I Fix Things
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I’ve had a problem recently, which most of us don’t need to deal with -- skunks under the house.
Need a little history first. When the foundation for my new house was poured -- concrete strip around the edges and two down the middle -- I asked if I shouldn’t have an opening dug underneath the outer strip for the water-line access, before the house was brought in. They assured me that, no, plumbers had a machine to do it with the house in place, and that way we could be sure it was in the correct place.
One of these days I’ll learn to be more suspicious of the ‘experts’. Maybe the plumbers in Lubbock have such machines, but the plumbers in Hobbs told me it was impossible. So, I have some water-line sticking out of the wall. To prevent freezing, I [a] put on a heat-tape, [b] put foam-tube insulation around it, and [c] put a box built of insulation-board around that, to create a dead-air space. (The pipe is on the north side of the building.) Then I put cement blocks around the box, and laid boards over the top of the blocks, because I knew the cats would lie up there -- and break down the box if there wasn’t something stronger to protect it.
Mid-summer last year, I saw some baby skunks coming out from under the cement block. When I checked, an adult had dug a tunnel underneath; I assumed the mama was nesting in the space inside the insulated box around the pipe -- about 2 feet by 2 feet. Unfortunately, if I ever need access to under the house, which is closed off by a piece of plywood and cement blocks, I need to move the pipe-box as well. But I figured the skunks would move out eventually, so no problem.
Then one day, as I was passing the spot, I heard the distinct sound of claws on wood coming from behind the pipe-box. Oh. My. God. They managed to go through the wood and actually get under the house? Much bigger problem; if I need to crawl under there to do some kind of repairs -- or send someone else -- the chance of meeting a skunk is not a pleasant prospect. OTOH, they weren’t stinking the place up, so I decided to worry about it later.
‘Later’ started happening about six weeks ago; I’m guessing it was mating season. Every evening I’d hear squeaking under the house, and then one or the other would let go with a scent-burst. Now, that was rough; even burning lots of scented candles, the smell was literally stomach-churning for about half an hour afterward. And it was much too cold to open the windows, except maybe an hour after school, which helped dissipate the residual odor, but then it would be ‘renewed’ after dark. Not only was that bad, I didn’t want another generation of skunks roosting under the house. (I have two sheds on cement blocks -- hidey-holes under there -- and a place where they can get under the barn. They don’t need my house, dammit!)
So, check with friends and the internet. Most common suggestion -- get light in the area. Since skunks are nocturnal, it should drive them away.
Oooh-kaaay... sounds sensible. I wasn’t sure it would work, since it’s a big area, and I wasn’t sure I’d be able to light it enough. But I was game to try.
However, that led to another problem -- how to get the lights set up under there without actually crawling under and clamping them to the struts. Being skunk-sprayed while trying to drive skunks out is not my idea of a winning scenario.
I had to let that percolate for awhile, considering and discarding half-formed ideas. (I just realized -- this is how I devise most of my fix-its around the place... and how I write fanfic! Always wondered why I wrote that way, but now it looks like my brain uses that method for more than just writing.)
But I finally figured it out, using the materials I had available:
Two 8-foot 2x4 boards
Two 16-inch 1x2 wooden stakes, pointed end optional
Two clamp-lamps with reflector shield
Two floodlight bulbs
Two extension cords
One power strip
Roll of electrical tape
Here’s how I did it --
1. Put a stake crosswise about 6 inches from the end of a 2x4; secure with copious amounts of electrical tape. This will give the 2x4 more stability as I move it around, less likely to tip.
2. Put the clamp-lamp a little behind the taped stake. Discover that the clamp barely opens enough to span the 2x4 laid flat. (I didn’t want to have the 2x4 on edge; even with the stake to stabilize it, it might be knocked over.) So, secure the clamps to the board with copious amounts of electrical tape.
3. The power cord doesn’t reach the end of the 2x4. Therefore, plug it into an extension cord. Wrap the join with a couple of rounds of electrical tape, to prevent them being pulled apart.
4. Put floodlight bulb into lamp socket.
5. Repeat 1 - 4 with the other half of the materials. Ensure that the clamp-lamp on this unit is facing the opposite direction from the first one.
