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Skunk

By Patrick   Follow   Sat, 21 Apr 2012, 9:43am   4,336 views   39 comments
In Menlo Park CA 94025   Watch (1)   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike  

A skunk has moved in between a fence and shed near the back of the house I rent. I wouldn't care, but the smell is overpowering, and that's apparently when the skunk is in a good mood. Would hate to smell it in a bad mood.

Animal control doesn't care because it isn't rabid. They suggested I put out a dish of ammonia, which reminded me of a different solution I heard about years ago: a man should piss on the place the skunk is living. Supposedly that discourages them from staying there better than anything else.

Think that might work, or is it comically insane?

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1. tofumary Follow Befriend 1 comments

   1   3:24pm Sat 21 Apr 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Used cat litter is also supposed to deter them, but what helped us the most when we had this problem was calling the landlord who had a pest control company come in and seal up the spot under the house where they were nesting. They would still wander by and occasionally let loose during mating season (Jan-Mar) but at least they found some other place to sleep at night. The smelliness is mostly a spring thing, it should pass (but yes, it's mind numbingly horrible up close). BTW, I've never commented before but have been following your site since 2008... Great work, Patrick!

2. bmwman91 Follow Befriend (7) 37 threads 1,539 comments Mountain View, CA bmwman91's website Premium

   2   4:14pm Sat 21 Apr 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Protected   Flood it with a garden hose & some dish soap. A nasty muddy spot, combined with the weird texture & smell that dish soap would give the dirt, should get them to leave. Make the nest into a "bad nesting spot." If you hit them with some water from a high pressure hose attachment, that should get them out of there real quick. You can't be nice about it, but you don't have to cause injury if you don't want to. BTW, please go pee back there & tell us if it works. That would be comically insane, and you should totally do it. They will probably just move into your neighbor's yard haha.

3. Patrick Follow Befriend (54) 5,188 threads 6,158 comments 46 male Menlo Park, CA

   3   4:38pm Sat 21 Apr 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   OK, instead of peeing where I might possibly be seen, I peed in a jar and dumped it there. I'll do this as often as I can. I'll report back in a few days.

4. Patrick Follow Befriend (54) 5,188 threads 6,158 comments 46 male Menlo Park, CA

   4   4:46pm Sat 21 Apr 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   tofumary says BTW, I've never commented before but have been following your site since 2008... Great work, Patrick! And thanks!

5. bmwman91 Follow Befriend (7) 37 threads 1,539 comments Mountain View, CA bmwman91's website Premium

   5   5:32pm Sat 21 Apr 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Protected   HAHA YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS Peeing in a jar & dumping it there...even more comic WIN!

6. Patrick Follow Befriend (54) 5,188 threads 6,158 comments 46 male Menlo Park, CA

   6   5:46pm Sat 21 Apr 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   The neighbors on that side could possibly see me. I sure hope they don't ask what I'm doing...

7. elliemae Follow Befriend (25) 413 threads 6,982 comments Saint George, UT elliemae's website

   7   9:35pm Sat 21 Apr 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   I bought some stuff at a local Nursery that worked for deer - and they had skunk repellent too. It was "havahart critter ridder." The used cat litter smells like ammonia (it's full of it), so use the ammonia instead unless you have a cat. Or you can check this out: http://www.skunkrepellent.org/ I'm sure I'm not telling you anything you don't know - but if they spray, you'll be very sorry.

8. Patrick Follow Befriend (54) 5,188 threads 6,158 comments 46 male Menlo Park, CA

   8   11:40am Sun 22 Apr 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   I had not heard of using a radio, or motion-sensitive lighting. Those are on my list to try next. But I think peeing on their area is working! Something pushed aside some boards and moved under the back of the house, so I assume it's the skunk changing location. So I poured some pee there too. Could smell the skunk this morning, but at the moment it's all clear. No, wait, I take that back. Just wafted in. Now it occurs to me that the skunk moved in during the week we were in Washington DC. It probably thought this was a nice quiet place to hang out.

9. elliemae Follow Befriend (25) 413 threads 6,982 comments Saint George, UT elliemae's website

   9   12:39pm Sun 22 Apr 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Patrick says Now it occurs to me that the skunk moved in during the week we were in Washington DC. It probably thought this was a nice quiet place to hang out. Maybe it was a house-trading situation. You went from California to Washington DC, Skunks went from Washington DC to California. The skunks are probably up for re-election and are laying low.

10. TMAC54 Follow Befriend (9) 70 threads 930 comments San Leandro, CA

    10   6:46pm Sun 22 Apr 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   I heard that Mountain lion feces or (any LARGE cat poop), scares them away. Maybe Try the local zoo for a pail full . Some trap em in a cage, throw a blanket over em, then dispose of them in different ways. A bullet to the head, or drowning. If you shoot for the head and miss, you could smell trouble. Maybe turn em loose at your favorite real estate office ? Maybe tell the neighbor hood kids about the free kittens ?

