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What Smells Do Skunks Dislike? (Quick Answers)

Skunks are not harmful but when in danger, they spray a liquid with a very bad smell. A skunk usually comes near your garden or home to look for food and warmth. 

However, you may not like them around your property. Skunks have a heightened sense of smell that can be used to deter them away without harming them. 

12 smells that skunks dislike and how to use them:

Some smells that skunks dislike are vinegar, ammonia, black pepper, citrus scent, mothballs, peppermint oil, chili and cayenne pepper, putrescent whole egg solids, predator’s urine, lavender, vegetable and castor oil, and coffee grounds. The method of application may vary for different items. 

You can use any of the items depending on their availability and your preference.

Vinegar:

Vinegar, specifically white vinegar, can work incredibly well in deterring skunks from your house and garden. The strong scent of vinegar disturbs their sinus cavities and deters them away. 

You can spray white vinegar around your house and other areas where you see skunks visiting often. You can also use rags or cotton balls dipped in vinegar and hang them up. 

Ammonia:

Apart from acting as an active ingredient in cleaning your house, ammonia can also keep skunks away. You can simply soak some rags or cotton balls with ammonia and place them around your house and yard. You may have to reapply as the scent can wear off easily. 

Black pepper:

Black pepper is scary to the skunks as just a little whiff of the stuff can immediately irritate the sinus. The piperine in black pepper is responsible for the spiciness and the pungency. 

You can spread some black pepper around the areas that skunks visit often. You can also use a homemade repellent prepared with ground black pepper or black pepper oil as one of the base elements.

Citrus scent: 

Skunks do not find the smell coming from citrus fruits at all pleasant. You can use the rinds of oranges and lemons and scatter them around the areas you want to keep free from skunks. You can also try planting some citrus trees. It is an amazing natural deterrent.

Mothballs:

Mothballs contain naphthalene or para-dichlorobenzene that can cause dizziness or nausea hence skunks prefer keeping their distance from these. You can use mothballs by putting them into old stockings and hanging them up in your garden or yard. 

Peppermint oil:

Skunks absolutely detest the smell of peppermint oil. The smell instantly strikes on their sinus cavities and makes them go away. 

Using peppermint oil may require reapplying. You can also make your own repellent spray by mixing peppermint oil with a carrier oil and water. You can spray this mixture around your home and yard. 

Chili and cayenne pepper:

Another smell that skunks absolutely dislike is the smell coming from chili and cayenne pepper. The capsaicin in these peppers creates a strong spicy scent that infuriates the sinus cavities of the skunks. 

You can spread cayenne pepper powder around the areas you want to steer clear of skunks. You can also make a solution by mixing chili powder and water and spraying the mixture around the same areas. Both of the ways will require reapplying.

Putrescent whole egg solids:

Putrescent egg solids have a strong smell that can disturb the sense of smell in many animals. As skunks have a very heightened sense of smell, they get irritated by the strong smell of sulfur coming from the putrescent egg solids.

Predator’s urine: 

Skunks like to keep themselves away from predators. So you can use predator’s urine to keep them at bay. Predators like a fox, coyote, bobcat, and wolf’s urine can be used in this case. But make sure that the animal is local to your area else it might not work well. 

Lavender:

Lavender may not be as effective as chili and cayenne pepper or peppermint oil, but skunks are known to dislike the pungent aroma coming from lavender. If you have a garden, it can be a good decision to plant some lavender trees.

Vegetable oil and castor oil:

As vegetable oil and castor oil can be easily found in every household, you can use the two oils to deter skunks. Skunks don’t like getting oily. 

Both the smell and texture of vegetable and castor oil will discourage the skunks from coming near. You can just spray some oil around the yard and grass. 

Coffee grounds: 

Coffee grounds are great for your garden. You can also try using them to discourage the skunks. The strong bitter smell can give the skunks the idea of humans being near and scare them away. 

Where to place these smells to prevent skunks?

