Skunks are resilient animals. They almost always find ways to get into a place once they set their eyes on it. They have strong claws adapted for digging and they can burrow into many places including under concrete. However, their climbing skulls, although not as famous as their digging, are still good.
If you have had a skunk invasion on your property or maybe a skunk keeps harassing your chicken coop, you may decide to put up a fence. Sometimes, you will notice that the disturbance has stopped. Other times, the skunk simply keeps coming. It is important to realize the species of skunk invading your property for youtube able to defend it properly.
The two most abundant species of skunks are the spotted skunk and the striped skunk. The striped skunk, although very curious in nature, is not a good climber. Due to their short limbs, which are well adapted for digging, they are unable to properly grasp things. The limbs are also not strong enough to support their weight when climbing. They mostly live in clearings, fields, underground, pastures, or places that don't require them to climb.
The spotted skunks are however lighter and more agile than the striped skunks and so they are better climbers. If you see a skunk scaling your fence, it is most likely the spotted skunk. Spotted skunks climb up trees to eat honey from beehives and search for smaller animals. They can climb over fences and tall garbage cans when looking for food.
Although climbing is not one of the strong points of most skunk species, they have other advantages. Their limbs are well adapted for digging and even though they cannot climb over a fence, they can burrow under it. If you put up a fence to keep these little animals away, bear in mind that the fence must be well installed with part of it deep into the ground at least 18 inches where the skunk cannot burrow through.
When considering putting up a fence on your property, it is important to know that although skunks prefer not to climb, because they prefer to burrow, they will do it if the circumstances call for it.
What to do about skunks climbing fences
The first thing to note is that although fences are a great way to keep skunks out, the best way to make sure they do not bother you is to have them removed from your property. With that in mind, you can still put up a fence to discourage future invasions.
Metal fences, although not the most aesthetically pleasing, are quite effective at keeping skunks out. It works better than wooden or mesh type fences which can still allow for some kind of grip action for the skunk. The skunks are unable to dig their sharp claws into the fence. The inability to piece through the metal fence when digging underground makes it a very good option for keeping away skunks.
Of course, it would cost significantly more to put up a metal fence than a wooden fence. However, it is the safest and most efficient option if you want to discourage climbing by skunks or any other small wildlife for that matter. Even striped skunks that are not so good at climbing will be able to climb a mesh fence as they will have something to grip.
The best time to put up a fence is when the skunks are not raising their babies. This will ensure that you do not erect a fence with the babies trapped in your compound. It can also be bad if you have to evict the skunks and their babies and they will be left to wander around looking for a new home.
Go back to the Warwick wildlife removal home page.