11. Patrick Follow Befriend (54) 5,188 threads 6,158 comments 46 male Menlo Park, CA

    11   9:00am Mon 23 Apr 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Hey, no skunk this morning! Maybe piss is working. Love that photo. Can just imagine the parents' reaction when the girls come home with a box of skunks.

12. CL Follow Befriend (12) 140 threads 1,355 comments Emeryville, CA

    12   9:54am Mon 23 Apr 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   I think you need to piss directly on the skunk to make it work. :) Also, I've used Critter-ridder. I think the main ingredients are capsaicin and other peppers. Little burrowing animals and insectivores hate the taste and it burns their noses. Not as much as your urine, but in a pinch it would work.

13. Patrick Follow Befriend (54) 5,188 threads 6,158 comments 46 male Menlo Park, CA

    13   10:43am Mon 23 Apr 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   I've tried lacing the chicken feed with cayenne pepper too, in case the skunk was eating that. Chickens don't seem to be able to taste it. Funny thing is that I haven't seen the skunk myself even once. I just smelled it very strongly, and saw things moved around a bit. So I haven't been close enough to piss directly on it. Not that that would be a very good idea.

14. Patrick Follow Befriend (54) 5,188 threads 6,158 comments 46 male Menlo Park, CA

    14   10:46am Tue 24 Apr 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like (1)   Dislike   Still no skunk. I declare my piss victorious over the skunk!

15. bmwman91 Follow Befriend (7) 37 threads 1,539 comments Mountain View, CA bmwman91's website Premium

    15   12:55pm Tue 24 Apr 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Protected   LOL Good work, Patrick!

16. CL Follow Befriend (12) 140 threads 1,355 comments Emeryville, CA

    16   1:40pm Tue 24 Apr 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   You could supplement Patnet by contract vector control!

17. Patrick Follow Befriend (54) 5,188 threads 6,158 comments 46 male Menlo Park, CA

    17   2:19pm Tue 24 Apr 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   I bet it's illegal to piss directly on your own land, or anyone else's. Maybe disorderly conduct, or indecent exposure if someone might possibly see you, or God knows, a sex crime even. Urine is actually sterile in normal people, from what I've read, so there is no public health hazard. But the business opportunities are probably limited by the laws.

18. elliemae Follow Befriend (25) 413 threads 6,982 comments Saint George, UT elliemae's website

    18   7:26pm Tue 24 Apr 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Patrick says Urine is actually sterile in normal people, from what I've read, so there is no public health hazard. Urine directly from the bladder is normally sterile. However, on its passage from the bladder to the outside world, urine becomes contaminated by bacteria normally present in the lower urethra and external genitalia. So by the time it gets to your wound, it will already contain bacteria. While intact skin may provide an effective barrier to infection by those bacteria, a pre-existing breach in the barrier (ie. the wound) may be just what is needed for an opportunistic infection to occur. http://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php?topic=19625.0 When we bought our family home, my husband & son "marked our territory." Our 5 year-old daughter was mad that she couldn't help out because she wasn't able to pee standing up. Good times...

19. Dan8267 Follow Befriend (16) 764 threads 7,710 comments Boca Raton, FL Premium

    19   11:55pm Tue 24 Apr 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Protected   Patrick says a man should piss on the place the skunk is living. Supposedly that discourages them from staying there better than anything else. Think that might work, or is it comically insane? I pee all over the property I rent, and there aren't any skunks around. If there aren't any prohibitions in your lease, I say go for it.

20. TMAC54 Follow Befriend (9) 70 threads 930 comments San Leandro, CA

    20   6:37am Wed 25 Apr 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Patrick says I bet it's illegal to piss directly on your own land, or anyone else's. The E.P.A. has read this thread and they are now investigating. If you wear pink, you are immune. I don't believe they spray unless they are threatened, so the couple of times your olfactory was put on alert, they were probably just being harassed by mountain lions or something.

21. bmwman91 Follow Befriend (7) 37 threads 1,539 comments Mountain View, CA bmwman91's website Premium

    21   11:14am Wed 25 Apr 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Protected   Patrick says or God knows, a sex crime even. I need to verify this, but I do believe that CA passed legislation a few years ago that made public urination a sex crime. Get caught, end up on Megan's List. Ridiculous...I guess we know what kind of sex our lawmakers are into, if taking a piss counts as "sexual activity."

22. Dan8267 Follow Befriend (16) 764 threads 7,710 comments Boca Raton, FL Premium

    22   11:28am Wed 25 Apr 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Protected   bmwman91 says I guess we know what kind of sex our lawmakers are into, if taking a piss counts as "sexual activity." I believe this was the R Kelly Act.

23. bmwman91 Follow Befriend (7) 37 threads 1,539 comments Mountain View, CA bmwman91's website Premium

    23   2:31pm Wed 25 Apr 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Protected   HAHAHAHAHA

24. CL Follow Befriend (12) 140 threads 1,355 comments Emeryville, CA

    24   11:21am Thu 26 Apr 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Ahhh, piss on it all.

