You see them in backyards, walking down roads and highways. Sooner or late just about everyone will come into contact with this small critter. It’s not the most popular wild animal in the county and one of their favorite hiding spots is under someone’s house. Recently a Lakeport resident reported a skunk was sleeping in his garage. Last year a resident in Buckingham reported having more than a dozen skunks living beneath his house. The skunks use these areas as dens to raise their young.
Skunks are often blamed for spreading rabies, a disease that can be fatal to pets and even humans. Since 2011 there have been only two cases of human rabies recorded in the state. There were no deaths. There were 200 certified rabies cases among animals in the state in 2014. Lake County had one in 2011 and another in 2012. The leading county for rabies cases is Los Angeles with more than 40 annually. Actually, the animal most responsible for spreading rabies is the bat.
According to Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW), there are two species of skunks in Lake County — the striped skunk and the spotted skunk. The striped skunk is the most common and is about the size of an adult house cat. Its fur is mostly black with white on top of the head and neck. In most animals the white extends down the back, usually separating into two white stripes. Spotted skunks are black with white spots or short white streaks. They are smaller than the striped skunk, about half the size of a house cat. Most skunks live only about three or four years. The reason that skunks have the white color is to warn predators that they hold a heavy dose of noxious odor, which they will spray on any animal that attacks them.
Skunks are attracted to residential areas by the ready availability of food, water and shelter. They become a nuisance when they take up residence beneath porches, decks, sheds and homes. They like to feed on ripening berries and fallen fruit and cause many homeowners garden problems by digging while in search of grubs and other insects. They often search for food in lawns by digging small pits or cone-shaped depressions that range from to 3-5 inches across.
They are nocturnal and spend just about all their time roaming after dark. During the daytime they normally hole up in a den and sleep. Often you will see dead skunks on a road where they have been hit by a car. Their eyesight is extremely poor and when they are crossing a road at night they often fail to see an approaching vehicle.
The DFW classifies skunks as non-game mammals. Non-game mammals that are damaging property or threatening people or pets may be taken by the owner or tenant off the premises at any time and in any legal manner. Fish and Wildlife regulations prohibit the relocation of skunks and other wildlife without written permission of the DFW. The prevalence of rabies in the skunk population is one of several major reasons for denying relocation.
The big problem with skunks is they spray a noxious odor when threatened. They can send out a stream of spray that’s accurate to nearly 15 feet. However, most of the time a skunk will only spray when it feels threatened and even then will only spray a small portion of its available scent. Most of the spray victims are dogs and they often get sprayed in their eyes.
Skunks are normally friendly critters. In fact, some people keep them as pets and there have even been instances when a skunk would sit in a person’s lap.
One way to keep skunks from going beneath you house or coming into your yard is to remove all the pet food at night. Also remove any water pans, especially during drought years. Occasionally a homeowner will try and trap a skunk and relocate it. Whereas you can trap and kill the skunk, you can’t relocate it off your property because you are just transferring the problem to someone else. The best solution is to contact the Lake County Department of Agriculture at 263-0217 and officials will put you in touch with a licensed trapper.
