Skunks, Spanish name-mofeta, in Arizona and the Sonoran desert, represent one of the most useful and effective insect hunting mammals you will find in your neighborhood. Of all the wildlife you don't see, skunks may actually, along with ringtails, be our most valuable nighttime friends.
Here in the Sonoran desert, you may see one or more of the 4 skunks which live in our state. (Hog Nosed, Hooded, Spotted, or Striped) Below is a spotted skunk.
Fig. 1. 1st Response Wildlife humane skunk capture ready for relocation
These wonderful little animals have a bad reputation and often are, by home/business owners, considered nuisance animals because of either their reputation from folklore or the homeowner or business owner recognizing the presence of a pungent scent skunks are known for when they spray. Skunks protect themselves in three basic ways: first; by trying to amble away from danger, secondly; by facing another animal or human that challenges them and stamping their front feet, and finally; if they still feel threatened, spraying-with great accuracy.
Because of their protective spray, with the exception of hawks, owls, and sometimes foxes, skunks have few natural enemies. Since Skunks do not see very well or run very fast, they are probably killed in larger numbers in urban areas as they try to cross roads than by predators.
Skunks are omnivores, meaning they eat almost anything. In fact, they are a walking pest control in their own right. Their diet consists of insects, berries, small rodents, and spiders many of which are exactly the pests you detest most-Black Widow Spiders, roaches, scorpions, crickets, gophers, grubs, and even rattlesnakes. Skunks also love to go after bees and wasps as well as eggs, young hatchlings and almost anything they can find in their respective range. They have a good memory as well, so if you have grubs, or there is food available in any quantity, skunks will return to look for a repeat meal and, as they raise their young, they have been known to bring them back and train them to look for food in the same areas again and again.
You may not see skunks much during daylight hours, but observe them at dusk or dawn crossing the road or in areas where there are flood lights or driveway lights. This is crepuscular behavior, which means they come out to hunt and feed at dusk and dawn. It does not mean you will not see them at night as well but typically, if you see a flash of slow moving shuffling white fur in the evening or on your way to work in the early morning, you are looking at a skunk. Of the four skunks we find in Pima County, with the exception of the smallest member of the skunk family, the spotted skunk, skunks do not climb. What this means is that if you think you have a skunk or family of skunks living in your neighborhood, it is probably living under a porch, under a mobile home or mobile construction module, a shed, garage, in a den it has assumed from another animal, or one it has burrowed itself.
Some of the signs which suggest you have skunks living nearby, beyond having a consistent strong and unmistakable odor in your area, can be mild to moderate destruction of your lawn or landscape evidenced by signs of shallow digging (grubbing), debris from ground bees/wasp hives, parts of insects, or, having one of your pets getting sprayed.
If you feel that you have a skunk or family of skunks which have become a nuisance in and around your home or business, have a skunk that has been injured, or have questions regarding what might be rooting in your lawn or landscape please call 1st Response Wildlife @ 520-260-9517.
I have had great success in capturing and relocating skunks but, if they are not causing any trouble for your pets, are not grubbing and digging up your landscape, or spraying, I may recommend you let them alone to eat insects and generally act in a preventative way to help keep your cockroach, spider, scorpion, and ground bees under control. In fact, the lures that I use reflect the primary components that make up a skunk's diet. Below is another great shot of a spotted skunk that was quite drawn to food that smelled, tasted, and looked like a favorite food.
Fig. 2. Spotted Skunk searching for more of my lure
My customers sometimes find that they think they have a skunk problem but, after further discussion and inspection of their property, together we determine that, if they had a skunk, it had
moved on while others have found evidence of an animal grubbing in their yards that is actually the work of a raccoon family. I am happy to discuss and inspect an area with my customers to help determine what approach is best for the homeowner or business owner.
Thanks, Wildman Josh :)
Josh's Cell (24/7 Hours): 520-260-9517
Josh Waling is a humane Licensed Animal Trapper who catches and releases wildlife, removing animals including bobcats (lince), snakes, rattlesnakes (serpiente de cascabel), raccoons (mapache), pack rats, gila monsters (monstruos de gila), rabbits (canejo), owls, bats, squirrels (ardilla) , coatimundi (gato solo), skunks (mofeta), exotics, and domestic cats and dogs. He delivers service that is professional and fast and he is available 24/7. Give him a call the next time you hear unusual noises in the attic or crawl spaces in your home or if you see wildlife eating your vegetation, creating nests, and raising their young too close to your pets or children. 520-260-9517 Thanks!
I want to thank and recommend Josh Waling, owner of First Response Wildlife. Josh removed several feral cats from my family's mid-town property in Tucson. We appreciated his knowledge and humane treatment of the animals. Plus, the cost was very reasonable.
Posted by: Julie Hart | 03/21/2014 at 04:41 PM