A hole dug in at the edge of the deck, a musky smell that hangs around that corner of the house, and something moving under there at dusk. Skunks den under decks, porches, sheds, and concrete slabs all over Dauphin County — and the fix is trapping plus sealing the way back in, in that order. We're a PA-certified Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator.
Free Estimate — Call or Text 717-379-3248Almost every skunk emergency we get called into started with a dog. Skunks spray accurately out to roughly ten to fifteen feet, and they give plenty of warning first — stamping the front feet, raising the tail — which a dog reads as an invitation. Until the animal is out, gate that section off.
Second thing: don't block the hole yet. It's the natural instinct and it's the one move that reliably makes this worse. More on that below.
You often never see the animal. What you have is a hole and a smell, and several things dig holes around here.
Hole at the edge of a structure, musky smell, dusk and dawn activity, cone-shaped divots in the lawn. Dens under decks, porches, sheds, and slabs.
Bigger hole, usually 10–12 inches, with a substantial dirt mound, and active in daylight. Often under a shed or deck as well, which is why the two get confused. See groundhog under your shed or deck.
Frequently uses a hole something else dug rather than digging its own. No musky den smell. Generally the least destructive of the three and sometimes worth simply letting move on.
Less likely to be under a deck than up in a soffit, attic, or chimney — but it happens. Torn or pried entry rather than dug. See raccoon in your attic or chimney.
The work is in two halves, and skipping the second is why skunks come back.
Removal. We set traps positioned and covered for the situation, check them on the schedule the regulations require, and handle the animal. Skunks are a rabies vector species in Pennsylvania, which limits what a licensed operator is permitted to do with a trapped one — it is genuinely not the same as relocating a squirrel. We'll walk you through exactly what state rules allow for your situation before a single trap goes out. No surprises on that.
Exclusion. Then we close it properly. For a deck or shed that normally means trenching a barrier down and out along the perimeter so nothing can simply re-dig the same entrance — skunks, groundhogs, and everything else in the neighborhood will happily reuse an existing den. Without this step you are treating a location, not solving a problem, and something will be back under there within a season or two.
Estimates are free. Cost depends on the structure, the number of entry points, and how much of the perimeter needs closing — a shed corner is a very different job from a full wraparound deck. Comparable work on our books: groundhog removal runs $250–$500 and squirrel removal with exclusion typically $400–$900 depending on entry points and number of animals.
If something has actually sprayed near the house or got your dog, tomato juice does essentially nothing. The mixture that works is hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and a little dish soap, mixed fresh and used immediately — it chemically alters the thiols rather than masking them. Don't store it in a sealed container. For a dog, keep it well away from the eyes, and call your vet if there was a direct facial hit.
All of the City of Harrisburg (17101–17104, 17109, 17110) plus Penbrook, Paxtang, Steelton, Highspire, Colonial Park, Lower Paxton, Susquehanna Township, and Linglestown. Also Hershey, Hummelstown, Mechanicsburg, Camp Hill, Palmyra, Middletown, Carlisle, and Lebanon.
A photo of the hole and roughly what time you hear activity is usually enough for us to tell you what you've got. PA-certified Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator, licensed applicator since 2005, fully insured. Serving Harrisburg and all of Dauphin, Cumberland, and Lebanon Counties.
Call or Text 717-379-3248