Using their heightened sense of smell, it’s easy to deter skunks with smells that they dislike. These smells need to be placed in areas where they frequently visit. You can also target their entry points. 

However, skunks are comparatively more active during the night as nights are calm and dark, and humans are asleep. They go out to look for food sources and shelter during this time. You can use deterrents in the dark areas of your house like the decks and yard

If they pounce on your plants, you can use the plant-safe deterrents to spray or spread near the plants. For some smelly deterrents, you can soak rags or cotton balls in the liquid and hang them up in your garden or places that they visit the most. 

What attracts skunks to your yard or garden?

Skunks like to take shelter in dark places. If your yard has piles of wood or rocks, slabs, elevated shades, or any other openings, the skunks might be attracted to come and crawl to these spaces. Also, a dark deck is their favorite area to take shelter.

If you’re planning to use deterrents to deter skunks, the dark places should be the first few places on your checklist. Skunks visit your garden mostly for the low-hanging fruits that are easy for them to get hold of. Also, any garbage or leftover food can attract them. 

As the skunks eat both plant and animal materials, they can come both for the garbage and the plants. Skunks can also feed on your pet’s food if they get access. Leftover pet food and bird feeders can attract them in the yard as well. 

Other solutions to keep skunks away from the house:

Well, you already have discovered that skunks can be deterred from your territory with the smells that they dislike. But apart from that there are many more solutions to keep skunks away from the house. Let’s find them out below –

Install night lights:

Skunks are most active when it’s dark. Therefore, a good way of deterring them can be by installing night lights. You can use a flashlight to scare them away. Or you can install bright lights to light up the dark areas where skunks frequently visit.

Install a solar-powered ultrasonic skunk repellent: 

Pouncing their sense of hearing is one of the best ways of scaring skunks away. You can get the help of a solar-powered ultrasonic skunk repellent for the job.

It is a sound emitting device that emits a high-pitched ultrasonic sound whenever the sensor detects any movements. The sound is annoying to the skunks and they are most likely to avoid returning to the area after a few times of trying. 

ZOVENCHI Ultrasonic Animal Pest Repellent, Outdoor Solar Powered Pest and Animal Repeller, Waterproof Deterrent Scarer - Motion Sensor, Repel Cat, Dog, Rabbits, Fox, Raccoons, Skunk, Rats

Install motion sensor sprinkler: 

A natural and harmless way of deterring skunks is by installing a motion sensor sprinkler. You can simply drive the spikes into the ground and connect the device to a nearby water source. Set the thing up at a skunk’s height so it can detect more accurately.

Whenever it detects the movement of a skunk, it will spray water with a whirring sound. Both the sound and the water coming out of the machine will scare the skunks away. 

Cover trash bins:

Being the omnivores that they are, skunks get attracted to both animal and plant material. Trash bins are one of their favorite places to search for food. 

It is important to cover any food bases to discourage the skunks and that includes covering the trash bins. Using garbage cans that let you cover the lids is the best. You also use garbage bags with bungee cords.

Orbit 62100 Yard Enforcer Motion-Activated Sprinkler with Day & Night Detection Modes,Black

Seal the deck with chicken wire:

Your deck can be a favorite place for the skunks as it is the perfect place for them to take shelter. One good way to protect the area is by sealing it with chicken wire. 

Before you do that, make sure that there are no baby skunks that are dependent on their mothers in the area. 

Now seal the entire area with durable chicken wire and prepare a one-way door. This way, the remaining skunks can leave the area but won’t be able to enter again. The wire must be at least 12 inches underneath the ground to prevent skunks from digging their way in.

Final thoughts

Skunks dislike the smell of vinegar, ammonia, black pepper, citrus scent, mothballs, peppermint oil, chili and cayenne pepper, putrescent whole egg solids, predator’s urine, lavender, vegetable oil, castor oil, and coffee grounds. The right use of any of these smells can deter skunks away.