It’s not every day you need to get rid of skunks, but when you do, it can be an absolute nightmare. The smell and the mess that they leave behind are often difficult to remove or hide, and if you catch them in the wrong moment they can be very dangerous to your family or pets. However, there’s one proven way to get rid of skunks that’s both effective and safe—chocolate! Here’s how to use chocolate as bait to lure skunks out of hiding and out of your property before they have the chance to stink up your life!
How to Get Rid of Skunks With Chocolate? (Complete guidance)
- First, you will need a few ingredients and utensils for the recipe: 1 cup raw almonds, 1/4 cup honey, and 2 ounces dark chocolate. Then, you will need a pot with water in it, measuring cups or spoons for measuring the ingredients, a bowl for mixing the ingredients together in, and a spoon or small spatula for stirring them around in the pot.
- Pour your almonds into your bowl and then add honey to it. Mix this together until it is well combined but not clumpy or runny-looking. Add in your dark chocolate and mix that until it is melted into the mixture. You can also add cinnamon if you want to give your mixture an extra twist! Once all of your ingredients are mixed up nicely, pour them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread out the mixture so that there is no space left on the tray and then put it in the oven on 350°F. Keep an eye on these little treats as they bake because they don’t take long to bake at all; they should only be in there for five minutes. Once those five minutes have passed, take them out of the oven and let them cool off before eating so they don’t burn your mouth when you try one!
What type of chocolate to use
I recommend using dark chocolate, as the higher cocoa content will make it more effective. You’ll need a few bars and some water.
- Break up the bars into small pieces and put them in a pot filled with water on the stove on medium heat. Stir occasionally until all the bar has melted down into a brown goop.
- If there are still chunks that won’t melt, add more water or turn up the heat; don’t worry about getting any big lumps as they will be removed later on.
- Once you have a liquid solution, use a large funnel or ladle to pour it over your dirty spot where you sprayed the Skunk Off (yes, this is an old wives tale).
- The planter box outside my door has been smelling terrible for days because someone sprayed the front porch with Skunk Off at night.
- Even though the smell was terrible, I knew that trying to wash it off would only make things worse because washing away the oily spray would just leave behind even more potent odor-producing chemicals in a concentrated form – so when nothing else seemed to work, I poured myself a glass of wine, opened up two bags of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and got busy pouring boiling hot water onto my planter box and all around my front porch area where most of the smell was coming from.
How to set up the trap
- Make sure that you have a large, open-top cardboard box or bucket (if you use the bucket, make sure it has a handle on it).
- Place some old towels or an old blanket in the bottom and place the skunk inside.
- Place some old towels or an old blanket in the bottom and place the skunk inside.
- Pour a can of coke into the box/bucket and close lid tightly.
- The carbonation will help subdue the animal as well as generate enough gas to cause them to pass out quickly so they don’t injure themselves struggling against their confinement (and alerting other animals).
- Once the skunk is knocked out for about 10 minutes, remove it from the container
- Remove any fluids before disposing of
What to do with the skunk once you’ve caught it
The best way to get rid of a skunk is by trapping it in a container. The trap should be placed at least 30 feet away from the home and have a small opening on top, which will allow the animal to stick its head inside, but not enough room for it to squeeze through. Once you have captured the animal, carry it far away from your home and release it. To avoid being sprayed again, stay at least 100 yards away from the skunk. If you can’t do this, then place some chocolates in the container before releasing it so that it will leave your yard for sure. Here’s how: Place six or more blocks of dark or semi-sweet chocolate near where the skunk was last seen. Don’t cover up or bury the chocolates; simply put them out where they’ll attract the most attention. The more bait/chocolate present, greater chances are that it will smell irresistible and go somewhere else to feed. After five days without a sighting of the pesky animal, take away the remaining chocolate. Remember, don’t touch any part of the bait with bare hands! In order to reduce risks associated with handling dead animals or toxins (including rabies), always wear gloves when baiting traps and carrying captured animals.
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Conclusion
You can also make your own homemade repellent. Put a few spoonfuls of vanilla extract, baking soda and water in a small bowl and stir until combined. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle and shake well before each use. Spray the area where you see or smell the skunk, as well as any other areas you think might attract them. If you don’t want to make your own, commercially available products are available online or at most home improvement stores. Remember: Whatever you do, don’t try to move a dead animal without wearing gloves and goggles – it’s against the law! The New York Department of Environmental Conservation says that some animals such as opossums and raccoons will eat carrion, so wear gloves when handling a dead animal if you’re not sure what type it is. Make sure there are no children nearby when disposing of the carcass. Wear protective clothing and dispose of the carcass in an outdoor trash container if possible; otherwise, seal it tightly in two plastic bags and put in an outdoor garbage container.
