erosion caused by skunk - Ask Extension
A skunk moved to our neighbor's property when they fed the squirrels. It has focused its digging in our yard in a way I've never seen in the 20 years ...
Knowledgebase
erosion caused by skunk #891630
Asked January 16, 2025, 1:28 AM EST
A skunk moved to our neighbor's property when they fed the squirrels. It has focused its digging in our yard in a way I've never seen in the 20 years I've lived at this property. I gave the neighbors the ODFW website url to read about impacts of feeding wildlife, and they said they hadn't realized it was harmful to the animals, but they're still going to feed them. My biggest concern is how concentrated the digging is on the slope between our yards. I don't even know where to begin to mitigate the problem, but it looks like a serious concern in light of how much dirt is now missing. I trapped the first skunk because it wouldn't leave the house vents alone and partially detached one. The trapper (ODWF recommended) said more would just replace it and he was right. (Plus, I now have to clean 2 different skunk latrines on a regular basis - argh!!!) Still - erosion is the biggest concern and anything new I plant just gets dug back up. Any ideas? Resources? Type of person I should contact for help?
Marion County Oregon
Expert Response
First, I don't think that skunks initiated use of your neighborhood just due to the neighbor's bird feeding. Will the skunks and everything else (non-native rats, deer, bear, turkey, etc., etc., etc.) USE and habituate to visiting that added resource? ABSOLUTELY!
Thank you for including excellent photos! Your concern about the subsidence (and burrows) is understandable. I'm still left wondering whether the skunks are the ones 1)digging the burrow (?) entrances and 2) whether the digging is causing the subsidence or whether potentially moisture is = subsidence, softer dirt, and high relative availability of grubs/other foods that might attract excavators. I don't doubt that you're being visited by skunks, but we might also need you to consult a landscaper/landscape engineer about stabilizing that slope aside from us working to exclude the critters.
Steps I'd recommend: Borrow a game camera and catch the burrow-diggers in the act to verify species ID. If skunks, a cheaper/easier (at least seasonally) deterrent could be a motion-detecting water "scarecrow." Not so great during freezing temps when you wouldn't want a hose hooked up, however. More effort to totally exclude, but long-term effectiveness could be secured with a welded wire fence, at least 3' high above ground and extending at least 6-12' below ground to avoid under-digging.
Thank you for including excellent photos! Your concern about the subsidence (and burrows) is understandable. I'm still left wondering whether the skunks are the ones 1)digging the burrow (?) entrances and 2) whether the digging is causing the subsidence or whether potentially moisture is = subsidence, softer dirt, and high relative availability of grubs/other foods that might attract excavators. I don't doubt that you're being visited by skunks, but we might also need you to consult a landscaper/landscape engineer about stabilizing that slope aside from us working to exclude the critters.
Steps I'd recommend: Borrow a game camera and catch the burrow-diggers in the act to verify species ID. If skunks, a cheaper/easier (at least seasonally) deterrent could be a motion-detecting water "scarecrow." Not so great during freezing temps when you wouldn't want a hose hooked up, however. More effort to totally exclude, but long-term effectiveness could be secured with a welded wire fence, at least 3' high above ground and extending at least 6-12' below ground to avoid under-digging.
