what's that under your deck?


You smell it before you know what it is:

That strong, musky odor that just won’t go away.

You’d say it smells like propane gas . . . except you don’t use propane.

It’s not until you hear the rustling noises coming from under the deck that you realize:

You’ve got a skunk situation. 🦨

Early spring is the prime season for skunks to move into your house - and sneaky spots like under the deck, inside tight crawl spaces, and in the garage (!!) are some of their favorites.

To make sure you, your pets, and your home are protected, here’s what you need to know.

🤔 How can I keep skunks away from my house?

Skunks, like many of us, love a good snack and a cozy place to rest.

Here are a few tips for keeping them at bay:

  • Don’t leave pet food outside overnight
  • Secure all garbage bins and compost piles
  • Trim back dense vegetation and move brush piles away from the house
  • Watch out for grubs in your lawn (surprise - skunks love snacking on these!)

😱 Too late! There’s a skunk under my house. What should I do?

  • Don’t agitate the skunk or try to remove it yourself - this increases the likelihood of getting sprayed!
  • Seal off all entry points except one to give the skunk a clear exit route
  • If the skunk doesn’t leave within a day or two, call a professional to help you remove it.

🚨 HELP! My dog got sprayed. How do I eliminate the smell?

If you or a pet have gotten caught in the blast zone, you can try a home remedy to get rid of the smell.

But sometimes, the odor isn’t on one specific item - it’s just lingering in the house.

In that case, our team has your back. ✅

If skunk odor has seeped into your home’s interior (or you’re dealing with another persistent, non-skunk-related odor that just won’t go away), our professional odor removal services can have you breathing easy.

Interested in learning more? Hit reply or call us anytime for more information. We’d love to help.

Until next month -

Stephen

You're receiving this email because you signed up for Umpire's email list.

Unsubscribe | Update your profile

3079 Rectortown Road, Marshall, VA 20115 | umpiremitigation.com

Umpire Mitigation

Once a month, I send out an email newsletter with home maintenance tips, resources we think you might find valuable, and other handy links + articles.

Read more from Umpire Mitigation
Mold testing

Quick question: do you know what your homeowner insurance policy covers? Most homeowners think they do. Until they file a claim. Here’s the thing: there are some common gaps in homeowner policies that most folks don’t learn about until after home damage emergencies strike. To help you know what to look for, I reached out to a few trusted insurance professionals I work with regularly. Here are three questions they recommend asking. 🤔 Does my policy cover water damage from a slow leak? 👉 Why...

A few weeks ago, we got a call from a homeowner in Winchester. There was water leaking into the downstairs bedroom from the kitchen on the floor above. It turned out that the dishwasher was the culprit - and they hadn’t noticed it until it was too late. When our team got to work, we found that the water had seeped under the kitchen floor. It had crept behind the cabinets. And mold had started to grow. That’s a lot of damage - $30-$50K worth in rebuilding costs - from something that started as...

Something I’ve learned after 30+ years in the water damage industry? Sometimes water damage can’t be avoided. But often, it can. So whether you’ve got a mountain of home projects this summer or just a few to-dos you can knock out on a Saturday afternoon, I wanted to tell you about 4 things you should definitely have on your home maintenance list. These 4 tasks are a great way to guard your home against potential water and mold damage in the future. The best part? They’re really easy to check...