How to Keep Skunks Out Of My Garbage Cans

Despite the fact that skunk is not always violent or harmful, it is not safe to go too close to it. Getting so close to this wild animal will result to having to deal with discomforting odorous spray the animal will use to defend itself. Also, skunks are among the wild animal species susceptible to rabies and can transfer it to human through bite and others. Being omnivorous skunks can eat out of human wastes. In most case, the animal can scatter the waste inside the garbage can all around causing unsanitary environment. These and more are the reasons why you should not allow skunk to forage in your garbage can.

Remove All Possible Attraction to the Skunk
The truth is that there must be something in your compound or house to attract skunk before it will come to scavenge in your garbage can. So, you have to ensure that you remove all possible attractive sources including nuts, berries, fruits, crabapples and others. Cleaning up this possible attractive point to skunk will decrease the risk of having to deal with skunk in your garbage cans.

Protect Your Garbage Can from Skunk’s Access
One of the best ways to keep skunks from scavenging in your garbage can is to always protect the can with a lid. Make sure you put any smelly and oily waste into a poly bag before putting inside your garbage can and ensure the can is always tightly fitted with a lid. To make it more difficult for skunk, you have to use a heavy metal or wood on top of the garbage can which will help to prevent skunk from opening the can and making messy of the things inside there.

Make Sure You Close Down the Possible Hidden Places around Your Home
Apart from protecting or putting your garbage can away from skunk, you can also close off all the possible hiding places for skunk. Make sure you remove the log piles, clear the large bushes and completely clean up your surroundings so as to prevent skunk from coming around to eat out of the waste in the garbage can.

Use Humane Trap to Catch and Relocate Skunk
If you have tried all possible means without success, you can go ahead and trap skunk using humane trap. After trapping you have to relocate skunk to a far place so as to avoid it coming back to cause trouble in your garbage can. The interesting thing about relocating skunk is that it is not likely to come back after being taking up to 5 miles away.