Skunks

[Kzarah]

Skunks

Well, we are pretty much moved into our new house. For the most part, the neighbors are very nice. However, a few of the neighbors make me uncomfortable. Kevin says Raccoons are very cute but I say they are very dangerous and you don't know what diseases they carry. However, when they see us they walk away. I don't mean to say that they just come into our yard. A couple of times, I have just opened our door and right there in front of me, almost nose-to-nose is a large raccoon. I don't like that. We also, have opossums. I don't care for them either but I feel less threatened. The one neighbor I really worry about is the skunk or the skunks. They don't just run away. They turn and lift their tail. Although I have never been a recipient of there spray, I do know that they are extremely accurate. This worries me. I don't want to kill animals but, if I could prevent them from coming into my yard, well I would be a lot happier. We have no vegetable garden. We keep our trash in the house and take it out once a day. So they are not looking for food. I would just like to not have to contend with them. Now the coyotes worry me too. They are carnivores and eat small kitties. Little Lu is an indoor cat. However, she did get out one night and didn't come home until morning. I was so afraid that I might find our carcass have eaten in the yard. I was so angry with her I almost pulled down her pants and spanked her right in front of everyone. Well, I kissed her about a thousand times on the head instead. But, I think you see my problem now. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Love
Always
Daniel and Little Lulu

 

[DORISPULASKI]

Re: Skunks

Usually raccoons and skunks are looking for food. Perhaps your predecessor fed the raccoons? A dumb thing to do as they carry rabies. It may take a while for the raccoons to move on until they learn there is NO FOOD HERE. Be sure LuLu has her rabies shots. Leave the big garbage can in the garage and don't take it out to the street until the morning it is going to be picked up.

Fences don't work. Raccoons are wonderful climbers and love challenges. They are very smart, too.

Skunks are, unfortunately, not afraid of you. If you get sprayed, there are concoctions at the drug store that are supposed to cut the smell. Tomato juice works a bit, but not very well.

I have had a dog sprayed by a skunk. Even with tomato juice and drug store concoction and doggie shampoo (10 yrs ago, hope there is a better concoction) the smell lingered for 2 weeks.

Good luck!

Doris

 

[Blue Bead]

Re: Skunks

Doris, I beg to differ with you regarding raccoons carrying rabies. That is a rarity, at least in the Eastern U.S. Distemper, yes. Various viruses, yes. Skunks can carry rabies as well as other diseases. There really isn't much a person can do to discourage the raccoons. Primarily their natural foods are grubs, insects, and they will eat small salamanders. They are very fond of dry dog or cat food left outside on the back porch. :lol: Several years ago I thought it would be so cool to have a small backyard pond. So I bought one of those kits, installed it in my yard, and decided some goldfish and water plants would be the finishing touches. The morning after I put the fish in the pond I noticed they were gone and the newly planted water plants were torn out of the pond. One of my neighbors informed me that the raccoons will also eat small fish and they were the likely culprits to have torn out my water plants too. I've lived in the country for over fifty years but I never knew raccoons ate fish.

Blue Bead

 

[4dogknight]

Re: Skunks

Daniel: Perhaps you could call Animal Control or some other agency that will trap the skunks. Might cost you a few bucks but you're a novice and these folks are professionals and can use the appropriate means to remove the skunks from the property.

They should be able to trap the raccoons too. The coyotes, that's a different story because they're so adaptable but you might talk to the trappers about them too.

Keep edibles tightly closed and in the house. This includes garbage; garbage to us is a four course meal to the critters.

For your own peace of mind, keep Lulu housebound for the next couple of months. And if necessary get her the rabies booster shot.

And let me just add one more comment - please, please under no circumstances try to rid your property by any other means than humane. That means no poison, guns or kill traps. I know you wouldn't do any of those things but I feel the message can't be said too often or loudly.

4dk

 

[JOHIO2]

Re: Skunks

Sorry, BlueBead, but I've got to disagree. Raccoons are THE biggest carriers of rabies in the eastern part of the US.

I have been watching rabies creep west through Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio the past few years. Like West Nile virus, rabies has made it to the Cleveland area and continues its march west. Locally, all the cities and counties are aggressively pushing rabies vaccinations for pets, dogs and cats. Even my indoor cat is kept vaccinated. It's the law in my city.

