The stench is nauseating. My eyes won’t stop tearing. Each breath is painfully permeated with noxious odor. Even with the windows tightly shut, the foul smell permeates our house. This is the third night in a row that a skunk has bombed our yard.

Unlike Flower, the skunk in Disney’s Bambi, real skunks don’t exactly have a delicate perfume. As anyone knows who has driven through skunk territory, the malodorous odor permeates a wide area and lingers an unconscionably long time. Skunks seek out comfy accommodations, using their sharp talons to dig under porches, decks and backyard sheds, undermining foundations in search of a cozy shelter.

They’ll munch on your plants, plunder your garden, dig up your lawn searching for grubs, snack on pet food left out for the dog or cat, even sample the garbage. They can douse you or your pet with their penetrating spray from a distance of 7 to 10 feet, quite a feat for a critter the size of a large house cat. Their dens harbor disease, breeding fleas, ticks and mites which can threaten the health and safety of your household pets and even your children.

I can tell you from personal experience that no amount of tomato juice or douche will completely eliminate skunk odor on a dog — and after you wash your pet, on you. Skunk odor clings to skin and hair and fur for long, suffering weeks, no matter how many times you shower. Having barely survived a skunk bombing two years ago, our poor old pooch is confined to a short leash on well-supervised walks until we can locate and roust the skunk from our yard. No more romps around the backyard for awhile, a disappointment for both Rascal and our children.

Getting rid of a skunk is no job for amateurs. If someone’s going to wind up on the wrong end of an angry skunk, you want it to be a professional, paid to take the hit! That’s what we’re here for. If you have a skunk problem, call the wildlife control experts at Stern Environmental Group. To find out more about our superior wildlife control services, click the post title. Visit our website for more information about our complete professional pest control and pest management services. You’ll sleep well tonight when you get “Stern” with your pests.