You step outside one fall evening to let the dog out, and there it is: a black-and-white shape waddling across the lawn. A skunk. Your instinct may be to do something, like chase it off, spray it with the hose or block its path. However, every one of those instincts is wrong.

Skunk activity rises during autumn because seasonal food sources draw them closer to yards while they’re looking for winter shelter. With the temperatures dropping, skunks spend more time looking for high-fat foods to build up their reserves before winter.Some of the places they look for food include sites under porches, decks and sheds. That increased activity brings them closer to homes, meaning your pet has a higher chance of interacting and engaging with skunks. The good news? Skunks are conflict-averse animals. They’re nocturnal, shy animals that would rather walk away than use their spray. The reason is simple: Using their spray takes a huge amount of energy for their bodies to produce, and it can take days to replenish. That’s why most encounters with skunks finish with the skunk moving away.

Usually, humans are the ones that escalate the problem. If you let skunks move on, they will. Human decision is what can turn a harmless visit into a smelly and potentially dangerous situation. To learn more about how to handle a skunk, we spoke with a few pest control professionals and a wildlife biologist about what draws skunks to residential areas in the fall, how to read their body language and the mistake that can turn a passing visitor into a real problem.

Weather in your inbox

Forecast Location

Sign Up

By signing up you agree to the Terms & Privacy Policy. Unsubscribe at any time.

What Attracts Skunks to Your Yard in the Fall

Skunks are opportunistic omnivores, meaning they eat just about anything available, and fall provides plenty of options.

Allan Bossel, operations expert for Bed Bug Exterminator, says, “The first thing that usually attracts skunks to any yard is the presence of human or pet food, food residue, and garbage.” Think of unsealed trash cans, grills left out from summer cookouts and pet food bowls—they all present an open invitation to skunks.

Fall adds a few seasonal draws that make yards especially appealing. Fallen fruit is one of the biggest. “If you have fruiting trees in the yard, like apples, the fallen fruit will attract all sorts of feeders, especially as they start to ferment,” Bossel says.

Get More of Our News on Google

Set The Weather Company as a 'Preferred Source' to get quicker access to the news you value.

Fruit is only part of the appeal. The grubs and insects that gather around rotting fruit are another option. Skunks dig for beetle larvae (grubs) in lawns, which is one reason homeowners sometimes find small, cone-shaped holes in their grass during fall mornings.

Leaf litter plays a role too. Decomposing leaves attract insects, and those insects attract skunks.

Bossel also points out a less obvious draw: rodents. “A lot of people don’t know that skunks will hunt mice, and they do this more frequently when the weather starts getting colder and their other food sources become scarcer,” he says. With temperatures dropping, mice move closer to homes, and skunks follow them.

Beyond food, skunks are also looking for shelter. Deby Cassill, an associate professor in the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of South Florida, says, “If your yard stops functioning like a buffet with free lodging, skunks will typically move on.”

The #1 Thing NOT To Do If You See a Skunk in Your Yard This Fall, According to an Expert

That is the single most important rule to remember: Do not corner a skunk. This applies whether you’re cornering it deliberately or accidentally. Blocking its escape route, charging toward it, spraying it with a hose, trapping it against a fence or letting your dog investigate are all forms of cornering.

“It’s well known to people that skunks spray a stinky and irritating substance as a defensive strategy,” Bossel says. “What people don’t know is that skunks would rather not do it if they had another choice. If you spook it and it feels cornered, it will have no other choice but to spray you. But in general, skunks tend to be shy and avoidant. If you just give it a clear path to escape, it would much prefer just walking away instead of getting into a confrontation.”

Nicole Carpenter, a pest control professional and president at Black Pest Prevention in Charlotte, North Carolina, adds another reason to stay away. “Even though it’s rare, skunks can still carry rabies, and that’s why you should never try to approach them or spray them with a garden hose,” she says.

The good news is that most skunk visits are temporary. “Skunks often make just temporary dens in yards and tend to leave such dens in about 2-3 days,” Carpenter says. “I often tell homeowners just to leave them alone and just wait until they’re gone (of course, if [the] skunks are not acting aggressive).”

Cassill says the correct response is simple: “If you encounter one, stop, remain calm and give it a clear exit path. Do not approach, corner or attempt to ‘shoo’ it away.”

Kyle Turner, president and CEO of Pro Active Pest Control in El Dorado Hills, California, adds a critical detail about skunks sheltering under structures. “If they’re sheltering under a deck or shed, don’t immediately block the opening because you could trap an animal inside,” he says. “Have the area checked, and make sure it’s vacant before installing a proper exclusion barrier.”

