I've spent thousands of dollars to tear out parts of my lawn, bring in 6 cubic yards of high quality compost/dirt mix, rototilled yard, regraded in areas. His skunk keeps breaking into my yard. I patch hole tamp down and place rocks there, he just digs under at a different spot.

I asked him if he'd address it. Said he had no clue skunk.lived under his shed. Told him I kick in $100 towards the effort if he called in exterminator. He said he'd look into it. Woke up.yet again to my expensive seed, compost, and straw all dug up.

What are my options?
Thought about calling exterminators and just saying it's my house. Poisoned can of cat food by shed, but I worry about killing a cat. Lowering a have a heart trap over the fence, trapping it and let him figure out what to do with it.

The guy is a dick. Does almost no yard work, piles of trash in his yard for years and years. I wonder why hes storing a dishwasher and fridge outdoors for years or what one does with four non working lawnmowers. I end up raking his leaves because he doesn't and prevailing winds go from his yard to mine.

High power pellet rifle and a Friday night of laying on your back porch like a sniper. You could even bait the skunk with a can of cat food. When it’s on your property, dispatch it.
Put on a respirator and some rubber gloves, bag the carcass and throw it in the trash.

Problem solved.

It sure sounds easy when I type it out. Doubt it would actually be that simple.

How long is the property line? You could always sink some corrugated metal a foot or two down along the fence.

-Rob

You could live trap the skunk on your property, or contact an exterminator to set the trap(s) on your behalf.

You may also want to look into exactly what the skunk is after and eliminate that. They don't tear stuff up just for fun, it's looking for something tasty.

Bear in mind that there will always be another skunk, gopher, or other critter wanting to tear up your lawn. It'll be a never ending battle. I've never understood wanting grass so nice it would bother me to do anything with or on it.

quote:

You could live trap the skunk on your property, or contact an exterminator to set the trap(s) on your behalf.

Skunks are pretty easy to trap.

Skunks eat grubs and can dig a very narrow hole.
I would get a Havahart trap and trap the skunk in your yard. Then call the County and have them pick up the skunk. Just be sure to mark your trap on the bottom so you get your trap back and not a broken trap or one belonging to another person.

I'd say you have 3 options to be rid of it.

Trap it or have it trapped by a pest service. A live trap with a tarp over it and a can of cat food will catch it and they won't spray if they can't see you.

Next problem you have if you DIY is getting rid of it. You're not supposed to transport it or release it unless you're licensed in most states. You can drop the trap in a trash can of water and be rid of it if you want.

The other option is to drive it away. Mothballs will drive them out in my experience. Obviously you'll need to get the neighbor agree to let you throw mothballs under his shed, and it may just move to another neighbors shed and still come to your yard.

The long term option, which is also good for your yard is to get rid of the grubs. That's what he's digging for. It's the wrong time of year to get rid of them though in the spring you can treat the lawn with grub-x. Another trick I've been told works to lower your grub population is to get one of the electric bug zappers. Underneath the bug zappers place a 5 agllon bucket 1/3 or so full of water. Do this in late May through July. The grubs are June bug larvae. The June bugs will fly toward the bug zappers, but are too big to get zapped, but will fall into the bucket and drown. It takes time, but will eventually lower your grub population and the skunks will go elsewhere.

quote:

Originally posted by 41:
Skunks eat grubs and can dig a very narrow hole.
I would get a Havahart trap and trap the skunk in your yard. Then call the County and have them pick up the skunk. Just be sure to mark your trap on the bottom so you get your trap back and not a broken trap or one belonging to another person.

No grubs, only thing I found while rotortilling was cicadas. That may be what hes after since its easy digging. Animal control wont do anything about it.
******
I don't own a suppressor and it would be illegal for me to shoot it as well.

Put on your ghillie suit and hang out in the back yard.

Live trap and a deep bucket of water.

Worked for the rat that was making the rounds here.

Sure, you can get rid of the skunk, but the skunk is only a symptom. The skunk is after the grubs in your lawn. There'll be other skunks. And, worse yet: Moles. You think a lone skunk makes a mess of your lawn? HA!

It's probably too late in the season to address the problem now, but, come next spring you need to apply grub control. Up here in SE Michigan the best time is about mid-to-late May.

Being much further south than me, you could try it now, but grub control product is spendy. It's your decision.

Eliminate the grubs and the skunk will have no reason to come dig in your yard.

Btw: Left to their own, those little holes skunks dig will disappear on their own in record time.

quote:

Originally posted by Skins2881:

I don't own a suppressor and it would be illegal for me to shoot it as well.

Air rifle? You would have to be careful, don't shoot your eye out.

Get a skunk trap (live trap designed for skunks)
https://smile.amazon.com/Anima...id=1569594950&sr=8-8

Or see if your fish and wildlife department will loan you one.

I borrowed one from Oregon Fish and Wildlife to catch a skunk one year as it was coming in the yard looking for a place to make a den.

Having had ferrets as pets some years ago I wasn't worried about being attacked by the skunk (it was facing me), but I really didn't want to startle it and have it spray either.

Skunks don't have the best eyesight, but have keen hearing and smell.

You might spread some Seven (pesticide) or food grade diatomaceous earth around your lawn/garden area as that will kill insects that the skunk is coming to feed on.

It’s only illegal if you get caught.

I’d start out with a tarp over a havaheart trap,
Leave ol boy covered on the way to the local pond, attach a length of rope to the handle,
Toss it, tarp and all into said pond,
Wait
Then pull on the line to get your trap back.

Go home and spray for the grubs or bugs it’s been after.

And remember the three S’s....

For me, this falls under the category of “call a pro”. Let them trap it and remove it.

Getting sprayed by a skunk isn’t on my bucket list.

I can't believe how many have suggested drowning the skunk. If you're going to dispatch it, at least have the decency to do it humanely.

Use one of these just make sure it’s in your neighbors yard. They are cheaper on Amazon:
https://slockmaster.com/collec...slock-master-blowgun

GrubX every three months!

The last two I dispatched in my backyard were caught in a live trap, .22 short to the head, and then placed in a trash bag and disposed of.

I am not a skunk lover but I would not drown.

quote:

Originally posted by the_sandman_454:
You could live trap the skunk on your property, or contact an exterminator to set the trap(s) on your behalf.

You may also want to look into exactly what the skunk is after and eliminate that. They don't tear stuff up just for fun, it's looking for something tasty.

Bear in mind that there will always be another skunk, gopher, or other critter wanting to tear up your lawn. It'll be a never ending battle. I've never understood wanting grass so nice it would bother me to do anything with or on it.

This. Catch it on your land. This avoids all entanglement with your neighbor.