’s a skunk. Other likely culprits include armadillos or birds, Waltz says. Install a game camera if you are unsure.
• Treat your lawn against insects. If you determine that they eat larvae, for example, you may need to apply worm controlalthough it won’t solve the problem if they also search for worms, Waltz says.
• Do not leave pet food bowls outside. This is a sure way to invite not only skunks, but also other unwanted guests such as opossums, Mengak says.
• Make sure the waste is in a sealed trash can.
• If you keep bees, raise the hives off the ground.
• Remove brush, piles of firewood or piles of rocks, which can provide shelter for nesting or a place to hibernate in winter, Owen says.
• Exclude skunks from spaces such as under sheds, decks or crawl spaces with a hardware cloth. Bury it several inches underground, says Mengak.
• For pesky skunks living under your house or pushy skunks that won’t stop digging in your yard, you may need to hire a nuisance wildlife specialist to eliminate them, Owen says.
• Remember that skunks can transmit rabies, so they should never be handled, says Mengak. If you find a skunk that is disoriented, lethargic, or appears unafraid of humans or other animals, contact your state wildlife department.

What to do if you are sprayed by a skunk

Skunks will throw an oily, musky substance at animals and people if they feel threatened. They target accurately up to 10 feet, but the throw can reach up to 20 feet. Warning signs that a skunk is ready to spray include jumping, tapping its front legs, arching its back, chattering its teeth and hissing. Spotted skunks may do a handstand before spraying and are even more odorous than striped skunks, although they are less likely to spray and will climb when threatened.

If you—or your curious dog— get sprayed, immediately rinse eyes with cold water. Although there are commercial products available to reduce odors, you may not have time to make a trip to the store. Instead, use this recipe, created by chemist Paul Krebaum in the early 90s:

• 1 liter of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide
• ¼ cup baking soda
• 1 to 2 teaspoons of liquid dish soap, such as Dawn

Mix well in a large open container and immediately use while bubbling to rinse off the spray, then rinse with clean water. Note: This mixture cannot be stored or put in a closed container as the chemicals will react and explode. “This will likely require repeated applications,” says Mengak. It is not recommended on fabrics as it may discolor them. Also keep it out of reach of eyes, nose and mouth. You can follow up with regular shampooing on your dog. This may require repeated attempts. The University of Arkansas also recommends not using a dryer to dry your pet, as this may cause remaining skunk oil to stick to the hair, fur or skin.

Does tomato juice get rid of skunk smell?

No! This old remedy doesn’t chemically neutralize the odor, Mengak explains. What actually happens is that the nose blocks the skunk odor, called “olfactory fatigue,” and tricks the nose into smelling tomato juice instead of skunk odor. If left untreated, skunk odor can linger for months.