Skunk Rehabber - Project Wildlife: (619) 225-9453

Free San Diego County Animal Services: (619) 236-4250

Humane Wildlife Trappers of San Diego: 858-257-3420

If you need skunk control in San Diego, you have a few options. First, you can attempt to solve the skunk problem yourself by reading our do-it-yourself guide. If you need outside help, you can also call San Diego County Animal Services to see if they have any free resources or help for you - however, they primarily deal with dog and cat concerns. You can also call a local San Diego wildlife rehabber, as they are typically a great resource for advice that is in the best welfare of the animal. If as a last resort you must hire a professional company, we recommend Humane Wildlife Trappers of San Diego at 858-257-3420. To learn more about them or check their skunk removal prices, visit sandiegopestanimal.com.



In many cases, preventative measures can solve your San Diego skunk problem - keep garbage secured, pet food indoors, and most of all when it comes to skunks, secure the perimeter of your shed, porch, deck, or house with a barrier - lattice or steel mesh is good, and it keeps California skunks from going under the structure. If trapping and removal of the skunk is the only option you have, please do so with the help of a local agency or professional company who knows how to do it humanely and legally. Browse the resources of this site for more educational information.

Frequently Asked Questions:
Prevention: How to Keep Skunks Away
What to do with a skunk after I catch it?
Is it legal for me to trap a skunk?
How to remove skunk odor
Is a skunk active during the daytime rabid?
What does skunk feces look like?

San Diego Skunk Control Information: Can skunks swim?

Even though skunks are not aquatic or normally thought of as water loving animals, they have slightly webbed toes and can swim. Normally they only swim out of necessity. If they are trying to avoid a dangerous situation, or it is the only way they can go, a skunk will swim across a river, stream, or lake. . Occasionally, a skunk will fall in to a swimming pool, probably trying to get a drink. This can cause a number of problems, for the pools owner, the least of which is the smell in your pool and yard. Having wide steps or a ramp to allow the animal to escape can keep you from having to remove a dead body from the water. A skunk can spray in your pool and cause a huge mess. Because the spray is a liquid located in anal glands under its tail, it is released in to the water just like urinating.

If a skunk "sprays" in your pool, you are in for lots of draining, filtering, and chemical additives to be rid of the smell. Don't go swimming until it is all cleared up or you will be sleeping outside too! A fence is about the only way to keep a determined skunk from reaching your pool. Skunks are slow movers and poor climbers with only a fair sense of sight, smell and hearing. A lake or pond on your property might be a favorite spot to see skunks swimming. They enjoy a tasty meal of fish, reptiles, bugs, eggs and other things that can be found in or around the water. A lake or pond usually has a sloped bank, so the chances of the skunk drowning unless it is attacked in the water are slim.

But there is still a high chance of the skunk spraying Skunks have a superb sense of touch, and are very tactile. They are interested in investigating all of their surroundings. Remember if you decide to try to save a skunk from the water, they do have that ability to drive off predators with their offensive spray. A drowning skunk might perceive your kind attempts as an attack and respond accordingly! If you find a skunk in your pool, your best bet is to try to supply it with a way to climb out on its own

Remember, for free services you can try (619) 225-9453 or (619) 236-4250, but if you need to pay for professional help, check the prices at the sandiegopestanimal.com website. Or follow our do-it-yourself guide!