Skunk Under Your Porch or Deck?
Skunks commonly den under porches, decks, stoops, and sheds throughout Southeast Michigan. Most of the time you won't see the skunk itself. You'll smell it first, or find the funnel-shaped digging holes they leave in the lawn while foraging for grubs and insects.
Regal Pest Control uses live trapping to remove skunks from your property. Every program starts with a thorough on-site inspection to identify where the skunk is denning and what may be attracting it. Per Michigan law effective July 2024, skunks that are caught are not released on-site. They are removed from the property.
Where Skunks Are Commonly Found
Skunks don't climb, so all their entry points and den sites are at ground level.
Under Porches & Stoops
Under Decks & Sheds
Under Concrete Slabs
Along Foundation Openings
Our Skunk Removal Process
Every skunk removal program follows the same five-step approach, starting with a thorough inspection before any traps are set.
Inspection
We begin with a thorough on-site inspection, identifying den locations, entry points, and any conditions attracting skunks to your property, such as accessible food sources or ground-level openings under structures.
Assessment
After the inspection, our technician will walk you through the recommended approach, explain what exclusion options may be available after trapping, and answer any questions about the scope of the service.
Trapping
We set live traps in locations determined by our technician based on the inspection findings. Trap placement and bait selection are designed to target the skunk while minimizing the chance of catching non-target animals.
Daily Follow-Up
We return daily to check traps, remove any caught animals, and rebait or reposition as needed. Five visits are included, spaced 24 hours apart. Skunks that are caught are removed and not released on-site per Michigan wildlife regulations.
Exclusion (If Applicable)
Where accessible entry points are found, we offer temporary exclusion services after trapping is complete. Whether this is feasible at your location is determined during the inspection. In some cases, more permanent repairs will require a licensed contractor.
A Few Things Worth Knowing About Skunks
Skunks have a bad reputation but are actually interesting and ecologically useful animals. They are more adaptable to urban environments than most people realize, and more ecologically useful than their reputation suggests.
Natural Pest Control
Skunks eat grubs, insects, slugs, mice, and other small pests. They are genuinely beneficial to lawns and gardens, eating many of the same pests homeowners pay to control. The tradeoff is obvious, but worth knowing.
Funnel Holes in Your Lawn
Those small funnel-shaped holes about 3 to 4 inches wide in your lawn overnight? Classic skunk sign. They are digging for grubs just below the surface. Raccoons cause similar damage but flip larger sections of sod instead.
Spray Is a Last Resort
Skunks spray only when they genuinely feel threatened, and they warn first: stomping their front feet, raising their tail, and turning their rear toward the threat. They have limited spray capacity and can't reload quickly, so they do not use it casually.
Winter Group Denning
Skunks are typically solitary, but in winter they will den together in groups of a dozen or more to share body heat. If one has found a warm spot under your porch, there may be others. Skunks can lose up to 50% of their body weight in a harsh Michigan winter.
Most Active in Spring
Skunks are most active and visible in early spring during mating season, then return to their secretive nocturnal routines. If you are seeing a skunk during the day, it is often a female feeding heavily to support young kits, not necessarily a sign of illness.
Southeast Michigan's Only Skunk
The striped skunk is the only skunk species native to Southeast Michigan. They are more adaptable to urban environments than most people realize.
Skunk Removal FAQ
Other Wildlife Services
We offer removal services for a wide range of nuisance wildlife throughout Southeast Michigan.
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