Skunks Digging Under Homes To Keep Warm During Cold Temperatures

Fair Oaks (CBS13) - Homeowners beware: skunks are on the prowl looking for a place to stay warm as the weather gets colder.  And one Fair Oaks couple found out just how far those stinky little creatures will go to get out of the cold.

Jean Barry and her husband Bill have been trying to get rid of a skunk that has been stuck in their home's heating duct for three weeks.

"And he'd left his calling card and I thought, 'Oh my God, do we have a problem'", said homeowner Jean Barry. "Saturday night I was up all night.  I could hear him scratching and trying to get out."

The Barry's have tried covering vents and cutting up duct work which has left them without heat.

That's when they called Jeff Duke of Duke's Nuisance Wildlife Control & Removal. 

Skunks are known for their trademark smell, but they are also very clever.  They burrow underneath houses to stay warm and once they're in, they're hard to get out.

Duke crawled under the house and pulled out dozens of feet of duct work, but in the end, came up empty handed.  The theory is the skunk snuck out the same way he snuck in.

Trappers say you should make sure your vents are secure and your duct work is sealed tight.  Otherwise you could end up in a stinky situation just like the Barrys.