The dog got sprayed. Is the skunk still under there?
Often, yes. Spray means it felt trapped. Keep the dog inside, leave the hole open, and confirm the den is empty before it is closed.
Skunks under the house Why is a skunk living under the porch?
Because they are poor climbers, the ground floor is the whole map. The spray is a last resort. Rabies is the reason not to get casual about a bite.
Key facts
- Skunks are poor climbers. Dens are at ground level: burrows, decks, sheds, crawl spaces, and foundations.
- Mating season is typically February through March. Males travel farther then, so sightings go up.
- Gestation is about 60 to 75 days. A typical litter is four to six kits, sometimes two to ten.
- Kits stay in the den for several weeks and follow the mother by early summer.
- Warning signs before a spray include a raised tail, hissing, and foot stamping.
- Skunks are a major wildlife rabies reservoir. Rabies spreads by bites or saliva and is fatal if untreated.
Where do they den?
Evening and night are when they are out. The menu is insects, grubs, beetles, small rodents, fruit, seeds, pet food, and garbage. Shelter is a burrow, a hollow log, or the space under a deck, shed, or step. They are not going to the attic unless something unusual is going on.
Lawn divots from grub hunting are annoying. A hole under the porch, with dirt fanned out, is the den. That is the one that matters.
When are the babies born?
Mating is late winter into early spring, most often February and March. Females give birth in spring. The young cannot travel at first, so a mother under the shed in April is not on your schedule. Increased activity in spring and early summer is often a family, not a single animal passing through.
Filling the hole while they are inside traps them against the house. That is when people get sprayed through a crawl-space vent, or an animal dies where nobody can reach it.
What diseases matter?
Rabies is the serious one. Skunks are a primary reservoir in much of North America. Any bite, or saliva in a wound, needs medical care immediately. Leptospirosis can spread in urine and contaminate soil or water. Fleas, ticks, and roundworms come along as secondary problems.
They also eat a lot of grubs and rodents, which is useful in a garden and irrelevant once they are under the bedroom. Both things are true.
How do you get them to leave without the famous ending?
Do not corner them, block the hole, or send a dog under the shed. A raised tail is the warning. Keep pets inside and leave the opening clear so they can come and go. Once the den is empty, including kits old enough to leave, close it with buried mesh or a solid skirt.
Mothballs are a bad idea around children, pets, and the air of a house, and they rarely solve a den.
What changes by region?
Northeast Indiana
In the Fort Wayne area, skunks show up under sheds and porches, especially where a yard meets a field. Spring dens may have babies. We say so before anything is closed. A bite or a pet contact is a doctor and a vet question, separate from the exclusion work, and it should not wait.
Central Ohio (coming soon)
Skunks are a rabies-vector species in Ohio, and relocation is restricted. Dens, timing, and the "do not seal them in" rule are the same.
Common questions
When do skunks have babies?
Mating is mostly February and March. Kits arrive in spring after about 60 to 75 days, usually four to six of them. They are not ready to travel for several weeks.
Can I dump mothballs down the hole?
No. Mothballs are a poor idea around kids, pets, and indoor air, and they rarely move a den. Close the entrance after the skunks are gone.
Do skunks climb into attics?
Rarely. They are poor climbers. If the noise is overhead, look at raccoons, squirrels, or bats instead.