If you’ve seen burrows in your garden, they could be skunks. In this article, I will tell you how to stop skunks from digging up lawn to keep your gardens from nasty burrows. One of the most effective methods will be reducing the number of larvae that skunks love. I will answer why skunks drip on your lawn and what household methods can reduce the number of holes.
- Make household scents with simple ingredients.
- Using dog urine can ward off skunks from your yard.
- Treat your lawn regularly to prevent the animals from raiding in advance.
- Installing sensor lights may be an effective but expensive way to fight skunks
Why Does the Skunk Tear up the Lawn?
Skunk holes are made because skunks are hungry, and these burrows result from hunting for larvae or worms. Since skunks dig at night, it is challenging to notice holes appearing because this is their waking time. You will find new spots when you woke up.
It is worth noting that not only skunks can dig holes. Squirrels and raccoons also do that.
Raccoons act like skunks. They are looking for food. And squirrels, on the contrary, bury food for the winter. There are methods to help you get rid of all these animals.
You can easily understand if you have holes or not. You should pay attention to the drying of the lawn. Brown spots may appear when skunks mark their territory. Spots can be 2 to 3 inches in diameter. This process occurs because skunks need larvae, which are rich in protein.
Therefore, it is necessary to solve the problem with the larvae to prevent the appearance of holes. You forget about burrows after you reduce the number of larvae in your garden.
How Many Larvae Are Too Many?
There are many larvae on an ordinary lawn, and you can’t get rid of them. The larvae make up the fauna of your yard and produce nutrients. If you remove them completely, it may happen that your property will cease to be the way it is. On average, your garden has 5 larvae per square meter. Then you can calculate how many approximately larvae you have on your lawn.
It is impossible to kill all the larvae, even with chemicals. But you can reduce their number by certain methods. It is impossible to kill all the larvae, even with chemicals. But you can reduce their number by certain methods. The best way is to use organic means to control the larvae. Thus, you will reduce the number of larvae and lessen the skunk hole in yard.
How Do We Stop Skunks From Digging up Lawns?
To eliminate the cause of skunks digging in yard, you need to understand why skunks dig your lawn. Since skunks hunt for food on your lawn, they can leave holes. The main goal will be to remove the larvae on the grass. If there is no food, the skunks will not dig your property. There are several tools to help you with this. I will tell you about them later. Also, do not leave pet food outside. This action can also attract a skunk. Especially, do not leave cat food. Skunks love it. If you don’t want to feed your pet at home, you can purchase a skunk-proof feeder.
Make use of household scents
Many tools can help you fight against skunks. These may be manufacturers of specialty organics, or they may be conventional products. I will tell you how to get rid of a skunk den on a budget with home methods. You can always buy special tools if such methods do not help you. But I promise you that the following ways are very effective.
Use castor oil and dish soap
This simple skunk recipe will help prevent skunk lawn damage. This simple skunk recipe will help prevent skunk lawn damage. Dilute such a mixture in water to reduce material consumption. Then, spray your lawn with this mixture at night because that is when the skunk goes hunting.
Citrus fruits can help
Many animals do not tolerate the smell of citrus fruits because it is quite sharp. Skunks are no exception. It is not necessary to put whole citrus slices. You can use the citrus peel. This way, you will eat the pulp, and the skin will go to stop the skunk tearing up lawn. You will need to spread the rind on your lawn to fight the skunks. Since you will be using natural materials, your yard will not suffer.
Rags with ammonia
This method is more like a chemical and not natural. You will need to spread ammonia rags on your lawn to keep the skunks away. Remember that ammonia evaporates easily, so you must update the rags frequently.
Use bars of soap or room deodorant
This method can help if you have a small lawn and skunks live on it. These remedies will help remove the possibility of skunks digging holes because they don’t like the smell.
As you can see, there are quite a few different means to stop skunks dig up lawn. If all these methods do not help you, then you can turn to professionals who will help you. They will capture all the animals and transport them to zoos or nurseries. But before moving, read if you have it legal in the state because not all animals can survive the transportation.
Dog urine can help
It is worth noting that a dog’s urine or another similar predator can scare away skunks. The deal is that urine contains many chemical compounds that can produce a strong odor that skunks dislike. Therefore, using urine can scare away skunks, but at the same time, it can ruin your lawn. You can use your dog’s urine or buy a full product from the store. But when you buy, make sure that the urine is collected humanely.
Treat the grass regularly
Lawn care can get rid of skunks. Maintaining an average number of larvae in the grass and mowing the lawn will help keep your skunk free. If the situation is already running, it is better to take care of the lawn and use skunk remedies.
Install sensor Lights
Since small holes in the lawn overnight appear, you can fight the skunk with light. Their eyes are very sensitive and cannot tolerate light, so consider this option. You can buy spotlights or lamps with a motion sensor. This way, you can easily eliminate the skunks, and you won’t have to interact with the lawn. But the purchase can be expensive, so try other methods before making such a purchase.
FAQ About Digging Lawn Skunks
In this section, I will try to answer all the questions you might have after reading.
What attracts skunks to your yard?
The opportunity to eat attracts skunks to your yard. For example, it can be larvae that are on the grass. Or it could be the seeds you planted on your lawn. Also, your pet’s food attracts skunks. These animals are omnivores, so it’s worth fighting them comprehensively.
What does a skunk poop look like?
Skunk feces look like cat poop, so it will be difficult to distinguish whose feces it is. But if you know that your pet does not go to the toilet outside and there are no other cats nearby, then you can understand that this feces is a skunk.
Do skunks carry diseases?
Yes, skunks can carry several diseases. The most common is rabies. You should be careful with skunks because there can be unpleasant consequences. Therefore, if you see a skunk, you should not immediately approach it.
Stop Skunks From Ruining Your Yard Is Easy
As you can see, you can fight skunks in many ways, both with improvised and special devices. Remember that you need to be careful when it comes to wild animals. If you cannot remove the skunk yourself, it is best to turn to professionals.
Also read:
- Can Skunks Climb a Fence
- How to Get Rid of a Skunk in Your Yard
- How to Scare a Skunk Away
- Do Mothballs Keep Skunks Away
- Best Skunk Baits in 2022
- How to Get Rid of Skunk Under Deck
- Home Remedies for Keeping Skunks Away
- Do Skunks Live Underground
- What Sound Does a Skunk Make
How did you fight skunks? Tell your story in the comments.
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