Skunks Living Under a House in Toronto: Humane Removal, Baby Rescue, and Long-Term Prevention

Discovering that skunks have moved under your home is never pleasant. In many cases, the first sign is not visual — it’s the smell. A strong, lingering skunk odour around the property can quickly become unbearable for homeowners and their neighbours. The smell can seep through crawlspaces, vents, and floor cavities, making parts of the home uncomfortable to occupy.

In a recent wildlife removal job in Toronto, a family contacted us because the smell around their home had become overwhelming. After an inspection, we confirmed that skunks had moved underneath the structure and created a den. Situations like this are quite common in Toronto neighbourhoods where homes have accessible crawlspaces, decks, sheds, or other sheltered areas that wildlife can use for nesting.
​
This article explains how we safely and humanely removed the skunks, why baby season changes the removal strategy, and how proper animal-proofing prevents the problem from returning. If you suspect skunks under your home, understanding the process can help you resolve the situation safely and effectively.

​Why Skunks Move Under Homes

Skunks are highly adaptable animals that thrive in urban and suburban environments. In cities like Toronto, they often look for sheltered places where they can rest during the day and raise their young during breeding season. Crawlspaces under homes provide ideal conditions for skunks because they offer warmth, protection from predators, and minimal disturbance.

Areas beneath decks, sheds, porches, and house foundations are especially attractive. If there are small openings around the perimeter of a home, skunks can easily enlarge them through digging. Once a female skunk selects a den site, she may remain there for weeks while raising her babies.
​
The challenge for homeowners is that skunks rarely leave these den sites voluntarily during breeding season. Removing them requires a careful and humane approach that protects both the animals and the occupants of the property.

​The First Sign: Unbearable Skunk Odour

In this particular case, the homeowners noticed a strong skunk smell developing around their property. Skunk odour is extremely distinctive and can travel far from the original source. When skunks are living under a house, the smell can accumulate and seep through the structure.

Unlike occasional skunk spray incidents that dissipate after a short time, a denning situation often produces a persistent smell that gets stronger over time. This happens because the animals remain in the same location, and their scent builds up in the confined space beneath the home.
​
When we arrived at the property, the smell alone strongly suggested an active skunk den.

​Locating the Den Under the House

​Once a wildlife technician arrives at a property, the next step is a thorough inspection. In many skunk removal jobs, this means physically crawling under the house to locate the animals and determine the extent of the den site.

​Crawlspaces can be tight, dark environments, so identifying the exact location of the skunks requires experience and patience. In this case, we entered the crawlspace and confirmed the presence of a mother skunk and her babies.
​
Finding baby skunks changes the removal strategy immediately. Standard exclusion techniques cannot be used during baby season, because the young animals are not capable of leaving the den on their own.

​Why One-Way Doors Don’t Work During Baby Season

One of the most common humane wildlife removal techniques is the use of a one-way door. These devices allow animals to exit a den site but prevent them from getting back inside. They work extremely well for adult animals that can move freely.

However, during breeding season, baby skunks are completely dependent on their mother. They remain inside the den for several weeks and cannot follow her outside if a one-way door is installed.

If a one-way door were installed while babies were still inside, the mother would exit the den and be unable to return. The young skunks would then be trapped inside the structure, which would create a serious animal welfare issue and likely lead to odour problems as the animals died inside the crawlspace.
​
For this reason, responsible wildlife removal professionals never rely on one-way doors when baby skunks are present.

​The Humane Removal Plan

Once we confirmed that the den contained a mother skunk and her babies, we developed a plan that would remove the animals safely while allowing them to remain together as a family.

The first step was capturing the mother skunk. This must be done carefully to avoid causing stress to the animal or triggering defensive spraying. Experienced wildlife technicians know how to approach skunks slowly and calmly to minimize the risk of spray incidents.
​
Once the mother skunk was safely captured, we began the process of extracting the baby skunks from the den site. Baby skunks are extremely small and vulnerable, so they must be handled carefully and placed in a secure container.

