Skunks have adjusted very well (some would say too well) to urban life. To make your property less hospitable, follow these guidelines, which are discussed in detail later on:
Fence skunks out of the garden and skunkproof the home.
Trap skunks that won’t leave peaceably.
Be careful to avoid being bitten or sprayed. Warn children to stay away from “tame” skunks, which may carry rabies or other diseases.
Skunk’s Feeding Habits
Skunks feed mostly at night, from dusk to dawn, preferably in brushy areas, along fencerows, and along streams. The hog-nosed skunk is nicknamed the rooter skunk because it spends a lot of its time snuffling in the dirt for insect larvae and other subterranean treats.
Dietary proportions will vary depending on a skunk's location and the time of year. During warmer weather they eat mostly insects; they will also snap up an occasional frog, toad, shrew, gopher, or lizard, as well as carrion and eggs of ground-nesting birds. In the fall and winter they eat fleshy fruit such as grape, blueberry, nightshade, ground cherry, persimmon, hawthorn, and hackberry, other plant food such as nuts, twigs and buds, and small animals such as mice and voles.