San Diego Skunk Removal

There is no doubt about it this time of year, San Diego, Los Angeles and rest of Southern
California Mason stinks. Portions of the San Diego smelled of skunk during the weekend and
one local expert said that can be expected to continue through the month. February is the
mating season for skunks and males are just “spreading the love.” “They’ll come out of their
dens just like clockwork around Valentine’s Day,” Mike Flick, CEO of Anytime Animal Control
of San Diego said Monday. “Right now they’re on the hunt, looking for their girlfriends.” Flick
said you may find skunk scent in large patches that look like someone spilled Mountain Dew
in the snow. Don’t go anywhere near that snow, he said, because the substance on it will
stick to anything .The skunk smell at this time of year comes from when females reject
males and actually spray them. Flick said every skunk removal call is different, but he
charges the price of a service call plus a removal fee at minimum. The skunks can either be
released alive or disposed of, he said. Most people really never care unless the skunks are
babies.

Flick said skunk tracks are very easy to spot because of the long claws in the tracks. The
entry to a den is about the size of a softball. Typically, skunks will den under sheds and
woodpiles. Just as important as removing skunks is preventing skunks from denning in
your yard. Put adequate skirting around the bottom of sheds and other structures. If you
suspect a den, lean a board over it and check to see if the board get moved. If it does, head
back on the next warm night when the skunk is out and fill the den before any young are
born. Once young skunks are in a den, a mother will find her way back in even if she has to
dig a new tunnel to it.

Mike Flick said the community is going to stink for a while. “It’s a pure mating thing every
spring” Flick said. “We’re going to smell it here probably for the next month and keep in mind
skunks are all around us year round too.” You can reach Mike Flick through the call center at
1-800-714-8727.