How do I keep skunks away from my bird feeder?

The short answer

• Skunks eat the seed on the ground. UC IPM's skunk advice names spilled seed from bird feeders as something to remove frequently. Rake the drop zone before dark, not in the morning, because the skunk arrives after dusk.
• The striped skunk, the one most people have, cannot climb trees the way the eastern spotted skunk can, so the hanging feeder is rarely the target. Pole hardware matters only where spotted skunks live, and they are protected in several states.
• Cone-shaped holes 3 to 4 in across in the lawn are a skunk digging for grubs, not for seed. Fixing the feeder will not stop them.
• Do not seal a den under a deck or porch from early May to mid-August, when Connecticut's wildlife agency says young may be trapped inside. Close it with a one-way door once the family is out at night.
• Trapping and moving a skunk is illegal or restricted in Texas, Connecticut, Ohio, Illinois, Pennsylvania and California. Most rules leave release on the same property or euthanasia, so prevention is the only practical fix.

Take the food off the ground before dark and the skunk has no reason to stay. A striped skunk is a ground animal: it digs, it does not climb trees, and what it eats at a feeder is the seed that birds knocked onto the grass during the day. UC IPM's skunk guidance says it directly: "spilled seed from bird feeders should be removed frequently." So rake the drop zone in the evening, lock up the seed bag, and close off the deck or crawl space the skunk sleeps under. Trapping it and driving it out of town is the fix most people reach for, and in a long list of states it is not legal.

Two answers circulate. One says skunks raid feeders, so buy squirrel-proof hardware. The other says a skunk is harmless, so live with it. The first is wrong about the animal: the Mississippi State University Extension notes that the striped skunk cannot climb trees the way the eastern spotted skunk does, so a baffle does little against it. The second ignores what a fed skunk does next. It moves in under the porch. Missouri Extension calls skunks "highly susceptible to rabies," and the CDC lists them with bats, raccoons and foxes as the wild animals that most often carry it.

Which skunk is under your feeder#

ICWDM lists four North American skunks. Only two matter at most feeders.

Virginia's wildlife agency puts it plainly: "Spotted skunks are the only skunks known to climb trees!" Mississippi State describes the spotted skunk as squirrel-sized and acrobatic, and the striped skunk as cat-sized, docile and slow. If the animal you saw was big, slow and broadly striped, it is eating from the ground. If it was small, spotted and climbing, baffle the pole as you would for a squirrel, checking the height with the baffle calculator, and read the legal section below before you touch it.

The ground before dark#

Skunks are night feeders. Missouri Extension says they are active "from sunset to slightly after sunrise." Most people rake under the feeder in the morning, which clears what the skunk already missed. The seed that feeds it falls during the day, while the birds are working the feeder. Move the cleanup to the last hour of light and the skunk arrives to bare ground.

Then cut how much falls in the first place:

Prices are 2026 United States big-bag benchmarks used as defaults in our seed cost calculator. Swap in your own and the ranking can change; the edible fraction and energy columns will not.

1. Feed a seed with no hull. Sunflower hearts leave almost nothing on the grass. In-shell seed sends kernels down with the hulls.
2. Drop the grain. Birds flick milo, wheat and cracked corn out of a cheap birdseed mix, and every flicked kernel lands where a skunk forages.
3. Fit a catch tray on the pole. It holds the spill off the ground, as long as it hangs well above skunk height and you empty it before dark.
4. Pause ground feeding. A ground feeder or a low platform tray is a skunk feeder after sunset. Put out only what the juncos and doves finish by mid-afternoon, or take it in.

The full routine for the drop zone, and how much seed builds up under one feeder, is in seed waste and mess.

Holes in the lawn are not the feeder's fault#

Small craters near the feeder look like seed digging. Connecticut's wildlife agency describes skunk digging as "cone-shaped, divet-like holes, three to four inches in diameter," made while searching for insect larvae and grubs. Missouri Extension gives the same 3 to 4 in figure and lists grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, wasps and cutworms among the favorite foods.