25. bob2356 Follow Befriend 3 threads 2,498 comments

    25   1:11pm Thu 26 Apr 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   TMAC54 says I don't believe they spray unless they are threatened, so the couple of times your olfactory was put on alert, they were probably just being harassed by mountain lions or something. That's true, I had a couple skunks live in my back yard in upstate NY that we saw wandering around at night all the time and we never smelled them. Even had one wander into the house without a problem. He just exited quickly when I came downstairs.

26. leo707 Follow Befriend (12) 10 threads 3,516 comments Oakland, CA leo707's website Premium

    26   10:01am Tue 1 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Protected   bob2356 says That's true, I had a couple skunks live in my back yard in upstate NY that we saw wandering around at night all the time and we never smelled them. Yeah, that is generally the case for adult skunks, but it only takes one little squirt to stink up an area for a while. Many years back I had a litter of skunks under a house I was living in and the young/adolescent skunks don't seem to have as much control over their spray.

27. Dan8267 Follow Befriend (16) 764 threads 7,710 comments Boca Raton, FL Premium

    27   12:42am Wed 2 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like (1)   Dislike   Protected   leoj707 says Many years back I had a litter of skunks under a house I was living in and the young/adolescent skunks don't seem to have as much control over their spray. Same for adolescent humans.

28. leo707 Follow Befriend (12) 10 threads 3,516 comments Oakland, CA leo707's website Premium

    28   10:28am Wed 2 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Protected   Dan8267 says Same for adolescent humans. Ah, haha too true...

29. elliemae Follow Befriend (25) 413 threads 6,982 comments Saint George, UT elliemae's website

    29   7:03am Thu 3 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   leoj707 says Dan8267 says Same for adolescent humans. Ah, haha too true... Yea - my kid went through a stage where he and the shower weren't friends. Now he and the shower are long-term buddies, they spend enough time together.

30. zzyzzx Follow Befriend (9) 416 threads 4,137 comments Baltimore, MD

    30   12:15pm Thu 3 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Were you still using the jar at night?

31. Patrick Follow Befriend (54) 5,188 threads 6,158 comments 46 male Menlo Park, CA

    31   6:13pm Thu 3 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   I stopped peeing in a jar when I stopped smelling skunk. Dumping piss on their area seems to have worked, at least so far.

32. bmwman91 Follow Befriend (7) 37 threads 1,539 comments Mountain View, CA bmwman91's website Premium

    32   10:44am Fri 4 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Protected   You know Patrick, it occurred to me that you have an opportunity for some side $$$ now. Get yourself some seeds from the stickiest, most chronic weed and start growing it back there. Now that everyone in the area knows there are skunks, which you have chased away, you can get a grow-op going back there. They smell similar enough, anyway. Cha-ching!

33. Patrick Follow Befriend (54) 5,188 threads 6,158 comments 46 male Menlo Park, CA

    33   10:57am Fri 4 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Hey, that's true. Weed often smells like a skunk for some reason. Kind of a high-risk business plan though. My grandmother from Poland used to make a kind of poppyseed cake which I learned to make from her. One summer I took a handful of the poppyseeds and scattered them in the garden. Lo and behold, I got a couple dozen big beautiful poppy flowers. Looked like Afghanistan when the petals fell off though, so I got nervous and pulled them all out and composted them.

34. bmwman91 Follow Befriend (7) 37 threads 1,539 comments Mountain View, CA bmwman91's website Premium

    34   11:44am Fri 4 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Protected   HAHAHAHA nice

35. elliemae Follow Befriend (25) 413 threads 6,982 comments Saint George, UT elliemae's website

    35   2:10pm Sat 5 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like (1)   Dislike   bmwman91 says You know Patrick, it occurred to me that you have an opportunity for some side $$$ now. Patrick's Piss in a Jar. great skunk repellent

36. Dan8267 Follow Befriend (16) 764 threads 7,710 comments Boca Raton, FL Premium

    36   10:35pm Sat 5 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Protected   elliemae says Patrick's Piss in a Jar. great skunk repellent Darn, I've been trying to sell bottled Santorum for years. I've been hocking the wrong product.

37. elliemae Follow Befriend (25) 413 threads 6,982 comments Saint George, UT elliemae's website

    37   8:34am Sun 6 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Be the first to buy some!

38. Patrick Follow Befriend (54) 5,188 threads 6,158 comments 46 male Menlo Park, CA

    38   9:21am Sun 6 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like (1)   Dislike   Thanks for the graphic graphic. Also good for passing drug tests! Seriously. Haven't been stoned in the last 20 years. Except one time in Amsterdam a couple of years ago. Then again, I make that poppyseed cake, which might cause a false positive. Dan8267 says Darn, I've been trying to sell bottled Santorum for years. I've been hocking the wrong product. Uh, please no graphic on that one.

39. elliemae Follow Befriend (25) 413 threads 6,982 comments Saint George, UT elliemae's website

    39   6:33am Tue 8 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Patrick says Thanks for the graphic graphic. Also good for passing drug tests! Hard to smuggle into a drug test, tho.