Skunks are small furry animals from the weasel family. They come in beautiful black and white patterns and stripes. They are commonly found in North America. Although these animals are very playful and fun to watch, they do have a bad side. When they feel threatened or frightened, skunks tend to spray their assailants with a foul smelling liquid that they produce and store in glands underneath their tail.
Anyone who has been sprayed by a skunk can attest to the fact that this spray is foul smelling and very difficult to get off. Due to centuries of adaptation, skunks have mastered precision and how to target a predator. Their spray almost never misses the target and they can shoot the liquid as far as 8 to 10 feet from where they stand. The spray was, however, not used as an offensive attack on the predator. Rather, it is much more of a warning for the predator not to come close.
The first thing a skunk will do if you approach it is try to run away. The spray will likely be used as a last resort. Before spraying, the skunks will likely growl, erecting their tails and hissing at the assailant before finally resorting to spraying. Most times, pets such as dogs get sprayed because they do not know when to back away from the skunk.
How many times can a skunk spray you before they run out?
Although the spray from skunks may seem abundant, eventually, they run out. However, before they do, you are likely to get sprayed as they can spray continuously up to 6 times. After this, they run out of spray and need about 10 days to replenish the reserve. Skunks are aware of this, so they hardly spray unless there is a need for it. The odor from the spray is very putrid and difficult to remove.
The composition of skunk spray makes it very disgusting to the human sense of smell. It contains a sulfur-based organic compound known as thiols. These compounds give off the rotten egg smell you perceive when a skunk sprays. The spray also contains thioacetates, a compound that is dormant until it comes into contact with humidity or water. The thioacetate compound gives the skunk spray its staying power. It is the reason why a place will continue to smell putrid for days or even months after being sprayed if not properly cleaned. Together, these two active compounds help the skunk to fend off threats. However, this spray is not only putrid to the nose, which is highly sensitive to skunk smell, but can also be very painful if it gets into the eyes. Often causing temporary blindness for about 15 minutes.
How do you get the spray out?
If you or your pet has been sprayed by a skunk, the next thing on your mind will be how to remove the liquid along with the offensive odor from your body and that of your pet. Luckily, there are several home remedies that may help remove skunk spray and its associated odor from the body or environment.
From your body
Wash your body with grease removing dish cleaner or a deodorant soap. You can use an oil remover shampoo to wash your hair. The trick is to get as much of the oil out, so generally any product that works to remove oils will do just fine. Soaking in baking soda is also effective in removing the spray and odor from the body. If you get it in your eyes, rinse the eyes with lots of water and see an optician.
From the pet
Mix 1 tablespoon of grease cutting dish detergent with a quart of hydrogen peroxide and one quarter cup of baking soda and lather the pet with it. Let it sit for about 5 minutes before rinsing it off.
Go back to the Butler County wildlife removal home page.