HELP Skunk Odor!!!

[Woodwerker]

Three nights ago I was awoke at 3:30 AM to the odor of Skunk in the house .
This happened a few months ago but was not so bad, I thought that it sprayed outside and would go away. It was thick all day long but dissapeared by 8:00 the next night. Last night the same thing, not so bad but still strong. I have a 1000 sqr foot deck and on it we have a three season sun room. The Odor is coming from there, I think there is a skunk shack under my deck.
HELP PLEASE

[Ed62]

Oh, you poor people! Don't know how to get rid of them without professional help, but I remember seeing somewhere that rubbing tomato juice on the affected area will help neutralize the odor. Good luck getting rid of them.

Ed

[parnelli]

I think there is a skunk shack under my deck.
HELP PLEASE

We used to have skunks living underneath the precast concrete front steps. We'd fill in their access hole and they'd dig another. Finally threw some moth balls in under there and they moved out.

So traded skunk smell for moth balls...but at least they were gone.

[TheRic]

Can't really tell you how to get rid of them. I do know that if you catch one in a trap, it's mate will bring it food to keep it alive.

I do believe skunk smell is an oil based. That is why you can't easily wash it off with water. The way I understand it the tomato juice trick works because of the acid in the tomato juice, wouldn't be surprised the acid in pop, and other similar things would do the same thing.

[Richard in Smithville]

Can't help you get rid of the buggers but I do know that washing the area with Sunlight dish washing liquid will reduce the smell. Always works on my inlaws dog who has trouble learning.

[MilDoc]

Actually tomato juice doe not effectively neutralize skunk odor. Masks it. To neutralize it mix 1 quart 3% hydrogen peroxide (must be fresh), 1/4 cup baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), and 1 or 2 teaspoons liquid dish washing soap. Have to use the mix immediately, and remember that peroxide can bleach fabrics etc. And don't try to store it in a closed container or the oxygen released will explode it. It's the oxygen that neutralizes the odor.

You can find lots of references to this chemist-invented mix on Google. Buddy of mine and I used it on skunk spray at his lake place. Worked great. Even after the tomato juice failed.

Here's one that also gives list of skunk trappers:

http://www.aaanimalcontrol.com/skunksmellremovalrid.htm

[Mrs. Wallnut]

Last year while I was pregnant with our third child our dogs got sprayed. The puppy more than the older dog but needless to say it was terrible and they brought that smell into the house in the laundry room where there is carpeting.

I went to our local livestock type store, (we live in a farming/ranching community) and asked them what they recommended and told them that I didn't want any harsh chemicals because I was pregnant and didn't want to have anything to do with that for fear of some reaction to it or is causing problems. They recommended a bottle of "Skunk Off" it was something that you could put on your animals leave in for a while then rinse it off and then from reading the directions could also be used on furniture and other things that soak up the smell of a skunk.

So put some in a spray bottle and sprayed down the dogs and the laundry room. It worked after a few hours. The bottle said it had some kind of "enzymes" in it that worked to neutrilize the odor of skunks. Some thing like that might also work for you. Although MilDocs solution sounds like it would work also.

I know how you feel about the smell though. The other night we had a skunk around the house again and at least the older dog didn't get it and we now have the younger dog on a dog run so he didn't find the dang thing.

[rja]

I have heard that if you push a trouble light under your deck and leave it on 24/7, the skunks will leave because they do not like the light. I had a circumstance like yours when I lived in New Mexico. A skunk crawled under our deck and then died. Only one thing smells worse than a skunk - a dead skunk!

[gabedad]

The peroxide baking soda solution does work - My dog used to get skunked each year. Many may say it does not work but I have had good luck with mothballs underneath my old shed. It definitely got rid of them and kept them away

[sacherjj]

You can also kill the smell with an air purifier that uses Ozone or RCI technology. EcoQuest is a reputable make of these. As stated above, the extra oxygen atom that is part of the Ozone will leave and oxidize the chemicals causing the smell. We used on of their units to clean out a truck that got really sprayed bad.

[TomBar]

I had a problem before with a skunk taking up residence under my porch. You can use a hav-a-heart trap to catch it and either release it far away from home or drown it. I have also heard that if you put a light and radio in the area that the skunk will leave because they don't like the light and noise.

Good Luck !

[Pappy]

Live trap them with the trap in a large black plastic leaf bag. Carefully check in side the bag to make sure it isn't someones pet.

Run a flex hose from your tail pipe to the bag and let the engine ide for about 15 minutes. 'Pepe' will drift off into a permanent nap and never think of spraying the bag.