So there are two separate draws: seed pulls a skunk to one spot, grubs pull it across the whole lawn. If the holes are spread across the yard rather than clustered in the drop zone, the feeder is not the main reason the skunk is there.

The bag, the bowl and the trash#

Humane World for Animals tells homeowners to keep "bags of birdseed" in tightly sealed containers, along with garbage and pet food left out at night. A paper sack in an open garage is a second feeder you never see. Use a lidded metal can, as set out in storing birdseed. Feed pets indoors and close the trash and compost, the same steps that start the fix for raccoons.

The den under the deck#

A skunk that eats in your yard every night usually sleeps close by. The New York Department of Environmental Conservation notes that damaged foundations and the spaces under porches suit skunks looking for a winter den. Missouri Extension adds that several skunks may share a den in winter.

Timing decides whether closing that den is humane. UC IPM gives a striped skunk breeding season of February and March and a gestation of about nine weeks. Missouri Extension says the young are born in May or June. Connecticut's agency warns that "sealing burrows from early May to mid-August may leave young skunks trapped inside."

1. Test whether it is in use. Humane World's method: fill the hole loosely with soil, leaves, straw or crumpled paper. If it is undisturbed for two or three nights, the den is empty.
2. If it is in use, fit a one-way door. UC IPM describes a flap of 1/2 in mesh hardware cloth hinged at the top, so a skunk can push out but not back in. Outside the May to mid-August window, Connecticut says to leave one opening until the skunks leave to feed in the evening. Inside that window, Humane World says to wait until the young follow their mother out to forage, then leave the door for two or three nights to a week.
3. Close it properly. The three sources disagree on depth, and the disagreement matters.

Missouri's specification meets the other two, so build to it. A skunk has "short, stocky legs and proportionately large feet equipped with well-developed claws," in ICWDM's words, and a shallow skirt is the first thing it tests.

What the law allows#

Skunks are a rabies vector species, so most states treat a trapped one differently from a trapped squirrel. The rules below are the ones we could read at the source.

ICWDM's summary: striped skunks are not protected in most states, and spotted skunks are fully protected in some. The humane-sounding option, catch it and let it go somewhere wild, is the one these rules close. What remains is release where you caught it, which undoes the work, or euthanasia. None of the fixes on this page need a trap.

Pennsylvania adds two practical rules for landowners: contact the Game Commission region office before trapping, and check traps daily once they are set.

When to call the agency#

UC IPM says skunks can be active in the daytime, especially around people, and Missouri Extension says males move by day in the breeding season. A skunk at your feeder at noon is not rabid for that reason alone. Connecticut lists the signs that are: "unprovoked aggression, impaired movement, paralysis or lack of coordination, unusually friendly behavior and disorientation." Keep pets and children away and call your animal control office or state wildlife agency.

Where this page stops#

• The dusk rule helps less than with raccoons. Taking feeders in at night stops climbers, but a skunk was never at the feeder. Use it for the overnight raiders that climb, and clean ground for this one.
• Nest boxes. Virginia's agency lists bird eggs in the spotted skunk's diet. If yours climbs, it is also a risk to your boxes during nesting season.
• Other ground foragers. The same spill feeds chipmunks by day, and wild turkeys in the morning.
• Spotted skunk country. A climbing animal changes the hardware. The baffle rules built for a squirrel are where to start, though no source we read gives a spotted skunk's climbing or jumping limits.
• Canada was not checked. The rules above are US state rules only.

For the next symptom in the yard, the problems section matches each one to its cause.

Frequently asked questions#

Do skunks eat bird seed?

Yes, from the ground. UC IPM lists spilled seed from bird feeders among the food sources to remove when skunks are a problem, and Humane World for Animals tells homeowners to keep bags of birdseed in tightly sealed containers. A striped skunk does not climb trees, so it eats what birds knock out of the feeder rather than climbing to the ports. The fix is clean ground and a lidded can for the bag.

Can I trap a skunk and release it somewhere else?

