While not all unwanted critters are the same, skunks have to be the one dreaded by many. If one is living on or near your property, you as a homeowner, have to be vigilant about their presence.
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Skunks smells can mean a few things: that a skunk happened to walk by or one has taken up residence around your home. In relation to skunk smells in the house, here are five headaches skunks cause homeowners.
1. Thorough Cleaning of Everything
Skunks smells in the house require a thorough cleaning to get rid of the odour. Get ready to do laundry again and again: clothes, linens, furniture—everything will need a good scrub to erase the stink. Look into home solutions, such as vinegar and baking powder variations, as well as specific store products.
You’ll need to work quickly to get rid of the stench. The longer you wait, the harder it is to get the smell out. Be sure to check everything after it’s been washed. If clothing is thrown in the dryer with the smell still evident, the dryer will seal those odourous particles into the clothes.
This pungent odour is hard to remove. It’s a task that needs countless hours and time dedicated to deodourize the home, which is not something anyone wants to spend time on.
2. Health Risks
Like other critters, skunks carry diseases, and the symptoms don’t always show. Skunks are the second most common carrier of rabies, a major vector virus that homeowners, and anybody else who comes into contact with a skunk, want to avoid.
Not only rabies, skunks can carry canine hepatitis, listeriosis, and Q fever, among others. You don’t want to expose yourself to any chance of contracting these diseases. You can’t allow skunks to stay, and if they’re around, this headache is just one of many for you to worry about.
3. Property Damage
Skunks like to dig. Looking for grubs and worms to eat, they’ll very quickly ruin a perfectly manicured lawn. They burrow to create deep, round holes to get to their food source, even rolling up large chunks of sod with it. The time taken to trim hedges, maintain gardens, and grow plants is ruined. It’s frustrating to see a skunk destroy your property, putting all of your time spent on it to waste.
In addition to digging up the yard, they’ll take shelter in your crawlspace, under decks and porches, and in nearby sheds, resulting in having to deal with evictions.
4. The Fear of Repeat Sprays
The threat and looming fear of spraying again is very real with skunks nearby. After washing and dealing with removing the smell one time, it’s not something you want to do again.
Skunks can spray as far as 3.5 metres and up to six times in a row. If they spray even just around your property or even on your pet, you’ll be dealing with skunk smells in the house again. Their oil is difficult to clean up and can linger for weeks, meaning you’ll be working all over again to neutralize the smell.
5. Attacks
Like most animals, skunks aren’t aggressive unless they feel threatened. Their behaviour changes though once they feel like they’re in danger or that they’re being bothered, causing them to lash out. If you or any pets get too close, someone could get bitten or scratched, which could lead to an infection and the possibility of contracting a disease. The headache of them remaining on your property means the possibility of someone accidently bothering the skunk while it’s there.
Skunks are not fun to deal with. For skunk smells in the house and other rodent problems, be sure to work quickly and call professionals for skunk control.
Do you need wildlife removal services? Request a quote today!