Hey, didn't you ever wonder what those rascally raccoons were doing washing their paws and food in water? Of course they'll eat fish....and crawdads and slugs etc., etc. That's part of why raccoons are so successful at living among humans - we leave so many tasty items around for the omnivorous critters to eat. Maybe I should have said "varmints." Critters are animals you like having around!

As to Daniel's raccoon problem. I have no idea what the rabies status is on the west coast. With or without rabies, raccoons and skunks and possums can be big problems. That you are absolutely right about.

To 4dogknight: animal trapping may be "live" but don't fool yourself that all those living trapped varmints will be freed to continue living. Animal trappers around here are required by law to destroy problem animals, not free them elsewhere. I suspect that rabies problem here is only part of the reasons for the laws and I suspect most cities have similar laws. That young bear that wanders into an urban area may be trapped and relocated, but Rocky Raccoon is most likely history. Sorry, you romantics, there is definitely discrimination in the treatment of problem animals.

Hey Daniel, do you remember coyotes in Ohio when you lived here? Well, they're baaaaack. Coyotes are now another reason for people in Ohio to keep their pets at home and inside. Ain't nature persistent? They weren't seen around here for ages and now they are back and we didn't even have to relocate them, like we had to do to get the river otters back. Their own four legs carried them throughout the state!

One thing about growing up in the boonies...you get over the romantic notions about animals, whether your family is into hunting and fishing or farming or not. Those little robins that make premature trips out of their nests are lunch for some carnivore. Even crows hunt. I've seen them go after baby rabbits and carry them off. And I don't think it is for the bunnies amusement. And those deer and groundhogs? Garden pests! (I'd like to point out that both are very tasty, thank you.)

Daniel, you can also try pest repellants. I wouldn't bother though. Those big coons have been around awhile and they are more persistent and patient than you are. They'll wait out your campaign and stroll back in at their leisure! Sorry if that depresses you. Also, unless you live miles from anyone else, your neighbors are probably part of the varmint problem. Grandma offers the buggers treats and they'll be bold and unafraid ever after.

 

[DORISPULASKI]

Raccoons

We had a warnings of rabid racoons couple of years ago (southern NY, western CT) Also a problem with rabid bats, at least the radio was warning us, and 1 kid died. No they don't always have it. But they are not cute little stuffed animals. A neighbor of a friend of mine used to put out bread for them, and 10 or 11 raccoons would climb over her fence to eat the bread. They like garbage cans. Methods of keeping them out of garbage cans are apt to fail.

dpp

 

[Blue Bead]

Re: Raccoons

JOHIO2, I guess we wili just have to agree to disagree (LOL)for I based my comments on information provided to me by 4 Ohio based veterinarians who stated that they did not think that raccoons were the biggest factor in the prevalence of rabies within my part of the state. They considered skunks to be the biggest problem. This all came about after I was seriously bitten by a stray cat (which was captured, euthanized humanely, and had its brain tissues tested for rabies). Thank goodness it was negative! Of course I was extremely concerned about two of my cats who do often go outside. I talked to my vet about it and he referred me to 3 other vets who agreed with my vet. I don't know maybe things are different in the northern part of the state.

Blue Bead

 

[JOHIO2]

Re: Raccoons

Blue bead,

I'm not saying that ALL raccoons carry rabies, anymore than all skunks do. Just that the news types up here claim that the raccoons are the usual carrier that people might come into contact with. Rabies is NOT a major problem here. But the fact that it exists and is found here is enough to make lawmakers and health experts nervous. Thus the vacine campaigns.

Do bears get rabies? I don't know, but I suspect they do, at least they can. But most of us have enough sense to stay away from a bear. How many people have enough sense to stay away from a raccoon??? Not enough, as raccoons near people can become very bold and people mistake that for tame. Heck, I suspect even deer can get rabies. You just don't expect Bambi to bite you.

Rabid bats...bats at least avoid people. Sick bats don't bother...they're too sick! That's why the powers that be warn about bats...even sick bats will bite and those rabies shots (shots, plural) are not fun.

I suspect that even in Lyme, Lyme disease is rare. But since ticks spread that and other nasty diseases, I would avoid hugging Bambi and would make sure to check myself and others and pets after a walk in the woods to make sure no ticks hitched a ride back home, with or without a blood meal!

