Keeping Skunks Out of My Yard

Pebblesru4, unbelievable that your local animal control recommended moth balls :-o Not only are they poisonous to any living creature (including your pets and children) but also cause respiratory problems and pollute the area they are placed :-o They are only meant for a completely enclosed chest, box, etc, to keep moths from eating woolen clothing! Hopefully your animal control is no longer suggesting this!

I just saw a show about skunks on our PBS channel. They recommended a boom box, on low, with the bass at its highest level. Point it toward the area where they are hiding (this was under a porch) and only play it at night. Worth a try and won't harm other animals or the environment!

I had this problem a few years ago. I called animal control and they told me to use moth balls around the outside of the yard and bushes, this worked. If you have any pets, make sure to place the moth balls where they can't get to them.

There is this thing called "Synthetic Predator Pee" & it repels animals from the area because they think they may be hunted by their natural enemies. The only problem is, you have to re-apply it each time it rains.

I have a second idea. If you or a friend has a cat & they use a natural, biodegradable cat littler (like S'wheat Scoop-made from wheat, Worlds Best-made from cornmeal, Or Feline Pine-made from pine, or the new biodegradable Arm & Hammer litter made from corn fibers) These are now sold in most grocery stores. You can mix the dirty cat litter around in the litter box, then pour it around the edge of your property, or where you know skunks like to go. Hopefully the smell of the cat will keep the Skunks away!

This cat litter will naturally biodegrade, & in a year or two you can plant flowers there, but you should never grow vegetables where you place the litter. Also, some people buy plastic owls that have heads that move & sometime they can keep birds & other critters away.

Never use Hot Pepper outside because if someone's pet gets in your yard, the hot pepper can get in their eyes & they can dig their eyes out because of the pain. I used to recommend hot pepper to keep varmints away, but so many ThriftyFun readers wrote to me about the dangers, that I always warn people now!