Can Cinnamon Really Help Keep Skunks Out Of My Yard?

Figuring out ways to get unwanted skunks out of your yard protects you and your pets from the dangers of these pests. Although you may worry primarily about being sprayed with its foul-smelling odor, these animals can cause a lot of other problems for you during an encounter, including causing rabies from a bite, bringing unwanted parasites onto the property, and spreading salmonella. One option you have is to use certain odors or spices to try to turn these animals away, such as cinnamon. You can potentially use it in its powder form, as whole sticks, or you can try mixing it with water to create a spray you can use around the property. You also can make use of essential cinnamon oils to try to drive skunks away. 

Skunks have a strong sense of smell, which makes them especially susceptible to spices and oils with powerful odors. Many times, strong smells will cause the skunk to leave the area without causing any harm. Because they have such sensitive noses, some people recommend creating a mixture of powders with cinnamon. For example, you could mix the cinnamon with cayenne pepper, chili powder, Cajun seasoning, and other spicy powders to irritate the animal's nose. Each skunk is a little different, so cinnamon may not work on all of them.

Trying to repel skunks with a spray or powder works better when you have an idea where these animals may be entering your yard. Spreading cinnamon powder around the entire perimeter of your yard might take quite a bit of product. Instead, concentrate the powder, sticks, or spray in areas where these animals commonly appear.

It's better to apply the cinnamon spray, oil, stick, or powder and leave it in place, hoping that it keeps the animal from ever approaching you versus confronting it and risking an attack. In other words, you don't want to try to chase the skunk and throw powder at it or try to spray it. A skunk can accurately aim its disgusting spray up to 15 feet, so it's doubtful you could move close enough to deploy your cinnamon before the pest sprays you.

Skunks are known to dig in a vegetable garden and eat some of your vegetables. It's safe to use a sprinkle of cinnamon in your garden without affecting plants, so you can deploy it near the plants without harming them. They also could dig in your garbage, creating quite a mess, or they may try to create a nest in a crawl space. If you believe that skunks are causing problems in these areas for you, consider concentrating the cinnamon in these areas.