If you are out walking near Vets Lake at dusk or beyond, you may want to be wary of a skunk in the neighborhood. Last week my husband, John, and I were on our bike running errands and noticed something dark moving down the street ahead of us. At first John thought it was a raccoon, but when it turned around, we noticed a definite white stripe down its’ back. It was a skunk and it was too close for comfort!
Of course skunks are legendary for their powerful predator-deterrent – a hard-to-remove, horrible-smelling spray. A skunk’s spray is an oily liquid produced by glands under its large tail. To employ this scent bomb, a skunk turns around and blasts its foe with a foul mist that can travel as far as ten feet. Skunk spray causes no real damage to its victims, but it sure makes them uncomfortable. It can linger for many days and defy attempts to remove it.
Occasionally I receive a question from someone whose dog has tangled with a skunk and they want to find a safe remedy to remove the lingering and offensive odor. While the Extension office does not sell a lot of items, we have continued to keep a great product on our shelf that neutralizes odors and is safe to use around people, plants and pets. Ecosorb is the best and safest odor neutralizer to use around pets. It is plant based and has a pleasant smell. We sell it in 8 ounce spray bottles or can order it in larger quantities if needed.
I’m glad our close encounter with a skunk ended without incident. If you have any other odor problems, like mustiness, smoke or pet urine, you may want to give Ecosorb a try.
Donna Krug is the Family and Consumer Science Agent with K-State Research and Extension – Barton County. You may reach her at (620)793-1910 or dkrug@ksu.edu