So, you have been having an issue with a skunk around your home. It comes around at night looking around your garbage cans, trying to get into your garden, or looking for the dogs bowl, but eventually you see that it is gone. You want to just believe that it is gone, but you want to play it safe. So how do you check to find if a skunk has died on your property somewhere?
When many other kinds of animals die it can be hard to locate them at first. There are not any telltale signs that appear right off, except that eventually the rotting carcass will stink. It may not be until that begins that you even know that you have a dead squirrel, rat, or raccoon on your property. That is not the case with the skunk at all.
When a skunk dies it has one last hurrah of sorts. The anal glands that hold the spray that it uses to defend itself relax when it dies and the spray is just released. As bad as this smells when it is sprayed, it is even stronger when the animal just dies. This makes it quite easy to know that a skunk has died. All you have to do is find the scent.
Once you have found the dead animal, the next step is disposal. You never want to touch or be around this animal without protection. Skunks carry a lot of diseases and parasites, and just because the skunk is dead do not mean that these parasites are. You will need to protect yourself from the risk of getting one of these parasites or viruses.
This starts with wearing sturdy gloves. You are not going to handle the animal directly, but you need to wear gloves anyway. You should wear a surgical mask, goggles, and cover as much of your exposed skin as possible, including wearing a hat.
When getting the skunk you want to use something like a shovel to pick it up. The further you can keep it away from you the better. Lift with the shovel and put it into a garbage bag. Seal the bag closed, and then at least double bag it. Triple bag it if you can and tie it tightly on each bag.
Throw the skunk away in a container that can close tightly. After the skunk is taken away, make sure to clean the can thoroughly. To be safe, use ammonia to clean it out one time, rinse it out thoroughly, and then clean it with bleach. This should kill off any germs or parasites that may be lingering, and keep you and your family safe. Wash the clothes you wore thoroughly, and soak your shovel in bleach.
Read more:
Skunk Control,
how to kill skunks.
