Skunks & squirrels & critters, oh my!

Repel Skunks Organically

Repelling skunks and other critters is a challenge.  If you’ve ever lived all winter with a family of skunks under your shed you get desperate for spring.  You wait for the babies to grow up and the entire family to mosey on out.  But then….they come back!  The same for squirrels!  Once these critters find a place they like, they spread the word and others come too!  Now what?!  How do you repel skunks organically?

You could trap them in a live trap and move them to another part of town.  My husband did this.  He trapped ten skunks and a friend of ours trapped eight!  And new ones moved in.  They loved living and mating underneath our two sheds.  One day,  a great big gorgeous skunk sauntered in, but we didn’t want him to stay!  We became desperate to keep them out.   Their smell lingers even when they don’t.  Continually trapping and moving is not the solution.

Other critters move in, like the cute squirrel who has stopped by.  Loves the bird food. And now he’s permanent.  Silly me, I even ran out and saved him from becoming a young hawk’s dinner.  I didn’t want to be responsible for the death of a cute little critter in my yard.

Predator Urine

Then, I remembered….predator urine!  Yes, predator urine.  A simple fix and oh, so effective.  Its available by the gallon–don’t laugh, you may need it all.  You ‘mark’ your territory by simply placing small containers on stakes filled with the urine of your choice.  Granules and sprays are also available.  The scent of coyote or red fox is not detectable by humans, but will make the little critters find a different location and they won’t be back.