In many states, no. Connecticut says skunks can no longer be live-trapped and relocated. Ohio requires a trapped nuisance skunk to be euthanized or released on site. Wildlife Illinois says striped skunks must be euthanized. Texas makes transporting a live skunk a Class C misdemeanor, and California needs written permission to relocate wildlife. Pennsylvania says rabies vector species should not be relocated. Check your state agency before setting any trap.

Is a skunk out in the daytime rabid?

Not by that alone. UC IPM says skunks can be active in the daytime, particularly in human-use areas, and Missouri Extension says males become active by day during the breeding season. What matters is behavior. Connecticut's wildlife agency lists unprovoked aggression, impaired movement, paralysis or lack of coordination, unusually friendly behavior and disorientation as warning signs. A skunk showing those should be reported to your animal control or wildlife agency, not approached.

Do repellents keep skunks away from a bird feeder?

Do not count on them. Missouri Extension says there are no chemical repellents or toxicants registered for controlling skunks, and UC IPM says the few commercial products available are not very effective. Humane World for Animals suggests capsaicin or castor oil repellents and used kitty litter at a den entrance to encourage a skunk to move, which is a different job from protecting a feed area. Clean ground works on every skunk.

How do I get skunk smell off my dog?

UC IPM and Humane World for Animals give the same mix: 1 quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide, 1/4 cup of baking soda and 1 teaspoon of liquid soap. Mix it just before use, wear rubber gloves, keep it out of the eyes, and rinse well. Humane World warns never to store it or make it ahead, because the mixture could explode in a closed container.

Sources and further reading

1. Skunks (Pest Notes, Publication 74118) University of California Statewide IPM Program Remove spilled seed from bird feeders; diet; dawn, dusk and night activity with daytime activity in human-use areas; February and March breeding, about 9 weeks gestation, 4 to 6 kits; 1/4 in hardware cloth buried at least 6 in; repellents not very effective; relocation needs written permission in California; odor recipe
2. Managing Skunk Problems in Missouri (G9454) University of Missouri Extension Nocturnal, males active by day in breeding season; insect diet; young born May or June; 3 to 4 in cone-shaped diggings; 1/4 or 1/2 in mesh buried 12 to 18 in with a 6 in L; no registered repellents; should not be released; spotted skunk protected
3. Problems With Skunks Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Lawn holes 3 to 4 in; fencing buried at least 1 ft; do not seal burrows early May to mid-August; one opening left until skunks leave to feed; no live-trapping and relocation; rabies signs
4. Skunks Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management Striped skunk up to 29 in and about 8 lb, spotted up to 21 in and about 2.2 lb; striped not protected in most states, spotted fully protected in some
5. What to do about skunks Humane World for Animals Seal bags of birdseed; den test with loose fill for two or three nights; one-way doors once young follow the mother; odor recipe and storage warning
6. Striped skunk vs. eastern spotted skunk Mississippi State University Extension Striped skunk cat-sized, docile and slow; spotted skunk squirrel-sized, acrobatic and able to climb trees
7. Eastern Spotted Skunk Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources 9 to 13.5 in, males 1 to 2.2 lb, females 0.8 to 1.2 lb; only skunk known to climb trees; illegal to trap or shoot unless causing damage
8. Plains Spotted Skunk Missouri Department of Conservation Listed as endangered in Missouri; harvest closed
9. Striped Skunk New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Protected under the Environmental Conservation Law since the late 1800s with a limited harvest season; dens under porches and damaged foundations
10. Transport of Rabies High-Risk Animals Texas Department of State Health Services Transporting live skunks prohibited, Class C misdemeanor; exemptions and the 10 mile, same county release rule
11. Rule 1501:31-15-03, Nuisance wild animal control Ohio Administrative Code Nuisance skunks must be euthanized or released on site; effective 1 January 2024
12. Frequently Asked Questions Wildlife Illinois By Illinois law striped skunks must be euthanized; remove spilled bird seed
13. Nuisance Wildlife Pennsylvania Game Commission Skunks are rabies vector species and should not be relocated; dispatch or release; report kills; contact region office; check traps daily
14. About Rabies Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Bats, raccoons, skunks and foxes as the main wildlife carriers