Few pests have the ability to strike fear in people more than skunks. The threat of being sprayed by a skunk can cause even the most fearless of people to freeze upon seeing one. If a skunk happens to get under your house or business building, it can cause the entire place to have an unbearable odor, which is a major problem for the inhabitants, whether it’s family members, employees, or customers. To protect your home or business in Texas from skunks, first learn about these pests, their behaviors, steps for prevention, and contact Stellar Pest & Wildlife should an infestation occur.

There are five primary types of skunks in Texas; the eastern and western spotted skunks, the hog nosed skunk, the striped skunk and the hooded skunk. There are two species of spotted skunks, the eastern and the western. The eastern spotted skunk can be found throughout much of the eastern U.S. The eastern spotted skunk has six distinct white stripes near the front of its body and small white spots on its head, in front of each ear, and at the base of the tail. The western spotted skunk looks much like the eastern spotted skunk except that the white areas are more extensive. Both species have spots on their heads and other parts of their bodies and are known to be smaller and more agile than other skunks, even climbing trees. There’s also the hog-nosed skunk, with its long snout and single broad white stripe down the back, found in the Edwards Plateau and Trans-Pecos regions. Everyone is familar with the striped skunk with its white stripes that run from the top of the head all the way to the tip of the bushy tail. And finally, there’s the hooded skunk, a much less common species found only in the Big Bend region. It’s similar to the striped skunk but with longer fur and a ruff of hair on the upper neck.

All of the species have the distinctive white-and-black coloring that serves as a warning to predators. Skunks can range in size from 2.5 to 15 pounds.

When skunks come near your home or business, they’re looking for food and shelter. In order to find food, they may dig in the lawn looking for grubs, and berries, or get into the garbage. Skunks often find shelter in easy-to-access areas under houses, buildings, decks, and sheds.

In order to prevent skunks from invading the property at your business or home, we recommend removing elements around the area that may be attracting them. This includes keeping trash properly stored and closing up access points around your property. You should never attempt to remove a skunk from under your house or business building alone. If you’re looking for options on how to get rid of skunks, the help of the wildlife control experts at Stellar Pest and Wildlife is the only proper skunk removal option.