Keeping the Skunk Family Together

To keep the skunk family safe during the process, we placed all the animals together in a ventilated reunion box. These boxes are designed specifically for wildlife removal situations. They provide airflow, safety, and protection while the animals wait for relocation.

Keeping the babies with their mother is important for several reasons. It reduces stress for the animals and allows the mother to continue caring for them naturally. It also increases the chances that the mother will successfully relocate her young once they are released.

While the skunks were safely contained in the reunion box, we began the next critical step of the process: animal-proofing the structure.

​Sealing the Access Points

Removing the animals is only half the job. If the access points remain open, new wildlife will eventually move into the same location.

Skunks are excellent diggers, and they often create entry points by burrowing along the edges of foundations. To prevent this from happening again, we installed durable wildlife barriers and sealed the openings under the house.

This process is known as animal-proofing or wildlife exclusion. It ensures that the crawlspace is no longer accessible to skunks or other animals.
​
Proper animal-proofing is the only way to guarantee that the problem will not return.

Releasing the Skunks

After the access points were secured and the area was properly animal-proofed, we released the skunk family outside the home. The reunion box was placed near the property so the mother could safely relocate her babies.

This is one of the most fascinating parts of humane wildlife removal. Mother skunks instinctively move their babies one at a time to a new den site. They carry each baby gently in their mouth to a safe location.

In this particular case, the entire relocation process happened very quickly. The mother skunk relocated all of her babies within about 30 minutes.
​
Watching this natural behaviour unfold is always remarkable. It demonstrates how effective humane wildlife removal can be when done correctly.

​Why Humane Wildlife Removal Matters

Many homeowners assume that wildlife removal means trapping and relocating animals far away from the property. In reality, that approach often creates more problems than it solves.

Humane wildlife removal focuses on resolving conflicts between people and animals while allowing wildlife to continue living naturally in the environment. By keeping animal families together and allowing mothers to relocate their young, we avoid unnecessary harm to the animals.
​
This approach also produces better results for homeowners because it eliminates the risk of animals dying inside structures and causing odour problems.

​Preventing Future Skunk Problems

Once skunks have been removed from a property, prevention becomes the most important step. Homes with accessible crawlspaces, sheds, and decks are attractive to wildlife if they are not properly sealed.

Regular inspections of the exterior of your home can identify vulnerabilities before animals move in. Look for gaps along foundations, loose lattice panels, or signs of digging near structures.

Installing wildlife barriers and keeping vegetation trimmed around the home can reduce the chances of animals finding shelter under buildings.
​
In urban environments like Toronto, wildlife pressure is constant. Proactive prevention is the best way to protect your property from future issues.

Skunk Removal Services in Toronto

If you suspect that skunks are living under your home, it is important to address the problem quickly. Attempting to handle the situation yourself can lead to spray incidents or injuries.

Professional wildlife removal ensures that the animals are removed safely, the babies are protected during breeding season, and the structure is properly sealed to prevent re-entry.
​
At TSR Pest Control & Wildlife Removal, we specialize in humane skunk removal and wildlife exclusion services throughout Toronto and the GTA. Our team has extensive experience dealing with denning wildlife in crawlspaces, under decks, and beneath sheds.

​A Real Example of Humane Wildlife Control

This skunk removal job is a perfect example of how humane wildlife control should work. The animals were safely located, the mother was captured without stress, the babies were carefully extracted, and the entire family was reunited and released together.

Within minutes, the mother began relocating her young to a new den site away from the home.

For the homeowners, the unbearable smell was gone and the crawlspace was secured against future wildlife intrusion. For the skunks, the family remained intact and free to continue living naturally in the surrounding environment.

That balance between solving the homeowner’s problem and protecting wildlife is what humane removal is all about.

If you suspect skunks under your home or notice strong skunk odours around your property in Toronto or the GTA, it may indicate an active den. Acting quickly can prevent the situation from becoming worse and ensure the animals are removed safely.
​
Professional inspection and wildlife exclusion can restore your property and prevent skunks from returning in the future.