Skunk smell in my house?

17 years ago

Woke-up this morning to the smell of skunk in my house. I looked around outside, in and near the road and in the attic. No skunk and no smell, just in the house.

Could someone tell me how this could be? I'm new to the country life and can't figure it out.

By the way, I'm pretty sure the skunk is NOT in the house.

Featured Answer

cheribelle

17 years ago

Yep, at night sometimes the smell would wake me up. All they have to do is walk through the yard, the smell comes on in. 2 big dogs later, we no longer have that problem.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

Maggie_J
17 years ago
Did you have windows open last night? If a skunk sprayed outside, the smell could drift in as vapour and permeate the house. It fades faster outside than in. Open all your windows and hope for a good breeze. If you have any exhaust fans, use them. You might try setting out a few saucers of vinegar the way you would for paint smells. Can't hurt. It will fade, but it takes a bit of time.

BTW, you don't have a cellar, do you? Even one of those dank holes with a trap door? If you do and the skunk got in there, that could certainly account for it. We had a mink once that got into ours and then came up through various holes and passages into the house itself. Of course, this old house is full of holes and cracks... I have learned to expect the unexpected. One of the "joys" of country life!
Related Professionals
Alpharetta Landscape Contractors · College Park Landscape Contractors · Tuscaloosa Landscape Contractors · Vallejo Landscape Contractors · Wallingford Landscape Contractors · Palos Hills Landscape Contractors · Silver Firs Landscape Contractors · Winnetka Fence Contractors · Diamond Bar Decks, Patios & Outdoor Enclosures · Fort Worth Decks, Patios & Outdoor Enclosures · King of Prussia Decks, Patios & Outdoor Enclosures · Monroe Decks, Patios & Outdoor Enclosures · Pecan Grove Decks, Patios & Outdoor Enclosures · Portage Decks, Patios & Outdoor Enclosures · Provo Decks, Patios & Outdoor Enclosures
coldiron
Original Author
17 years ago
No open windows and no cellar. I'm in Texas so the air conditioner must have suck in the smell from around the doors and window.

Also my chicken coop had a hole dug under one side wall about 3 to 5 inches wide. Could that have been our skunk also looking for eggs? I only have one chicken in there right now a 2 month old rooster(have chicks waiting to go in in a few weeks), he was ok.
Maggie_J
17 years ago
Yeah, an air conditioner can really suck smells in and they have less chance to dissipate than with open windows. Is it still bad? You might have to open things up for a few hours, heat or no heat, and get a full air exchange.

It sounds as though the skunk may have set up housekeeping under your chicken coop. Just hope it is not raising young ones there! You could soak a piece of old towel with household ammonia and poke it well down into the hole. The fumes should encourage the skunk to move on... and turnabout is fair play!
booboy
17 years ago
Someone I knew had a large dead rat in one of their walls. This can smell similar. Just a thought
lucky_p
17 years ago
In the average home, if you combined all the cracks/gaps around all the windows, doors, sillplates, holes where wiring/plumbing passes through walls, etc., they add up to a hole as big or bigger than a door or window standing open all the time. Plenty of spaces for skunk scent to find its way in, if one just passed through the yard, and if the AC is running, it's pulling outside air - and smells - in through all those spaces.
Think of the energy savings you'd gain if you invested in a few tubes of silicone caulking to 'close' that door.