6. Carry both rigs to the back of the house, and the power strip.
7. Move the cement blocks out of the way, and the insulation-box, to get to the access port.
8. Discover that the plywood over the opening has a 4-inch gap at the top. I’d forgotten that, but that’s why I put cement blocks to cover the entire opening; I knew cats might squeeze through the gap if it were visible. It never occurred to me that a skunk would tunnel under a cement block, then climb over the plywood -- 2 feet high -- to use the gap. I hadn’t thought I needed to block it off because the box hid it, and there really was no way. But how did she know?!?
9. Move the plywood aside. Unplug the heat tape from the big orange outdoor extension cord that leads to the garage. Plug the power strip into the big orange cord, then plug the heat tape and both clamp-lamp extensions into the power strip.
10. Turn on clamp-lamps to be sure I’m getting power. Then turn off the power strip; I don’t want to spook the skunks as I put the lights in place.
11. Carefully push one rig in the hole, sliding it on the stake cross-piece. Push it as far under as the board will reach. Repeat with the other one. Lights face in opposite directions, pointing at each end of the house.
12. Turn on power strip. Lights!
13. Replace plywood -- leaving a gap at the side so they can get out easily -- then insulation box to cover that gap, and cement blocks to cover everything else.
14. Wait three days until it’s not so damp. Sprinkle a good layer of flour in front of the access hole the skunks made under the cement block. (Tip I read about years ago.) Check for footprints in or out every couple of days.
Yesterday (3/5/12) was three weeks since I put in the lights and... no smells, no squeaking, no footprints! \o/ This weekend, I’ll pull the lights out, add a stiff mesh wire to the top of the too-short plywood, fill in the tunnel, and block it off again. Maybe staple some of the wire mesh to the ground around the cement blocks? I’ll have to see if I have enough. And this summer, I’ll keep an eye out for digging!
Sometimes I think town life really isn’t so bad... but nah, I like the space. Born and raised in the suburbs all my life; who knew I was a closet country girl?
ETA: Why is this not crossposting? *grumbles*
Comment here, if you so choose.
.
I’ve had a problem recently, which most of us don’t need to deal with -- skunks under the house.
Need a little history first. When the foundation for my new house was poured -- concrete strip around the edges and two down the middle -- I asked if I shouldn’t have an opening dug underneath the outer strip for the water-line access, before the house was brought in. They assured me that, no, plumbers had a machine to do it with the house in place, and that way we could be sure it was in the correct place.
One of these days I’ll learn to be more suspicious of the ‘experts’. Maybe the plumbers in Lubbock have such machines, but the plumbers in Hobbs told me it was impossible. So, I have some water-line sticking out of the wall. To prevent freezing, I [a] put on a heat-tape, [b] put foam-tube insulation around it, and [c] put a box built of insulation-board around that, to create a dead-air space. (The pipe is on the north side of the building.) Then I put cement blocks around the box, and laid boards over the top of the blocks, because I knew the cats would lie up there -- and break down the box if there wasn’t something stronger to protect it.
Mid-summer last year, I saw some baby skunks coming out from under the cement block. When I checked, an adult had dug a tunnel underneath; I assumed the mama was nesting in the space inside the insulated box around the pipe -- about 2 feet by 2 feet. Unfortunately, if I ever need access to under the house, which is closed off by a piece of plywood and cement blocks, I need to move the pipe-box as well. But I figured the skunks would move out eventually, so no problem.
Then one day, as I was passing the spot, I heard the distinct sound of claws on wood coming from behind the pipe-box. Oh. My. God. They managed to go through the wood and actually get under the house? Much bigger problem; if I need to crawl under there to do some kind of repairs -- or send someone else -- the chance of meeting a skunk is not a pleasant prospect. OTOH, they weren’t stinking the place up, so I decided to worry about it later.
‘Later’ started happening about six weeks ago; I’m guessing it was mating season. Every evening I’d hear squeaking under the house, and then one or the other would let go with a scent-burst. Now, that was rough; even burning lots of scented candles, the smell was literally stomach-churning for about half an hour afterward. And it was much too cold to open the windows, except maybe an hour after school, which helped dissipate the residual odor, but then it would be ‘renewed’ after dark. Not only was that bad, I didn’t want another generation of skunks roosting under the house. (I have two sheds on cement blocks -- hidey-holes under there -- and a place where they can get under the barn. They don’t need my house, dammit!)
