Skunks become a problem when their activities conflict with human interests. When skunks take shelter under homes, decks, or in garages, their presence is not usually tolerated by occupants of the building. All skunks have the ability to discharge a nauseating musk from their anal glands. They are capable of spraying their musk several times with accuracy to about 10 feet. Confrontation with pets often results in the pet being sprayed or bitten.
Skunks can also cause severe damage to gardens and lawns by their digging activities.
While searching for grubs and other subsoil insects, skunks frequently uproot turf and other plants. This damage consists of small pits ranging from 3 to 5 inches across, or sometimes large sections of sod are rolled back. Skunks are predators and can decimate ground-nesting wild bird populations and local populations of endangered species of small mammals. Approximately 65 percent of the skunks checked for rabies tested positive for the disease during the past 5 years. It is transmitted by the bite of an infected animal.