Love Is In The Air As Skunk Mating Season Kicks Off

It’s a foul situation. Skunks are finding their way into crawl spaces and attics of homes, marking the start of skunk mating season.

It’s something Jeannie Baker of Jacksonville learned the hard way when several skunks decided to snuggle under her home. She couldn’t disguise the smell wafting up through the floorboards of her kitchen.

Baker called in Scot Evans of A-1 Critter Solutions. He set traps at an opening to the home’s crawl space. He caught two skunks in two days.

Fish and Wildlife says it’s legal to trap skunks alive, but it’s illegal to transport them and release them off your property.Because skunks are not a protected species, it is legal to euthanize them humanely. You can get a free permit to transport a skunk, but only for the purpose of euthanizing the animal. Illegal transportation can result in a $260 dollar fine per skunk.

The agency says exclusion is the recommended method of control. Sealing off any opening where critters can get in is the best way to ward them off. The hope is if they can’t find a way in, they’ll go somewhere else and take their stench with them.

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