So, check with friends and the internet. Most common suggestion -- get light in the area. Since skunks are nocturnal, it should drive them away.
Oooh-kaaay... sounds sensible. I wasn’t sure it would work, since it’s a big area, and I wasn’t sure I’d be able to light it enough. But I was game to try.
However, that led to another problem -- how to get the lights set up under there without actually crawling under and clamping them to the struts. Being skunk-sprayed while trying to drive skunks out is not my idea of a winning scenario.
I had to let that percolate for awhile, considering and discarding half-formed ideas. (I just realized -- this is how I devise most of my fix-its around the place... and how I write fanfic! Always wondered why I wrote that way, but now it looks like my brain uses that method for more than just writing.)
But I finally figured it out, using the materials I had available:
Two 8-foot 2x4 boards
Two 16-inch 1x2 wooden stakes, pointed end optional
Two clamp-lamps with reflector shield
Two floodlight bulbs
Two extension cords
One power strip
Roll of electrical tape
Here’s how I did it --
1. Put a stake crosswise about 6 inches from the end of a 2x4; secure with copious amounts of electrical tape. This will give the 2x4 more stability as I move it around, less likely to tip.
2. Put the clamp-lamp a little behind the taped stake. Discover that the clamp barely opens enough to span the 2x4 laid flat. (I didn’t want to have the 2x4 on edge; even with the stake to stabilize it, it might be knocked over.) So, secure the clamps to the board with copious amounts of electrical tape.
3. The power cord doesn’t reach the end of the 2x4. Therefore, plug it into an extension cord. Wrap the join with a couple of rounds of electrical tape, to prevent them being pulled apart.
4. Put floodlight bulb into lamp socket.
5. Repeat 1 - 4 with the other half of the materials. Ensure that the clamp-lamp on this unit is facing the opposite direction from the first one.
6. Carry both rigs to the back of the house, and the power strip.
7. Move the cement blocks out of the way, and the insulation-box, to get to the access port.
8. Discover that the plywood over the opening has a 4-inch gap at the top. I’d forgotten that, but that’s why I put cement blocks to cover the entire opening; I knew cats might squeeze through the gap if it were visible. It never occurred to me that a skunk would tunnel under a cement block, then climb over the plywood -- 2 feet high -- to use the gap. I hadn’t thought I needed to block it off because the box hid it, and there really was no way. But how did she know?!?
9. Move the plywood aside. Unplug the heat tape from the big orange outdoor extension cord that leads to the garage. Plug the power strip into the big orange cord, then plug the heat tape and both clamp-lamp extensions into the power strip.
10. Turn on clamp-lamps to be sure I’m getting power. Then turn off the power strip; I don’t want to spook the skunks as I put the lights in place.
11. Carefully push one rig in the hole, sliding it on the stake cross-piece. Push it as far under as the board will reach. Repeat with the other one. Lights face in opposite directions, pointing at each end of the house.
12. Turn on power strip. Lights!
13. Replace plywood -- leaving a gap at the side so they can get out easily -- then insulation box to cover that gap, and cement blocks to cover everything else.
14. Wait three days until it’s not so damp. Sprinkle a good layer of flour in front of the access hole the skunks made under the cement block. (Tip I read about years ago.) Check for footprints in or out every couple of days.
Yesterday (3/5/12) was three weeks since I put in the lights and... no smells, no squeaking, no footprints! \o/ This weekend, I’ll pull the lights out, add a stiff mesh wire to the top of the too-short plywood, fill in the tunnel, and block it off again. Maybe staple some of the wire mesh to the ground around the cement blocks? I’ll have to see if I have enough. And this summer, I’ll keep an eye out for digging!
Sometimes I think town life really isn’t so bad... but nah, I like the space. Born and raised in the suburbs all my life; who knew I was a closet country girl?
ETA: Why is this not crossposting? *grumbles*
Comment here, if you so choose.
.