Skunks and Lawn Damage
If you live in Stark, Summit, or Portage Counties, there’s a good chance you’ve dealt with lawn damage from wildlife.
One of the common culprits in our area? Skunks!
Skunks may be cute from a distance, but they can wreak havoc on your yard when searching for their favorite snack—grubs.
At Frontline Animal Removal, we frequently deal with these situations, and we’re here to explain how skunks cause lawn damage, how to identify it, and how it differs from other animals like raccoons.
Skunks Love Grubs
Skunks are omnivores, meaning they eat a variety of foods, but grubs are a particular favorite.
Grubs are the larvae of beetles and other insects that live just beneath the surface of your lawn. For skunks, these little creatures are a delicious source of protein.
The problem is that when skunks go hunting for them, they don’t mind tearing up your yard to get what they want.
What Are Grubs?
Grubs are the larval stage of beetles like Japanese beetles or June bugs.
They live just under the soil and feed on grass roots, which can already cause damage to your lawn by weakening the grass.
However, it’s the combination of the grubs themselves and the animals hunting for them that often results in severe lawn issues.
Skunks have an exceptional sense of smell and can locate these grubs underground. Once they detect them, the digging begins.
How Skunks Find Grubs and Dig Them Up
Skunks use their strong claws to dig up patches of your yard to unearth grubs. The holes left behind are typically small but can add up quickly, leaving unsightly damage across the lawn.
Skunk grubbing holes are usually around 3 to 4 inches in diameter, shallow, and cone-shaped. You’ll often notice several holes in close proximity as the skunk systematically works through the grub-infested area.
What makes skunk grubbing unique is how localized it can be. A skunk is methodical and will often create small, shallow holes scattered throughout the lawn, focusing only on areas where they smell the grubs.
If the infestation is large, this process can continue night after night, causing extensive damage over time.
Skunk Damage vs. Raccoon Damage
It’s not just skunks that enjoy snacking on grubs—raccoons do too!
However, the damage they cause looks quite different from skunk damage. While skunks make small, shallow holes, raccoons tend to rip up large chunks of sod.
Skunks, on the other hand, leave behind individual, smaller divots, which may be easier to overlook at first but can still result in extensive damage over time.
In our recent video (linked below), Ryan shows a skunk we recently captured and some of the damage it caused while searching for grubs in a local yard. Watching this video will give you a clear visual example of what skunk grubbing damage looks like and how disruptive these critters can be.
Check out the video on skunk grubbing damage here.
What To Do If You See Skunk Damage
If you’ve noticed small, shallow holes popping up in your yard, there’s a good chance you have a skunk problem.
While trapping and removing the skunk can stop the damage, it’s important to address the root cause—grubs.
Treating your lawn for grubs can help reduce the likelihood of future damage from skunks and raccoons alike.
At Frontline Animal Removal, we not only help with the safe removal of nuisance wildlife, but we also provide solutions to prevent future problems.
If skunks are tearing up your yard in the Canton, Akron, or Kent area, we’re here to help. Contact us today for expert wildlife removal and repair services, and we’ll restore your lawn to its former glory.
