Hi everone,
I am a ADC trapper here in Maine. I was contacted to do a skunk trapping job, that turned into trenching work as well. I started this job back in March and when to check on the job today and they are still smelling skunk under the building... OK 1. there are no holes anyplace around the exterior of the building. 2. the trenching work that I did on the one side of the building that was a problem has no sign of diging. 3. in the trapping side of the job I trapped three skunks, and left traps set after the trenching to trap any others that might come to use this location. no other trapped in 3 weeks time. 4.I did install a one way spring loaded door in my trenching screen to allow any that might be under the building to escape. The door is spring loaded and shows no sign of tampering or scraching. The customer stated that they have had issues with skunks for years now and that they had a large dead one removed 2 years ago, so they know the smell of dead skunk and have not smelt this todate. The building has a 8 inch high crawl apce so I dont have any real access under it other then the hole that they cut in the floor to remove the dead skunk. So I guess what Im really asking is could the smell be residuale from years of use? Im more of a Bat , Flying Squirrle guy and have not had enough experiance with an issue like this. ANY HELP would be great. Thanks NATE

You apparently have a dead one and the scent glands are rotting too. You are not the Lone Ranger. I have one that makes your eyes water and I can't do a thing until the mud-jackers show. This is the one and only case where moth balls can help; providing you can get them on top of the carcass.

Looks like I will be playing tunnel rat and digging may way around till I find it. Im glad the customer said money is not a problem! Thanks Paul for the input NATE

i had a cottage last year that had the same thing... my partner and I had to jack-hammer through the foundation to get into the spot we thought the dead skunk was. once in there.. we had to dig our way through there and never found the skunk... found some bits of hair.. but no body. most frustrating job ive ever dealt with ya. you could hardly stand to go through the house it smelled so bad. it was a rental place on a lake and this poor lady couldnt rent it out smelling that bad. I tried 3 fogger treatment in there and still couldnt knock the smell out. it was an old building built back in the 30's. they had skunk troubles for years there. im sure that smell had permeated the wood and have no idea how to get it out of that rotted wood. she needed to bull doze the whole place and rebuilt it... AFTER the soil had been removed. What a pain that place was.

Hey Wiggler, Thats what I was thinking about the smell that it has been there for so long that its in the wood and walls. I having a Phone chat with the bulding owner this week and will have to go from there. The part of the building that smells the worst is floor joists sitting on a cement slab so im not shure what will happen now. Thanks agian NATE

If there's flys then there a dead one , if the smell gets strong after a rain then it's just where one has sprayed , could be where you shot one , white vinager will kill the Oder if you can get it on the sprayed area also works good on trappers who get down wind of a spraying skunk . Some pans of white vinager place in the shed should help some , This trench thing you dug should be on a L shape ,if you just went straight down you have just wasted your time and should be ready to redo it . I put all of mine 6" down and 18" out and also offer a 5 year warranty and have never had to go back , 24" of hardware cloth laid right on top the ground will also work and stop every skunk possum coon ect, this is how they build pheasant flight pens these days and this works better than any trench straight Down . . Gallons of white vinager are cheap soak it down

Hey peskeycritter, I use 4 foot hard wear cloth 1 foot down and two out . Plus the foot behing the side skirting. I only trapped skunks under the house , didn't shot any and can't under a residense. I belive the smell is just from years of use by skunks under there and in contact with owner about removing flooring to get at the problem area !! But thanks Nate

Nice that's the way plus the right answer on a wildlife control certification test which I some how past

Now there's some good information. Michigan does not grade spelling!

No you just check the box ,good thing I can atleast read