How to get rid of a backyard skunk that’s causing a stink

DEAR JOAN >> There is a skunk living under my tool shed in the backyard. It comes out at night (I see it on my Ring system) and generally has not created a problem until recently when it sprayed something. The stink permeated the house. Pretty bad.

Should I let it continue living in my backyard or call for animal control to remove it? I don’t want the skunk put down, but I’m worried if it will harm anything or pass rabies to other animals. There are neighborhood cats that wander at night. Maybe that caused the stink.

Will animal control relocate the skunk to someplace better suited for the skunk to live? I haven’t seen any baby skunks. I read that skunks will eat bugs, so that would be helpful to me. Thanks for any good advice or guidance. — Victoria Mah, Santa Clara DEAR VICTORIA >> As far as wildlife in the backyard goes, a skunk is not a bad animal to have around, except for the odor issue, and that’s a big one.

If the skunk is trapped by authorities, it will be killed. That’s because skunks are among the biggest carriers of rabies, although not every skunk has the disease. You can, of course, try trapping it yourself, sealing up the entrances under the tool shed, after making sure you aren’t trapping anyone under there, and then releasing the skunk on your property as it’s illegal to relocate wildlife.

Once the skunk realizes it has been evicted, it will move elsewhere on its own. There are risks to live trapping. Caged skunks can spray you, so you’ll have to cover the trap with a tarp so the skunk can’t see what’s going on.

I don’t recommend letting the skunk stay under your shed, even if it is a pretty good tenant. There is the risk of rabies being spread to unvaccinated animals, and no matter how many insects it eats, we just can’t get past that odor problem.

Skunks usually only spray that powerful perfume to defend themselves, but in February and March — mating season for skunks — the males let go a blast to get the attention of a female skunk. So your backyard, house and everything in a radius of “what is that stench” will be smelling skunk for days and days.

Eviction isn’t difficult, as skunks are by nature wanderers and won’t stay where they aren’t wanted. You can install a motion-activated sprinkler or lights. Sometimes just leaving your landscape lights on all night will be enough of a deterrent.

You can purchase antiskunk repellents at your favorite home and garden center. Look for ones that have at least 10% castor oil. These don’t kill or harm — ironically, it’s the odor that turns the skunk away. You also can scatter orange and lemon peels around the shed.

There also are electronic devices that emit a highpitched sound that skunks don’t like, but this is not a good option for those with dogs.

Skunks will eat pretty much anything they can find, from snails to fallen fruit, pet food to spilled garbage. Clear out the outdoor pantry as best as you can.

Once the skunk has moved on, seal up the entrances beneath the tool shed. Skunks do dig, so you might have to install underground fencing.