Knoxville Skunks In The Crawlspace

Skunks can create big problems under a crawlspace and not just from their skunk smell. Pre existing foundation openings or openings caused by the skunk can give easy access to your crawlspace, under your home, or in your basement. Skunks have long claws, and can use those claws to rip through screening, for digging, and prying through vent openings. A crawlspace, basement, or under a home provides the perfect shelter for a skunk, offering a dark, elevated suitable nesting location to have young. Once inside your crawlspace, damage will be soon to follow, and the number of skunks can increase under your home.

Areas Skunks Damage To Get Under Your Home

When a homeowner is awakened in the middle of the night from the strong smell of skunk spray, usually the first thing they look for is any opening on the outside of the home that indicates a skunk is there. Unfortunately, there are several openings that are easily overlooked and will not be spotted unless by a professional. Skunks minus the hair are not very large, even though they may appear to be, and they have a knack for fitting through some very small openings. Openings around your home skunks will utilize include:

• Skunks going through your Air Conditioner unit, under the shroud, or in the metal fork lift openings between the unit and the slab.
• Skunks digging under the slab.
• Skunks tearing through a breezeway vent, or crawlspace vent.
• Skunks going through foundation drains.
• Skunks pulling apart siding under a bay window.
• Skunks digging under a foundation.
• Skunks going in a pre existing foundation opening.
• Skunks getting under your deck.
• Skunks going through a damaged crawlspace door.
• Skunks tearing off the dryer vent cover, and entered the line.

Periodically checking animal activity around your home will ensure you stay skunk free. We offer quarterly home and property inspections starting at $75.00, to help protect your home and property from wildlife damage.

Damage From Skunks Once They Are Under Your Home

Once a skunk has moved under your home, damage is almost guaranteed. The most common problem from skunks under a home will be from the skunk smell. Skunk smell can permeate clothing, fabric, insulation, and almost everything it comes in contact with. Other skunk damage can be to hvac duct lines, floor insulation, vapor barrier or plastic lining in your crawlspace, and even electrical wiring. Skunks usually seek shelter under a home or crawlspace to have young.

Once in your crawlspace, a skunk will damage any materials under your home trying to create a suitable nesting location to have young. Skunks will make several nesting locations. Skunks can even nest in a hvac duct lines. Call a Animal Pros skunk removal specialist for help today.

Knoxville Skunk Damage To Hvac Unit

Skunks are opportunistic animals taking advantage of pre existing openings which many are located around a hvac unit or air conditioner unit. When you hvac unit is installed usually by a forklift, there will be openings on a metal bracket under the unit, allowing the forklift to easily set the unit on the slab of concrete. These openings may be 3″ – 4″ wide and 8″ – 12″ long. This is enough room for a full grown skunk to walk right into your crawlspace.

Another opening that is common on a air conditioner unit is under the metal shroud that connects to the house. The metal shoud covers the two main duct lines that connect to the unit, the supply line and the return line. The sides of the shroud as they meet the ground stop right at the ground level, giving more than easy access for a skunk to dig away enough dirt to enter under the shroud, giving full access into the crawlspace.

The last opening around a air conditioner unit you would need to be concerned about is skunks digging under your slab of concrete the unit sits on. Ground around a unit is usually moist ground, allowing a skunk to easily dig away dirt the size of a baseball or larger to gain access under your home.

Skunk Damage To Duct Lines

Once skunks have entered your air conditioner unit from a opening, duct damage is sure to happen. The supply and return lines that connect to your unit under your shroud take up a majority of the space in that area, causing the skunk to wedge and claw through tiny openings that are around the lines while trying to get under your home. The tighter the spot, usually will have greater damage as the skunk will use its claws to pull and rip the outside lining of the duct lines.

Skunks will also cause damage to the outside of duct lines because the wrapped insulation of the line creates a great nesting material when its time to have young. If a skunk does breach your duct line, they can even set up a nesting location in the line itself. If skunk droppings and urine is present with a line, as it dries and is disturbed by the animal, airborne particulates can filter throughout your duct lines contaminating the entire duct system, creating a costly task. There is no amount of duct cleaning that will remove contaminates from a duct line. EPA suggests any rodent, vermin, or mammal in a duct line that has left droppings, urine, or dander, that it be completely removed and replaced. Contact Animal Pros restoration specialists for assistance.

Skunk Damage To Insulation

Skunks under a crawlspace can be a nightmare for any homeowner. Insulation damage will occur from skunks in a variety of different ways usually from the skunks creating a suitable nesting location to have young. There are several ways insulation damage can occur from skunks.

• Skunks tearing insulation around duct lines.
• Skunks wedging between floor and floor insulation.
• Skunks shredding floor insulation for nesting material.

Usually damage to any of these areas will be clearly evident, as quick action is needed to stop skunk damage, especially before a skunk sprays. If a skunks sprays, insulation will act as a sponge, holding skunk smell for a long period of time. Most cases of skunk spray under a home will require removal and replacement of all insulation before effectively getting completely rid of skunk odor.

Skunk Damage To Electric Wires

Electric wire damage from skunks can occur as the skunks dig around the shroud of the ac unit, or as they enter the fork lift openings. Air Conditioner units have electrical wires ran underneath the unit, and in most cases wires will become damaged from skunks gnawing through them as they try to access your crawlspace. Problems could range from:

• Air Conditioner Unit going out.
• Hvac unit shorting, partially working.
• Electric and even fire hazard.

Any thought of electrical damage around your hvac unit, you should call a professional at Animal Pros.

Skunk Damage To Vapor Barrier

Skunk damage in a crawlspace can easily lead to vapor barrier damage. The moisture barrier protects your floor from moisture, but unfortunately gives the skunks a cool, dark place to hide under. Skunks will shred insulation, and bring pieces of torn insulation under the vapor barrier to create a comfortable nesting location. In a crawlspace skunks will have multiple nesting locations, as we have seen as many as five under a vapor barrier.

Skunk damage from feces and urine on the vapor barrier will also contaminate the moisture barrier causing the need to replace it. Droppings and urine will not only be on top of the vapor barrier but will also be underneath the vapor barrier. In some cases, skunks will completely bunch up a section of vapor barrier creating a nesting area. If a skunk sprays under your home, vapor barrier will hold the skunk smell for a long period of time, forcing the removal and replacement to effectively re mediate the skunk smell. Call our specialists at Animal Pros for all your skunk restoration needs.