A pungent problem is making its way across Mid-Michigan, and trash might be the main cause of it.
Jon Southward, Animal Trapper and owner of Trapper Mans Trapping & Nuisance Control, trapped 67 skunks from one person's yard alone. He even removed one from underneath someone's bathtub. He told FOX 47 News this problem will only get worse if people don't start cleaning up their trash.
Trash and bird feeders are the main cause of the calls Southward has been receiving to remove skunks.
"If they smell trash that is a possibility of a food source..bird seed..They will go after bird seeds. Birds don't need it this time of year..Feed them in the winter when they actually need it," says Sothward
That was what drew so many skunks to a house where he had to remove 67 of them.
"The neighbors were feeding the birds. So the skunks would come in every night and I was catching two or three a night," said Southward,
Jon's caught close to 350 skunks in the last two years and says the population is unusually large right now.
It's a problem all over the area including in Lansing's Moores Park.
"I spend a lot of time in this park. I bring a meditation group out here every summer. It could kind of creep us out to not be able to enjoy the park because it is running rampant with skunks," said Tara Scott-Miller, a resident of Lansing.
Skunks are not aggressive, but you need to know the warning sign when one is getting ready to spray.
"They do a little dance when they get agitated..They will stomp their little feet at you. Try to avoid getting sprayed in the face because it could blind you," said Southward.
Jon gets sprayed at least three times a year. He says tomato juice isn't the only remedy to get rid of the stench.
"The best thing to do is peroxide, baking soda, and dish soap. Make it into a paste and scrub yourself down with it", said Southward.
If you have a skunk in your yard, don't try to capture it and release it somewhere else. Aside from the risk of getting sprayed, It's illegal and you could be ticketed. Your best bet is to call a trapper.
One other thing you can do to make your house less attractive to skunks is scrub your trash cans down at least three times a year.
