Hi All,


Does anyone know of any EFFECTIVE way to keep skunks out of the yard.
For about 3 weeks now, we have had a skunk coming out at night and
destroying the yard. Also, they aren't destroying it because of grubs (
we did a grub treatment back in July ), the skunk is eating the
earthworms.


I know this because in the morning, there are holes everywhere in the
grass, and there are half-eaten, dead earthworms everywhere in the soil.


Also, I definitely know it's a skunk because I have witnessed him at
different times throughout the night in the backyard. A few times I was
able to scare him away by banging on the metal storm door, but because
he comes at all hours of the night, it's hard to stay up all night and
wait for this pest.


Anyway, here is what I have tried so far that HASN'T worked:


1) I left a portable radio out all night long on a AM talk show radio
station - didn't work.


2) Human hair from shower - didn't work.


3) $40 dollars in different hot and/or strong smelling spices - Red
crushed pepper, cayenne pepper, black pepper, ground cinnamon, garlic,
chili powder, onion powder.


The Cayenne Pepper seemed to work, but the stuff goes fast, and what the
skunk does, is he just digs in another location where there is no
cayenne powder!!! 2-3 bottles of the stuff at $4 dollars a bottle, isn't
enough to cover 5,000 square feet!!!


4) Ammonia and/or ammonia soaked rags - TOTALLY USELESS!!!! The skunk
actually took a dump and left a nice big pile of his poop right next to
an ammonia soaked sock that I put out there!!!!


5) Spotlight/Floodlight - totally useless!!!!


6) Bits of shredded "Irish Spring" soap - useless


So besides leaving a sprinkler on all night long, and wasting precious
gallons of water, what options am I left with here??


I have read everything from human urine, to bear urine, to antifreeze,
to chocolate, to rat poison?? Most of those are all out, because there
are stray cats in the neighborhood, so I don't want to poison anything
with antifreeze or mouse/rat poison.


Shooting this thing is out of the question. I live on a residential
street, and I have neighbors houses 5 feet on the left side of me, and 5
feet on the right side of me. Also, the neighbors weren't to happy when
I left the AM talk station on all night long!!!!!


We don't have an "animal control" officer in our city. The only thing
the useless city will help you with, is if its a large animal like a
deer, bear, wolf, moose, etc, etc.


I called a couple of exterminators, and they all want between $150 and
$200 dollars to try to catch the skunk in a cage and then relocate it.
The problem with that is I am only working part-time right now, and
CAN'T afford those prices.


My neighbors lawns aren't getting destroyed by this nuisence skunk, only
our yard!? I guess the previous owners of the house had 4 big truck
loads of dark, rich loam installed in the backyard, so there are lots of
earthworms for him to eat before winter.


What the heck is chocolate supposed to do!? I know that it can be
dangerous to dogs, but why would it be dangerous to skunks when they rip
open peoples garbage bags and eat through there anyway!?


Does human urine really work? Am I supposed to pee in a cup, and dump
that everywhere? But won't that kill the grass?


What about mothballs? Will the smell of mothballs keep the skunk away?
But aren't they bad for the lawn and grass? What if they were in a cup?


Someone told me to use powered lime, coffee grounds or dried blood?


What about a strobe light?


All I know is that in the last 2 weeks, I have spent $40 dollars on hot
pepper spices, $30 dollars on topsoil, $25 dollars on grass seed, and
$18 dollars on peat moss, and I just can't keep this skunk away so that
he stops destroying my backyard.


Like I said above, I can't just wait for him to show up at a specific
time, because he comes at different times throughout the night. One time
he came at 9 pm. Another time it was 11 pm. Once it was 4:30 am. And
once at 5:30 am.


I am at "wits-end" with this skunk, so ANY suggestions will be greatly
appreciated!!!


Thanks!