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  • From: "Jim Fruth" <jfruth@tds.net>
  • To: "NAFEX" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [NAFEX] War on Skunks
  • Date: Mon, 30 Jun 2008 08:16:45 -0500

Pet food had been disappearing overnight for several weeks so I decided to put a live trap out to see who my nocturnal visitors were. The trap was sprung several times before I caught a (young) skunk - now they won't go near the live trap or the bait (dog food) that we used. Once we saw momma skunk scurrying out of the yard (under a gate).
I put sills under all of the gates and now they are burrowing under the woven wire fence. When I plug one hole, they burrow another. I can't put sills under 1,000+ feet of fence. I baited them with Decon Rat Poison mixed in jelly and they ate the jelly leaving the Decon pellets.
The skunks don't seem to be doing any damage but the thought of accidentally running into one gives me the creeps. I have water set out for the honeybees (I have three hives) but the water bowls are atop 5-gallon pails; can skunks reach that high? Could they be in the orchard because of being able to get a regular drink? Otherwise, the worst damage they have done (besides the under-the-fence-holes) is tiny holes as though they dug up an acorn that some squirrel might have hidden. The strawberries will be ripe soon and I wonder if they will eat them. What would you do in this situation?

Jim Fruth
Brambleberry Farm
Pequot Lakes, MN 56472
For jams, jellies & syrups:
www.bberryfarm.com
(877)265-6856 [Store]
(218)831-7018 [My Cell]




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