Skunks:
The striped skunk is native to all of Illinois, and has adapted to living life in human environments. They can be found in every city and suburb, although they are often "uninvited guests".
Skunks like to take up residency under concrete stoops, decks, porches, sheds, and more. Once they do, you will probably smell them. Skunks discharge an obnoxious scent when provoked. This scent or musk is secreted by two internal glands located at the base of the tail. The glands are exposed when it raises it's tail. A skunk has voluntary control over the glands and can control the direction in which the musk is discharged. The glands contain about one tablespoon of thick, volatile, yellowish, oily liquid. This musk (the chemical name is butylmercaptan) has been detected at distances of up to 20 miles away from where it was discharged. The compound is painful to the eyes, but does not cause permanent blindness.
Skunks are slow-moving and docile. Their senses of sight, hearing, and smell are poor compared to many predators. Because of this, skunks may spray their awful smelling "defense" at the slightest threat or annoyance.
They are more likely to spray during mating season (when they are fighting for a mate), and if the property owner has dogs or cats that the skunk(s) may see as a threat. Mother skunks are also more easily provoked to spray (to protect young), and invasion of the skunk's territory by other wild animals (opossums, raccoons, etc), will surely cause them to discharge their awful odor.
The odor has a tendency to linger, so the sooner the animals are removed, the better. Skunks can also do extensive damage to lawns and turf while searching for insect foods, especially in the fall when grubs are plentiful. Skunk lawn damage can be recognized as many small holes the size of a quarter to a half dollar, which look unsightly on golf courses and residential lawns.
Unfortunately skunks are avid carriers of rabies. This can be transmitted to humans and pets, even horses! They may also carry a host of other parasites and diseases including mites, lice, fleas, worms, mange, and distemper.
Skunks left living under stoops, etc, can make biohazardous conditions with their urine, feces, illnesses, and habits of eating other dead animals.
We offer services to trap and remove nuisance skunks, and in nearly all cases we can do this without having the animal spray. Please contact us if you suspect you have a skunk problem. If you are unsure what type of animal is causing your wildlife problem, we will be able to tell you upon our thorough and expert inspection.
a skunk we trapped that was living under a concrete stoop
a skunk that was living under a concrete front porch
the porch inhabitant and a picture of some damage to grass by a skunk
Skunk Spray Smell Removal:
You can forget about tomato juice. The most effective formula has proven to be chemist Paul Krebaum's. He published it in "Chemical and Engineering News" in its October 1993 issue. You can also find it in Popular Science's August 2007 issue, and was shown to be effective in an episode of MythBusters:. Here is his recipe for the bathing concoction:
1 U.S. Quart (approx 1 litre) of 3% hydrogen peroxide + 1/4 cup (approx 45ml) baking soda + 1 - 2 teaspoons (approx 5-10ml) liquid soap.
Directions: Mix well in a plastic bucket all three ingredients and apply mixture to affected areas, rinsing well with warm water afterward. Avoid getting in eyes, it can sting, can also sting cuts, etc, gloves can be worn. Pour the spent solution down the drain with running water. Do not store mixed solution in a closed bottle, sprayer, etc. Pressure will build up until the container bursts. This can cause severe injury.[1]
The thiols, which are responsible for the odor, are not water soluble, even with soap, but the baking soda catalyzes the oxidative ability of the peroxide, which oxidizes the thiols into highly water-soluble sulfonates.
http://mythbustersresults.com/episode16
1."Hydrogen peroxide and baking soda, when combined, become a "chemical engine" for churning out oxygen. That's why it has to be used immediately after mixing. The soap breaks up the oils in the skunk spray, allowing the other ingredients to do their work".
