Skunks are much more than their distinctive look and foul-smelling spray. Skunks are opportunistic critters, and they adapt to different situations with relative ease.
Skunks are natural-born survivors, as long as they have a steady supply of food and water. They typically settle down and build their dens in areas where they can easily get food and water.
Skunks naturally stick to the ground. They feed, breed, and live on land. Although they are prolific diggers, skunks in the wild will often choose to live in a natural crevice rather than making a home from scratch. Overall, skunks build their dens in hollow logs, bushes, tree hollows, abandoned burrows, and under decks, porches, and housing structures.
If, as a homeowner, your house has a lot of openings and crevices underneath, it should not surprise you to find a skunk living there. There are different situations where a skunk might decide to dwell in a crevice underneath your house. You might not put any thought into it, but a skunk living underneath your house can cause a ton of damage.
If you find a skunk living under your house, it is very important to get the critter removed as soon as possible. Once you have successfully removed the skunk, then you should begin to assess the damage it has caused and look into fixing them to avoid the critter coming back.
Below, we highlight some of the damage caused by skunks living under a house.
· Odor Contamination
Skunks are known for the toxic smell that comes from their anal glands. The odor skunks emit is not something one can live with. It does not matter the number that resides underneath your house. The odor they produce is large enough to drive you away.
The first thing to do in this situation is to find the skunk and remove it before disinfecting the building. You must, however, be extremely careful when dealing with them to avoid it spraying more fluid.
· Destroyed Vent Screens
For skunks, ground-level vents are good entry points for them. The skunk's claws are sharp enough to tear through the plastic or wire mesh. Quickly check all existing vents if you notice signs of skunks dwelling on your property. If you come across destroyed vents, check to see if there are any skunks living underneath. If you do not find any, close off the slashed vent before repairs can take place.
· Destroyed Foundation
Skunks are good diggers. They use their digging skill to exploit weak spots in the foundation of your house, porch, or deck. Once they are able to create an entrance, they begin to modify it, creating a den. If left unchecked, the damages to your foundation may spread and lead to your house falling apart. You then either move out or repair the house, which means you would be spending an absurd amount of money.
· Destroyed Plumbing and Electrical Wiring
As a result of the skunk's burrowing, they can destroy both plumbing and electrical installations. The damages done to your electrical installations can lead to short-circuiting and fire outbreaks. Your odds increase if you also incur damages to your plumbing system. This could lead to water leaks, broken air conditioning, and lack of water supply. All of which leads to spending more money than anticipated.
In summary, you first need to remove the skunks and set up precautionary measures before carrying out house repairs. The cost of repairs can be quite high. As a homeowner, you should include skunk damages in your house insurance.
Go back to the Des Plaines wildlife removal home page.