Skunks Take Village

Skunks Take Village
Liverpool residents say neighbors are feeding them
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
By Tom Leo
Staff writer

Skunks living in and around residential areas is common, but in one Liverpool neighborhood the skunks are getting a little too bold.

Village resident Dennis Hebert and his wife, Juli, who live at 213 Third St., recently were trapped in their car - in their own driveway - because skunks decided to hang out there.

"We beeped at the skunks, flashed the lights at the skunks," said Hebert, a village trustee. "It was like they were saying 'I belong here more than you.' We sat in the car for more than five minutes."

Gary White recently was driving through the village when he was flagged down by someone who wanted to chat about the skunk problem.

"As we were talking, at about 5:30 in the afternoon, a skunk walked right behind us, across the front lawn like it was perfectly fine," said White, who also is a trustee. "They're typically more nocturnal. These guys are out in the daytime and don't seem to be bothered by people at all."

There appears to be an explanation why one Liverpool neighborhood has a skunk problem.

An open compost pile has provided shelter and food for the skunks, say residents of an area bordered by First, Bass, Sycamore and Third streets. The skunks also may be getting a boost from a neighborhood woman who said she puts pet food outside for her cat.

An unusually wet summer has contributed, too. Skunks come out more often when it rains because it makes the ground softer, and easier for the animals to dig for grubs and other insects, trapper Jim Gleason said.

But why are the animals being so bold?

Gleason, who owns and operates Good Riddance Animal Control and Removal, is hired by the town of Salina to trap and relocate wild animals. He said he currently has about 15 traps placed in the village and has caught at least 50 skunks in the past three to four weeks.

He said the number of skunks in the village is not higher than usual. He thinks the number actually might be lower, judging from a decrease in the number of dead

skunks found on the road this year compared to last.

"The issue is not the amount of skunks. The issue is the skunks are being domesticated," said Mike Romano, of 309 Sycamore St.

Romano and other neighbors, including Nancy Richmond, of 205 Third St., said Betty Nordheim, of 208 Third St., is feeding the skunks.

"She feeds them right out of her hand; I've seen her," Richmond said.

Nordheim said she doesn't feed skunks.

"That is foolish," she said. "I have a cat that won't come in at night, so before I go to bed I put some kibbles out in the bowl and the cat eats them."

The skunks could eat them, too. It's not uncommon to find skunks and domestic cats dining peacefully together, Gleason said. There have been documented cases of skunks entering homes through pet doors, dining with the family cat and finding a quiet closet or empty bed to spend the night, he said.

As long as the skunk does not feel threatened, it won't spray, Gleason said.

"This is not my fault," Nordheim said. "You ask anybody in the village, there's been a skunk problem here for 100 years during this time of year. Skunks hide in the winter. They come out as soon as it's warm. They'll be gone as soon as it's cold again."

A Department of Environmental Conservation official said it's not illegal for residents to feed any wild animal, except deer.

"My concern is we have small children between us and where the skunks are being fed," Hebert said. "They parade between the two yards, past the children. I saw eight in a row a couple of weeks ago that literally paraded past the small children. Sooner or later, someone is going to get bit."

No one in the neighborhood has been bitten or sprayed, the neighbors said. Skunks are, according to several Web sites, major hosts for rabies.

Liverpool Mayor Marlene Ward said there's little village government can do to help eradicate the problem. She encouraged residents to take advantage of Gleason's trapping service. As part of a contract with the town of Salina, village residents can pay a one-time fee of $16 for Gleason to set as many traps as needed.

Ward also said she'd have codes enforcement look into regulations for the compost pile, which is behind a shed owned by Willard Bahn, of 203 Third St.

Bahn said he hasn't used the compost pile for about two years. It appears others in the neighborhood are throwing grass clippings and brush into the pile, along with discarded food.

"Skunks adapt well to neighborhoods," Gleason said.

He recommends that residents keep pet foods inside, keep lids on trash cans and cover compost piles.

Tom Leo can be reached at tleo@syracuse.com or 470-6013.