As summer segues into fall, the smell of crisp leaves, pumpkins and apples usually come to mind. But you might be noticing another, more pungent smell — the odor of your neighborhood skunks.
There are a few reasons for this.
Striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis)
Animalia/Chordata/Mammalia/Carnivora/Mephitidae/Mephitis
Size: 20-30 inches long (including the tail); 6-10 pounds.
Lifespan: 2-4 years in the wild
Habitat: Skunks are very adaptable and thrive in many different habitats, as long as food and shelter are available.
Distribution: Striped skunks live from the southern half of Canada to the northernmost parts of Mexico, covering most of the continental United States.
Range: Skunks rarely travel over 2 miles from their established dens.
Reproduction: Skunks have litters of one to seven kits in late April through early June.
Diet: While primarily an insectivore, the striped skunk is adaptable enough to eat other animals, carrion and vegetable matter.
Young striped skunks, born in early spring, are now leaving their dens to find new homes to help start families of their own, according to the Humane Society.
Neighborhoods cultivated for human habitation can also benefit certain other species, including the skunk.
As young skunks move throughout suburbia on their own, they often encounter threats including pets, automatic lights and sprinklers, as well as the dangers of the road.
These threats provide the skunk with cause to release its not-so secret weapon.
Skunks spray to repel potential predators with a foul-smelling oily liquid that is stored in glands under its large tail.
The spray is made of seven major components, including sulfur-containing thiols which are responsible for its odor, according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
This mixture is also volatile, which means it evaporates easily into a gas.
When feeling threatened, skunks may stomp their feet. This warns predators to get out of the way or risk being sprayed.
If the intruder does not leave, the skunk will turn away from the threat, lift its tail and release its infamous spray, which can travel as far as 10 feet, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
Exposure can cause short-term stinging, burning, redness and tearing if sprayed into the eyes. Breathing it in can also irritate the lungs. The odor can be detected up to 1.5 miles.
Occasional skunk sightings in a neighborhood are not a cause for alarm, however, according to the Humane Society. That’s because skunks do not intentionally bother people.
Maintaining a distance greater than 10 feet is often enough to keep yourself safe from a healthy skunk. Pets that do not know the skunk’s warning signs may be another issue, however.
The American Chemical Society recommends this pet-friendly remedy for skunk odor:
- 1/4 cup of baking soda
- 1 teaspoon of baby shampoo
- 1 quart of hydrogen peroxide
Lather on your pet and let it sit for five minutes then rinse, but be advised the concoction could lighten your pet’s fur.
For people, the American Chemical Society recommends taking as many warm, soapy showers as it takes to get rid of the smell.
Striped skunks are classified as a nuisance animal by the Michigan DNR not only due to this strong musky smell, but also the damage they can cause to lawns and gardens in their search for insect larvae.
Despite these negatives, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service points out a number of “favors” that skunks provide.
As omnivores, skunks greedily devour a number of common garden pests, for example. They also eat stinging insects and are naturally immune to snake venom, so they will eat bees and venomous snakes as well.
Some of their favorite foods include, mice, moles, voles, rats, birds and their eggs, and carcasses — also grasshoppers, wasps, bees, crickets, beetles and beetle larvae. Skunks also eat fruits, nuts, garden crops, and scavenge on garbage, birdseed and pet food.
Skunks are known to carry and transmit rabies. The National Capital Poison Center recommends that anyone bit by a skunk should seek immediate medical evaluation and treatment.
