Has Your Dog Been “Skunked” Lately?
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I would guess that many of dog owners have had to deal with their dog being “skunked” at least once during its lifetime. Skunks have adapted to living in an urban environment and can be found in most major metropolitan areas. They are becoming very active at this time of year as they are building up food reserves for the winter.
Although skunks don’t hibernate, they do enter a type of dormant state and rarely leave their underground den during the winter.
The chance of your dog getting “skunked” increases at this time of year due to the increase in skunk foraging.
Skunks are omnivores and eat insect larvae and adults, rodents, roots, plant material, bird seed and are scavengers of garbage. This is the time of year when there are plenty of grubs available to eat in many lawns. There are other critters that feed on grubs, including raccoons and opossums, but only the skunk defends itself with a spray that can be directed at an attacker up to 10 feet away. In the wild, skunks can use this spray to ward off attacks from large animals, including bears. However the only real predator of the skunk is the Great Horned Owl.Skunk Damage
The damage to a lawn from a skunk can be damaging and almost impossible to repair. If the grub populations are high, the damage can be extreme. Even if you are able to push down all the grass that was ripped up during one night, they will return the following nights to look for more grubs to eat.