The average person knows a little bit about skunks. The common knowledge is that they're brown or black, can have a big white stripe, have a fluffy tail, and they can shoot a smelly spray. What people don't realize is how severe a skunk problem can become if you have even one of them wandering around your property.
The number of skunks in Southwest Michigan has been rising steadily, affecting homeowners, businesses, and even parks. Like most nuisance wildlife, they are drawn to the smell of food coming from your home, trash cans and bird feeders. If the animals find a good spot, they'll rush over in hoards and take over the area as dozens of them can crowd around the same place.
When skunks are about to spray, they stomp their feet, lift their tails, and shoot out a harmful, sulfur-based chemical. People have likened the stench to rotten eggs. There are a few things that make the problem worse. People can pick up the smell, even in the tiniest droplet of the liquid. If we are sensitive to it, imagine how putrid it must be for our pets with their fantastic sense of smell. Additionally, the smell gets worse over time and can get even more powerful if it comes into contact with water. Temporary blindness, and in some cases, permanent blindness, is a result of direct contact with the eyes.
Skunks will burrow under your house, making them hard to access. Under there, they can hide with some semblance of safety. They have poor vision, so they use those hiding spaces to gain awareness of potential threats. If provoked, they'll shoot their spray, then run back to their hiding place before you even know what happened.
They are the primary carriers of rabies in Michigan. In 2018 alone, there were 79 animals found with rabies in the state. That is not counting the ones that went unnoticed. Like all things with skunks, you aren't the only ones at risk. Your pets are more likely to be attacked. The disease passes on when a rabid animal bites or scratches you. Even if your pets have gotten vaccinations against rabies, the State of Michigan says the infection can still take hold and be fatal. That's why the government says you must contact an animal control expert if skunks become an issue. Not only is handling a skunk on your own dangerous, you could also end up breaking the law if you try and remediate the problem on your own. Capturing a skunk and relocating it somewhere else is illegal in Michigan – another reason you'll need to call Stratex Pest Control.
Stratex Pest is locally-owned and operated by people who genuinely care about you and your happiness. We never settle for a "good" job – we continuously strive to go above the standard. That means addressing problems quickly, exterminating pests effectively, and taking the appropriate measures to make sure the issues don't return. There's no better pest control company in Southwest Michigan. Call us today for a free estimate.