climbing striped skunk??

I'm working a job now where a family has an abundance of dried skunk feces in their crawl space. It is apparent that they are/were coming in under the hvac unit and through an opening between the block wall and duct work. This space is approximately 3.5 feet from the crawl space floor. I have sealed up the entrances under the hvac unit, cleaned up the feces and set two baited traps. That was three days ago and there has been no new activity; ie, no traps triggered, no new feces and the exclusion materials have not been tampered with. My question is how high could these guys climb up a cinder block wall?

Thanks in advance from the knowledge base.

Not good climbers without steps to assist them. They aren't like a coon.

They won't be able to climb the cinder block wall but if they have other things to grab onto they will. They can jump up about 3 feet though. I've delt with a situation before in a crawl space. I left the crawl space door open and leaned a 2x4 from the opening to the bottom of the crawl space. Skunk climbed right up the 2x4 and was in the trap the next morning. The crawl space door was in a bed room that was being remodeled. So I just kept the door shut to the bedroom so the skunk couldn't get to other areas of the house. All outside entrances were sealed off so only one way out.

thanks

thanks

Are your traps inside or outside?

I’d say they aren’t in there anymore. Check all foundation vents of course. Actually push the screen to check that it doesn’t open and close by itself while looking in tact.

Also find the crawlspace drain if there is one.

I have seen them get stuck in the crawlspace after jumping down but most cases it is over three feet that they can’t find their way out.

If the traps are outside, I’d give it about two weeks as the skunks cycle through their hotel stays. If all the holes are closed then your job is done. Sometimes people are upset when nothing is caught but if the animals are gone and they can’t get back in then your job is done.

good ideas. Thanks

You have spotted skunks in TN? They can climb like crazy.

We have striped skunks here. I do not think we have the spotted variety. I have never seen any.