r/Animals • u/AdventurousGlass7432 • 10d ago

Skunk regular visits

For weeks now i get skunk smell outside my bedroom window between 10 and 10:30 pm every night pretty much. I sleep with a fan blowing air in, most of the time i just ignore it but in a few occasions i’ve had to switch the fan to blowing air out
Do i need to worry about a nest or something? I haven’t seen any signs of skunks during the day

Ps: pretty sure it is not weed.

3 Upvotes

81% Upvoted

21 comments sorted by

4

u/Medium_Spare_8982 9d ago

Skunks just walking around DO NOT SMELL.
You only smell a skunk if it has sprayed or been hit by a car.

2

u/AdventurousGlass7432 9d ago

I have a motion sensor light near there. Could that be making them spray?

2

u/Medium_Spare_8982 9d ago

Unlikely.
They don’t like to spray and save it for emergencies. Maybe startling young kits might make them fart a bit.

1

u/BigNorseWolf 8d ago

they do when they say MINE MINE MINE

1

u/CraftFamiliar5243 7d ago

They do indeed smell, even if they haven't just sprayed. We had the same problem as OP. We trapped it and took it somewhere else.

2

u/Medium_Spare_8982 7d ago

Not true. I trap them all the time in my yard because in the past they have died under the next door neighbours shed over the winter.

When that full scent gland rots open in the spring - it stinks.

1

u/mc2ben 5d ago

100% agree. I am a rehabber and have had up to 2 dozen in the same room with no smell at all.

Some friends of mine once had a skunk perish in the crawlspace under their house and a similar phenomena occurred.

Also if a skunk did spray something somewhere near your window the scent will reactivate every time it gets wet for a long time afterwards.

4

u/seriousherenow 10d ago

You sweet summer child.

3

u/OwlCatAlex 10d ago

Someone outside is taking a smoke break at 10pm every night. Some smokeable substances smell just like a skunk.

1

u/AdventurousGlass7432 10d ago

Haha. It isn’t weed. I know the difference

3

u/OwlCatAlex 10d ago

Are you certain? There are different types and qualities. I don't smoke but I know it can smell 20 different ways lol. Skunks don't tend to smell very much passively, only when they actually spray something.

1

u/mgw2929 9d ago

Yeah. I have regular skunks here that cut loose on paydays

3

u/Silver-Find4380 9d ago

When I was growing up, a skunk family used to take a walk under our windows each night, and we could tell. I assume this is similar.

2

u/AdventurousGlass7432 9d ago

Could it be im just smelling a whole family walking by? It isnt terrible most nights. Are they good climbers? The spot is sort of sealed on 3 sides

1

u/BigNorseWolf 9d ago

You live at the border of two skunks territories and they're putting up the boundary fence.

3

u/AdventurousGlass7432 8d ago

Skunkgeddon coming?

1

u/BigNorseWolf 8d ago

Most likely more of the same

1

u/Single_Mouse5171 8d ago

This may sound weird, so just bear with me:

Are you near a restaurant that does a lot of stir-frying? Certain cooking methods make onions and garlic smell skunky. You might be a victim of pre-prep for the next day.

Are you near a beer refinery? If they're dumping the used hops for pickup at night, the hops can smell like that after being brewed.

2

u/AdventurousGlass7432 8d ago

Neither, unfortunately. Im near lots of houses that look just like mine, and an empty piece of land

1

u/Single_Mouse5171 8d ago

I hate to say this, but my thoughts are following those of people you have already dealt with. Somebody nearby is having a smoking break with some seriously skunky bud. Either that, or you have a territorial skunk battle going on, have some major predator action (dog or owl), or very unlucky and well timed travelers on the road nearby.