The ‘Warning Dance’ Signals a Skunk Gives Before It Sprays

Skunks do not spray without warning. They go through a clear sequence of escalating signals first, and understanding those signals can save you (and your dog and your clothes) a lot of misery.

“Skunks rarely use their spray right away simply because they have a limited amount of spray and sometimes it might even take 10 days for them to refill,” Carpenter explains. The refill time matters because if a skunk depletes its spray, they’re essentially defenseless, which is why spraying is their last resort.

As for the signals, Carpenter explains that before skunks spray, they almost always stomp their feet and raise their tails as a warning to let you know that you need to back off. Sometimes they may also hiss or make short charges toward you.

The final warning is the one you do not want to see. “Once they turn their back on you and raise their buttocks, that’s a clear sign that a spray is imminent,” Bossel says.

If you see any of these warning signals, back away slowly without sudden movements. Running or waving your arms is likely to escalate the situation. The skunk is telling you what it wants: distance.

How to Gently Deter Skunks Without Triggering a Spray

If a skunk is just passing through, the best strategy is to do nothing. Go inside, keep pets indoors and wait. Most skunks will move along within a few hours, and even those that den temporarily tend to leave within a few days.

The longer-term solution is making your yard less attractive to begin with.

“The No. 1 reason why a skunk decides to make a den on your property is a place where they can hide from predators and raise their babies safely, so minimizing those potential denning spots is the strongest skunk deterrent,” Carpenter says.

That starts with sealing access to sheltered spaces. She says that eliminating potential denning spots means sealing off openings underneath decks, porches and sheds in the first place, as well as near woodpiles because these are the most common places where people find skunk dens.

Hardware cloth is the preferred material for sealing off openings, but make sure there are no skunks inside before you block any entrance.

Related: Mama Skunk Parades Her Babies Through a Front Yard, and the Way She Keeps Count Will Melt You

The second part of the equation is food management. Make sure to check your trash cans, fallen fruit, pet food and birdseed. All of these foods sources can attract skunks to your property and make them eager to stay. The best option? Use metal trash cans with locking lids.

“Secure your trash cans, bring pet food indoors at night and consider installing low fencing or hardware cloth barriers to block access to their denning sites,” Cassill adds.

One of the less obvious attractants is lawn grubs, Turner says. Grubs and other lawn insects draw skunks in to dig, so managing a grub problem through targeted lawn treatment can also reduce a skunk’s interest in your yard.

When to Leave the Skunk Alone vs. When to Call Wildlife Control

Most skunk encounters do not require professional help.

“If a skunk is quite ‘shy’ and keeps the distance from people, you can leave it alone and wait for it to leave in 2-3 days,” Carpenter says. “If it stays for longer, you can block the den using sturdy hardware cloth, but only after you make sure there are no skunks or their babies.”

Bossel agrees and says that “most skunk cases can be handled by just leaving the skunk alone. As long as they have a clear exit route, they should cause no major issues.”

There are, however, specific situations where a professional should handle things.

“Call a professional or wildlife control in case skunks behave aggressively, try to approach people or pets, or if there are babies inside the den,” Carpenter says.

Aggressive behavior in a skunk, especially during daytime, is a potential sign of rabies and should be treated seriously. A healthy skunk will generally avoid people and flee when given the chance. A skunk that wobbles, seems disoriented, approaches humans without fear or shows unprovoked aggression is behaving abnormally, and animal control should be contacted.

If your dog does get sprayed, Cassill says to skip the tomato juice. She recommends mixing one quart of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide, a quarter cup of baking soda, and 1 to 2 teaspoons of grease-cutting dish detergent.

Apply it to dry fur first because water can spread the oily spray. Work it into your dog’s coat, let it sit for about five minutes and rinse thoroughly. Follow it up with a regular pet shampoo. Do not store the mixture in a sealed container; it can build pressure. Mix it fresh each time.

Final Takeaways

Remember: Never try and trap or corner a skunk.

“Don’t attempt to trap, chase or startle a skunk,” Cassill says. “This can escalate the situation and end poorly for everyone (especially your clothing). Avoid letting dogs investigate, and despite what cartoons suggest, there is no graceful way to outrun or outmaneuver a skunk once it has decided you are too close.”

Sometimes, the best thing to do is nothing and wait for a skunk to move along on their own.

Sources:

• Allan Bossel is the operations expert for Bed Bug Exterminator.
• Kyle Turner is the president and CEO of Pro Active Pest Control in El Dorado Hills, California.
• Nicole Carpenter is the president of Black Pest Prevention in Charlotte, North Carolina.
• Deby Cassill is an associate professor in the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of South Florida.

Related: Police Officer Tries to Save a Skunk Stuck in a Jar, and the Video Is Chaotic