Well, the good news is the yellowjackets are gone

[Watchful]

Yup.

That big old nest in the front of the house, right in the ground next to the front door.

Gone.

That's the good news.

Bad news is that a skunk dug out their nest and killed every one of them and broke up the honeycombs.

So now I have to deal with that.

 

[Bushman5]

hehehe, now you have a skunk wacked out on honey ....

 

[Watchful]

He's probably making mead.

Mead gives skunks gas.

Bad gas.

I'm in trouble.

 

[wildmike]

Man just think of dealing with an antisocial skunk whacked out on mead. Probably be even worse once the hangover hits.

 

[theonew]

Mead gives skunks gas.

That's what I love about BF, I learn something new every time I log on

 

[Kyp Degal]

Wow, how did I miss this?


Try trapping the lil' guy. Perfect opportunity to test your (non-lethal) trap-building skills! A simple sliding-gate box trap should do the trick.

 

[DutchV]

Dude, how you gonna empty a box trap of a scared or angry skunk without getting sprayed?

If he likes honey, I'd say bait him away from the house, then shoot. A stinky mess in the yard is a lot less work than trying to bathe in tomato juice.

 

[Watchful]

'Zactly. Kyp is welcome to come over for a beer and then free the trapped skunk. Note I want him to have the beer *first* before he tries to undo the skunk.

Co-worker here told me a story a couple weeks back about his brother in law who caught a skunk, and basically dehydrated the poor little bastard so that he couldn't spray him... and then threw a black bag over him, took him out to the woods, and set him loose. I'm not willing to go that far.

So my wife called animal control... well, the recording said, they no longer come out to catch animals. They recommend we pour ammonia down his hole and run.

So what the foxtrot *DO* they come out to catch? I can't figure them out. I should call and say I've got an alligator up my ash tree. See if they come out for that. And when they do, I'll say he flew off on his own, but as long as you're here... there's this skunk.

Anyway, it appears the skunk is still around, but he's off *my* property now. I think he's down by the water hole.

 

[GregY]

Poor little guy. He helps you out by getting rid of that nasty nest, and all you can think to do it try to deport him.

Unless he tries to get into your basement/crawlspace, or shows signs of being rabid, why not just let him wander away on his own? Where I live we have skunks in the area, but I don't mind because they help with the bugs- they're valuable members of the team... well so long as they stay outside.

 

[DutchV]

Quick, fill in that hole before he comes back and makes it his own. If they burrow like groundhogs, you don't want him staying there. And the splash of ammonia sounds like a nice finishing touch.

 

[Shore08]

Glad to hear he wandered off on his own. My inlaws just got one that got under their house in the crawlspace. Little beastie sprayed when they tried to get him out. Sprayed right at the pickup for the A/C. The whole house stunk!

 

[Watchful]

Unless he tries to get into your basement/crawlspace, or shows signs of being rabid, why not just let him wander away on his own? Where I live we have skunks in the area, but I don't mind because they help with the bugs- they're valuable members of the team... well so long as they stay outside.

Yeah, he hasn't been spraying anything (although he got the neighbor's dog a week ago, but the story is funny enough if you know the guy to be almost worth it), and aside from a now-abandoned hole in my other neighbor's landscaping, he hasn't bothered us. In fact, I think he has moved away a little--no fresh scat, no footprints.

Or she. That neighbor swears it's a female. I don't know how he knows so certainly...I'd say his dog is the only one who got a good view of the business end to be sure!

Quick, fill in that hole before he comes back and makes it his own. If they burrow like groundhogs, you don't want him staying there. And the splash of ammonia sounds like a nice finishing touch.

I mothballed it. The mothballs are still in there, so that's a good sign to me.

The County also recommends using bright lights at night and playing loud rock music. Hell, the guy who lives behind me does that anyway and it's not having an effect.

 

[DutchV]

I had forgotten about mothballs. They're supposed to be useful to keep porcupines away, too.

