Baby Skunk Season: Tips for Coexisting

It's April 25th. This is California News Today, powered by AI. I'm Corey with the story.

It's baby skunk season in Southern California, and these striped critters with their black

fur and white neck to tail stripes are popping up more. They're mostly nocturnal, coming

out of dust to munch on bugs, fruits, eggs, grass, or even trash.

Experts say they stay close to home, females roaming about one square mile, males up to

four, and they crash in dins under houses, rocks, or bushes. Kits, that's what baby skunks

are called, get born blind, deaf, and hairless, totally relying on mom for milk those first

weeks. Mothers hit the nightly forage hard to keep up milk production, making them extra

alert around this time. Now, humans and pets might notice more skunk traffic since these

families aren't as loud or big as coyotes. Moms get protective and feisty when nursing,

and kids practice stomping and hissing from the din. By two months old, around May to

June, the whole crew starts exploring together in bigger groups. If you or your pet gets

sprayed despite warnings, skip the tomato bath myth. Water just spreads the stink worse.

Mix one quart hydrogen peroxide, one quarter cup baking soda, and one teaspoon dish soap,

then wash thoroughly, maybe twice for furry friends. Bleach words on fabrics at home. Give

these live and let live neighbors space this season, and you'll douse the drama while

spotting some wild family vibes up close.