Occasionally skunks are sighted in neighborhoods. That need not be cause for alarm. Preventative measures such as covering garbage cans and not leaving pet food outside will help discourage their presence. Covering openings under patios, porches, and crawl spaces will also prevent occupancy. Always make sure no animal is occupying such space before it is covered. If a skunk wanders into your garage, don’t panic. Just open the garage door before dusk and wait until the skunk exits for nightly foraging. Sprinkle a wide band of white flour across the threshold, so you can see evidence of exiting footprints. Obviously, keep all domestic animals away from the area. Once the visitor has left, close the door and make sure it stays closed.

Evicting Skunks

Because skunks are nomadic, their residence under your shed, porch, or outbuilding will resolve itself in due time: they’ll just move on. If, however, you must evict skunks from under a building, try spraying a mixture of eight ounces of dish detergent, eight ounces of castor oil, and one gallon of water around the area where the skunks reside. To determine if the den has been vacated, stuff newspaper in the entry hole. If animals are still present, the paper will be pushed out within 24 hours.  The only way to keep skunks permanently out from under a building is to seal the structure off with chicken wire or hardware cloth. It’s important to sink the wire down a few inches into the ground so any skunk who tries to dig back in is foiled. A note of caution: Be sure that all animals are out from under a structure before sealing it off; otherwise, the remaining skunks will starve to death.

Window wells

Because of their natural nearsightedness and poor climbing ability, skunks often tumble into window wells and are unable to climb out. If the window well is shallow (under two feet), place a piece of wood in the well at less than a 45° angle to serve as a ramp. If the skunk cannot climb out on the piece of word, you may need to tack a towel or chicken wire to it for traction. If the window well is any deeper, you may want to consider hiring a professional to remove the animal. Once removed, it is essential to then purchase or make a window well cover or this situation will reoccur. 

Trapping

Although people’s initial reaction may be to get rid of skunks, trapping is not always the solution because skunks from the surrounding area will quickly replace those removed. As long as an inviting habitat (brush or rock piles, elevated sheds, and openings under porches or house foundations) exists, skunks will use it. 

In Illinois, only licensed nuisance wildlife control operators may trap skunks. By state law, nuisance wildlife control operators must euthanize all trapped skunks. According to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the following individuals are licensed nuisance wildlife control operators in Logan County:

Wood Wildlife Service

Les Wood

(217) 732-6080

Lincoln

Booner's Wildlife Control

George Larry Wilham

(217) 871-2268

Elkhart

John Utterback

(217) 792-5658

Mt. Pulaski

How do I get rid of that smell?

Skunks use their strong-smelling spray to defend themselves—in fact they don’t have any other form of defense. The spray is composed of sulfuric acid that can be discharged from either of two independently operating anal glands. Skunks stamp their front feet as a warning when threatened, giving you a chance to back off. Dogs, however, tend to ignore this warning. That’s why it’s hard to find a human who has been sprayed, but easy to find a dog who has. 

The Humane Society of the United States suggests the following steps to eliminate skunk odor on your dog:

Step 1: Keep Fido outside

While you prepare the de-skunking solution, keep your dog outside after he's sprayed so he doesn't carry the smell into your house. Check his eyes; if they're irritated or red, immediately flush them with cool water.

Step 2: Mix the Ingredients

Mix together:

 1 quart of 3-percent hydrogen peroxide (available at your local pharmacy) 

 1/4 cup baking soda 

 1 teaspoon liquid dishwashing soap

Wearing rubber gloves, wash your dog with this solution immediately after he's been sprayed. DO NOT get the solution in the dog's eyes. (If you don't have peroxide, baking soda, and liquid soap on hand, use vinegar diluted with water.) 

Caution: Do NOT save this mixture or make it ahead of time, as the mixture could explode if left in a bottle.

Step 3: Clean and rinse

Rub the mixture through his fur, but don't leave it on him too long (peroxide can bleach his fur). Rinse him thoroughly.

Step 4: Shampoo

Next, wash your dog with pet shampoo and rinse thoroughly. By now, he should be de-skunked and smelling sweet. Thoroughly towel-dry your dog, and be sure to place him in a warm, sunny room for the next couple of hours so that he doesn't get chilled. He should also have a large dry towel on which to lie down. If you dog has long fur, you may need to use a hair dryer to dry his fur.

Owner cleanup 

If your dog rubbed some of the stink onto you, you can rid your clothes of the smell by using regular laundry detergent mixed with a half-cup of baking soda.