Fleas can spread bubonic plaque if the germ is there to spread. Fortunately, plaque is even more rare here and usually responds to antibiotics.

The most panic this year is mosquitos and West Nile. A few people die and it is big news. Just like SARS. If it is a nasty disease and possible fatal and doesn't get cured easily by antibiotics, people panic. The actual odds of getting rabies are extremely low, but since rabies is nasty, getting bit by a wild animal or even a pet that hasn't been vacinated gets the medical types to push those rabies shots. Just like they offer antibiotics and anti-virals to people around when someone gets meningitis or enchephalitis.

Guess we've gotten soft since polio and smallpox have been wiped out here and we haven't had a flu epidemic that killed lots of healthy young people. We tend to panic. Just like we panic after an airplane crashes. The odds of getting killed in an airplane crash are very small. The odds of getting killed in an auto accident are much bigger and we think nothing of getting in a car.

Oh well, enough ranting! Rocky Raccoon is not to be trusted! Besides, the buggers are so smart. They can open cans and doors, etc to look for food and shelter. And they don't bribe easily. Feed him and Rocky will be a pest forever.

 

[Aloft02]

Re: Raccoons

I've had peaceful and mostly joyful coexistence for 15 years with the raccoons, possums, porcupines and coyotes on my property. We don't seem to have any skunks. The deer ate all my rosebushes, so I planted flowers they don't like. My old tomcat got carried away by a bald eagle, (but I prefer to think that for just a second he was thrilled at the idea of flying....)

I admit to being an animal advocate.
I even apologize to road-kill. <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/ohwell.gif ALT=":\">

I'd like to just put a little word out here on behalf of the native animals - with their habitat vanishing into subdivisions and strip malls at such a frenzied pace, those of you just moving to the countryside from the city are naturally going to encounter these critters. I hope they end up bringing you as much entertainment and enjoyment as they do my family. (BTW housecats allowed to roam freely kill more songbirds than any other single cause.)

I'm part of a community group that has agreed to leave portions of my acreage in it's natural state to provide habitat -the National Wildlife Society has a great program for those of you interested in sharing your land with the native animals. With a little planning, it can be a remarkable enhancement to your new life away from a city. If you put in a pond, for instance, make sure it's at least 3 feet deep in one spot and provide places where your fish can hide (a submerged piece of clay chimney tubing or a terracotta strawberry pot will give the fish a place to shelter against predators, including herons and kingfishers who are relentless.) Don't install a cat door because it invites other curious critters. Buy garbage cans that seal completely.

Anyway. It takes all kinds, and I guess you can see which kind I am. Thanks for reading this with an open mind to consider sharing the land rather than feeling intruded upon. The critters were, after all, here first and we're squeezing them out.

 

[Kzarah]

Skunks

Thank all of you for your advice on my problem with the wild animals. I have taken your advice and it seems to have helped. We were informed that animal control will take a critter if you catch it. Will I am not about to try to capture a skunk and then transport it in my car. We did have some stray cats, that came to our back door. We stopped leaving them dry food to eat. That seems to be keepiing the skunks away. I take my trash out once a day to a dumster that is about five house down from us. I haven't seen racoons in a number of days. Of course I would never do anything to harms little animals although, I don't care if snakes die. Little Lulu is an indoor cat and only got out the one time. If she ever tries to get out again, well let's just say she won't be skating for a while. Jo, I don't remember having racoons when I lived in Ohio.

 

[Kzarah]

Skunks

Thank all of you for your advice on my problem with the wild animals. I have taken your advice and it seems to have helped. We were informed that animal control will take a critter if you catch it. Will I am not about to try to capture a skunk and then transport it in my car. We did have some stray cats, that came to our back door. We stopped leaving them dry food to eat. That seems to be keepiing the skunks away. I take my trash out once a day to a dumster that is about five house down from us. I haven't seen racoons in a number of days. Of course I would never do anything to harms little animals although, I don't care if snakes die. Little Lulu is an indoor cat and only got out the one time. If she ever tries to get out again, well let's just say she won't be skating for a while. Jo, I don't remember having racoons when I lived in Ohio.
Daniel and Little Lulu

 

[Kzarah]

Skunks

Please excuse the double reply.
Daniel and Little Lulu