Where do ants, cockroaches, and mice have in common? They are all pests that belong inside, but that love to venture inside your home. If you do see them inside, you need to take action fast — because this is not where they should be! Pests are not just a nuisance. They can spread disease, destroy your insulation and other building materials, and leave nasty smells behind.
Every homeowner should know the basics about pest control. Yes, you can call in a professional as needed, but knowing the basics will still help you keep the pests outside where they belong. You can learn those basics right here on this blog.
2 Things You Can Do To Help Control Skunks
Skunks may look cute if you see them on TV, but they are considerably less cute right after they spray something when they are living under your front porch. You are stuck with trying to get rid of that skunk smell, which can be difficult, and no matter what you do, it may take some time to completely get rid of the smell. The easiest way to not have to do that is to make sure that you don't have skunks living under your front porch, in your crawl space, or anywhere else around your house. If you already have a family of skunks around your house, you need to call an exterminator to get rid of them. But there are things that you can do that will help with skunk control and prevent skunks from getting a foothold.
Control Rodents
Skunks like to eat small rodents like mice. One way to help keep skunks from getting comfortable at your house is to make sure that they don't have much to eat, and keeping mice and other small creatures under control can help with that. You can do that by making sure that your trash is in a sturdy container with a lid, that there isn't spillage from bird feeders around, and that your food is kept in rodent-proof containers.
Block Holes
If you have holes in your foundation or siding, that can give skunks a place to get in. If you don't think that you have skunks already, you want to get those holes sealed up as quickly as possible. Chicken wire placed under or on top of the patch will make it harder for anything to chew through your patch. If you have skunks, you can't just automatically seal the hole up, especially during the daytime, because you will seal the skunks inside. What you can do is irritate them enough that staying at your house isn't attractive anymore and then seal up the holes. You can do that by spraying animal repellent on a rag and placing it in front of the hole during the day, as well as by turning on some music and pointing the speaker down toward where the skunks are sleeping. Doing this for several days in a row can annoy them enough that they will move.
No matter what you might try, calling an exterminator to help you is going to be a good thing. Among other things, they can set out live traps to get rid of the skunks without hurting anyone.
To learn more, contact a skunk control company.