Most skunks are able to climb up wire mesh, boards, and fences. However, the striped skunk is not a good tree climber (thanks to its long nails) although it can climb boards, wire mesh, and fences. The spotted skunk, on the other hand, is an excellent climber, able to climb down a tree headfirst with ease.
Can Skunks Jump or Climb? Yes, Skunks can both climb and jump over fences and may even hop on trees and jump into properties through the branches of such trees.
Skunks are typically silent but may churr and make grunting sounds when eating. They are able to snarl, growl, squeal and tweet like a bird.
April marks the beginning of their moulting. The underfur is not replaced until early fall, although the guard hair is replaced by June.
You’ll hardly see a skunk during the day since they’re mostly night creatures.
Table of Contents
How High Can Skunks Climb?
Skunks can climb and pull their way up and over a fence that is up to 6 feet high or less than 18 inches in height.
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Can Skunks Climb
Skunks hardly climb into attics through the roof; If you ever find one there, it most likely did so while looking for what to eat inside of your home.
Yes, skunks can climb chain link fences with relative ease and gain access to your yard.
Of course, they can. Most times, skunks will climb short fences and use tree branches to gain entry into roofs or yards.
Skunks can walk silently like cats into your yard. So, if you feed your pet food outdoors, so place the food on a table or other elevated surface far from the wall or trees.
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Skunks can’t climb and jump like cats can — or bring it indoors as soon as kitty has finished eating.
A skunk’s sharp claws let it climb and dig its way into materials such as a wooden fence, chain-link fence etc. Any skunk can climb them with relative ease.
Skunks can climb and will usually move around trees. Other than climbing trees, skunks are also able to climb short walls and fences too.
Yes! Skunks can climb wire mesh, chain-link fences, boards, and other fences out there.
A skunk can easily climb a short stair with no difficulty at all.
Yes, a skunk can gain entry into your home by using nearby objects such as a fence or a tree.
A skunk’s claw is a very sharp and powerful tool, and yes, they’re able to climb any material, including woods.
Skunks are able to climb chicken wire, but they probably won’t climb a chicken wire unless there is food on the other side or if they’re trying to escape a perceived threat.
Can Skunks Squeeze Through Wires?
A skunk will be able to squeeze through wires if the hole is large enough for it to do so. However, they would almost always prefer to climb the wire fence instead.
How do You Keep Skunks Out Of Your Yard?
Use Smells: Mothballs, predator urine (coyote, wolf, dog etc.), ammonia, and citrus are smells that deter skunks. Remember to keep children and pets far away from mothballs or ammonia-soaked cotton balls if you ever want to go down that route.
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High Fence: Install or build a fence that’s higher than 6 feet.
Use Motion-Activated Floodlight: This switches on if it detects skunk movements. Since skunks are night animals and enjoy the safety of the dark, they will stay away from very bright lights that hurt their eyes.
Use Motion-activated sprinkler: You can use one that sprays skunks with water if they come near your fence.
Use Solar-Powered red-eye Lights: Using one of these makes the skunks think a predator’s eyes are watching it and it will stay the heck away from your home.
Put smooth sheet metal along the bottom of your fence: What this does is prevent even the most dedicated diggers from gaining entry into your home. The metal sheets should be 1-2 feet high.
Trim Trees: Yes! You heard me, right. You need to trim those tree branches that are near to your fence or that run over your fence.
Avoid keeping Objects near to or against your fence: These stop skunks from climbing onto these objects and using them to gain entry over your fence.
Try electric fencing: Install electric fencing along the top of your fence. It should have enough power to shock skunks a bit if they attempt to climb over it.
Give Treated hardwood a trial: You should use treated hardwood for wooden fences, to stop skunks from chewing their way through the fence.
Install a Fence: You should try installing a fence that’s made from a smooth material, such as PVC privacy fencing or concrete sleepers.
Close off any Hole or Gaps in the home: You should make sure that any gaps or hole in the fence or in your home is closed with wood, sheet metal or concrete.
Other Tips
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Have your fence extend at least 3 feet underground, so skunks are unable to dig their way under it.
You can dig a one-by-one foot trench along the perimeter of your fence. Secure poultry netting or wire mesh in the hole, along the fence side and the bottom of the trench. Fill the trench with dirt.
Put concrete paving around the border of your fence, to stop skunks from burrowing under it and getting in.
Why do skunks climb fences?
Skunks are nocturnal animals and will usually climb into your homes and yard in search of shelter and food.
Skunks love to feed on the following garden pests: grasshoppers, voles, mice, yellowjacket wasp nests, spiders, weevils, slugs, cutworms, lawn grubs, hornworms, and Japanese beetles.
In other words, skunks are natural pest control in your backyard. Once a skunk visits your yard and finds these tasty treats; they’d return for more.
Skunks are able to make holes in the lawn when digging up these slugs and grubs. The holes usually measure 2 inches wide and 4 inches deep.
Skunks also like too much on veggies, fruits, leaves, grass, and plants such as tomato plants. So, your garden might not be safe from attacks from skunks.
Sometimes, skunks move into a property or house, to create nests and have little skunk babies under the deck or porch, in the basement, in the shed, or in crawl spaces. If you sight a skunk in your yard in early summer or in spring, from May to July, the skunk might have babies on your property and should not be removed.
Holes in the lawn and skunk nests are some of the reasons why people want to stop skunks from climbing the fence.
With over 5+ years of experience in pest control and a PhD in Entomology, our author brings a blend of scientific knowledge and practical expertise to Pestifier.com. Passionate about creating pest-free environments, they provide effective tips and strategies for managing and preventing pest infestations. Connect on Facebook for the latest updates and insights.