 

[Watchful]

I had forgotten about mothballs. They're supposed to be useful to keep porcupines away, too.

Fortunately, a problem I don't quite have *yet* but that's good to know.

I suppose with my luck a porcupine will come and eat the skunk.

 

[Katdaddy]

When did yellowjackets start making honey?

 

[Watchful]

You know, that surprised me, too.

They were definitely yellowjackets...

...and the stuff that was dug up by the skunk were sheets of interlocking hexagons.

Like this:

I'm welcome to better explanations. There was NO honey in them...

Like this:

Maybe the skunk just ate the larvae???

 

[Watchful]

Aha!

From this website...

During the fall of the year when colonies begin to die, skunks and bears dig into the underground nests and feed on the immature yellow jackets.

So no honey. Just yummy baby yellowjackets.

 

[DOC-CANADA]

Dude, how you gonna empty a box trap of a scared or angry skunk without getting sprayed?

I may be wrong about this, but it seems like I heard they won't spray while in the box/cage. You then take the cage and submerge it in water and drown the skunk, if you're so inclined.

As for me, except for rabies, I like them. Of course, I've never been sprayed up to now.

Doc

 

[Kyp Degal]

Dude, how you gonna empty a box trap of a scared or angry skunk without getting sprayed?

If he likes honey, I'd say bait him away from the house, then shoot. A stinky mess in the yard is a lot less work than trying to bathe in tomato juice.

Good point. :foot:

That's what I get for bright 12:30 AM ideas on too little sleep the night before. EDIT: Come to think of it, I know what I was thinking. Like Doc said, they won't spray while in the trap. I KNOW I read that somewhere. Makes sense, of course. He'd hardly have room to lift his tail.

'Zactly. Kyp is welcome to come over for a beer and then free the trapped skunk. Note I want him to have the beer *first* before he tries to undo the skunk.

Co-worker here told me a story a couple weeks back about his brother in law who caught a skunk, and basically dehydrated the poor little bastard so that he couldn't spray him... and then threw a black bag over him, took him out to the woods, and set him loose. I'm not willing to go that far.

So my wife called animal control... well, the recording said, they no longer come out to catch animals. They recommend we pour ammonia down his hole and run.

So what the foxtrot *DO* they come out to catch? I can't figure them out. I should call and say I've got an alligator up my ash tree. See if they come out for that. And when they do, I'll say he flew off on his own, but as long as you're here... there's this skunk.

Anyway, it appears the skunk is still around, but he's off *my* property now. I think he's down by the water hole.

Hmm, now, for a beer...

Animal Control is not what it used to be. I don't know why they bother to keep the department name. They did give us a trap once, to catch some feral cats that were causing a ruckus, but they were going to make us bring it back ourselves. Not real sure what it is that animal control officers actuall do...

I'm welcome to better explanations. There was NO honey in them...

Like this:

Maybe the skunk just ate the larvae???

Aye, yellow jackets produce no honey. That's just how their nests are designed. The larvae hang from the combs. I bet that skunk had a good meal nonetheless. though.

The Eastern yellowjacket builds its nests underground, also with the peak worker population between 1,000 and 3,000 individuals similar to the German yellowjacket. Nests are built entirely of wood fiber (usually weathered or dead) and are completely enclosed (football or soccer-ball shaped) except for a small opening (entrance) at the bottom. The color of the paper is highly dependent on the source of the wood fibers used. The nests contain multiple, horizontal tiers of combs (10 or more) within. Larvae hang down in combs.

I cannae stand yellow jackets, I've got tangled up in too many nests as a kid. Plus my Lab is allergic to them. I have to keep Benadryl on hand in case she steps on a nest again.

 

[Brian Jones]

He's probably making mead.

Mead gives skunks gas.

Bad gas.

I'm in trouble.

If you want skunky beer it's much less trouble to buy Moosehead. Talk about a beer that has that schtank!!!