💘 Love Is in the Air… And So Is That Smell: Skunk Mating Season Is Here!

(A Pepé Le Pew-Inspired Skunk Mating Season PSA)

Valentine’s Day has a certain vibe: heart-shaped candy boxes, jewelry commercials, overpriced flower bouquets… and skunks?

Yep. While we’re planning date nights and picking out greeting cards, skunks are doing their own version of romance, too. And unfortunately for homeowners, that often means more skunk sightings, stronger odors, and skunks nesting under decks and sheds.

In New England, skunk mating season typically runs from February through March, and it’s one of the busiest times of year for skunk activity around homes.

If anyone captured the dramatic, hopeless-romantic energy of skunk season, it was Pepé Le Pew—the lovestruck cartoon skunk who never took “no” for an answer. Pepé may have been a little… intense… but he was right about one thing: this is prime time for skunk romance, and that can turn into real problems for homeowners fast.

Skunk Mating Season (February–March): What Homeowners Should Know

During late winter, male skunks leave their dens and start searching for mates. And unlike modern dating apps, they don’t swipe left or right—they roam.

That roaming often leads them through:

• Backyards
• Under decks and porches
• Beneath sheds
• Around crawl spaces and foundations

The result? A sudden increase in signs homeowners notice, including:

• More skunk sightings during daylight or dusk
• Skunk tracks in snow or mud
• Tipped trash cans
• Digging in lawns while searching for grubs
• That unmistakable “something died… but also sprayed” skunk odor

If you’re smelling skunk near your home, there’s a good chance you’re not imagining it—and there may be a skunk den nearby.

Why Skunk Mating Season Can Turn Into a Springtime Skunk Problem

Here’s the part many homeowners don’t realize:

After mating season, female skunks will look for a safe, protected den site—and your property might be the perfect location.

About 60 to 75 days later, a mama skunk can give birth to a litter of 1 to 15 babies.

Yes… up to 15.

So if you’ve spotted one skunk near your home in February or March, it could be the beginning of a bigger problem. By April or May, that “one skunk” can turn into a full skunk family living under your deck, shed, or crawl space.

Skunks Under Your Deck or Shed: Don’t Be Fooled by the Cuteness

We get it. A single skunk waddling through your yard can seem harmless.

You might even think:

“Aww, look at that little guy. He’s not bothering anyone.”

But skunks can cause real issues when they settle in close to your home, including:

• Strong odors that linger around your property
• Spraying incidents near people, pets, and doorways
• Digging damage around foundations, sheds, and deck supports
• Lawn damage from grub hunting
• Parasites and disease risks you don’t want near your family

And once skunks establish a den site, they often return year after year if the area isn’t properly prevented.

How to Tell If You Have a Skunk Den Near Your Home

If you suspect a skunk is living nearby, here are a few common signs to watch for:

• A strong odor near one specific area (deck, shed, porch, crawl space)
• A small tunnel or opening beneath a structure
• Dirt pushed outward near the entry point
• Tracks leading to the same spot repeatedly
• Damage from digging along the perimeter of the home

If you’re seeing any of these signs, it’s worth having the property checked before skunk season becomes a springtime wildlife headache.

Avoid a Stinky Spring: Call Advanced Wildlife Control

The best time to stop a skunk problem is before it becomes a family of skunks.

At Advanced Wildlife Control, we provide humane skunk removal services and nuisance wildlife trapping for homeowners across the New Hampshire Seacoast, New Hampshire Lakes Region, Southern Maine, and surrounding areas.

We also offer free inspections, so you can confirm activity early and avoid unpleasant surprises.

Our experienced team can safely and humanely:

• Identify active and potential skunk dens
• Remove unwanted visitors
• Recommend next steps to prevent re-entry
• Help reduce the risk of recurring skunk activity

Whether you’re dealing with skunks under your deck, under your shed, or near a crawl space, we’ll help you protect your home and get your peace of mind back.

Pro Tip: If You See Skunk Tracks, Act Fast

If you notice skunk tracks in the snow, see one waddling around the yard, or smell skunk near your home, don’t wait until spring.

The earlier you address the problem, the easier it is to prevent a full skunk family from moving in.

Schedule your free inspection with Advanced Wildlife Control today—because when it comes to wildlife love stories, it’s best to let Pepé Le Pew keep the romance on screen and out from under your deck.

If you are concerned about a skunk problem, contact us for skunk removal and cleanup services today. REMEMBER: our home inspections are always FREE.

For more information about skunks, our skunk spray odor removal recipe, and our trapping program, visit our Skunk Removal Service Page.