The manager of a six-unit rental building located in Saint-Jean-Baptiste, at the foot of Mont Saint-Hilaire, sought our team’s expertise after several tenants on the ground floor reported a particularly strong sulphurous smell coming from the crawl space under the building. In the context of a condominium or apartment building, the presence of a skunk takes on a collective dimension: the smell spreads quickly from one apartment to another via plumbing ducts and cracks in the floor. A rapid and coordinated response was required.
Diagnosis of infestation in the crawl space
Inspection of the crawl space, which was accessible through an outdoor wooden hatch, revealed clear signs of prolonged occupancy: soil disturbed over several areas, organic matter accumulated in an improvised nest and, above all, a high concentration of odour in a specific location indicating that the animal had sprayed inside the void itself. Two openings in the bottom of the foundation, one of which was caused by the partial collapse of a concrete block, constituted the access roads. Our exterminator in Saint-Jean-Baptiste also noted the presence of insects attracted by the residual materials left by the animal, which indicated a presence of several weeks.
It is important to note that in Saint-Jean-Baptiste, a residential and agricultural municipality neighbouring Beloeil and Mont-Saint-Hilaire, buildings built in the 1970s and 1980s often have crawl spaces that are less well protected than recent constructions, which makes them prime targets for wildlife looking for shelter in cold weather or for calving.
Secure capture in a multi-home context
Setting traps in an inhabited building requires extra precautions. Our technicians informed the manager and the tenants concerned of the progress of the intervention to avoid any unauthorized manipulation of the equipment. Covered cage traps were positioned at the two identified openings, with bait made from fatty foods. Verification visits were scheduled early in the morning to avoid disturbing tenants.
In less than forty-eight hours, an adult skunk had been captured at one of the entrances. Prolonged surveillance for three more days confirmed that no other individuals were in the crawl space. Capturing skunks in a multi-residential environment requires this patience: females can be accompanied by young in the spring, and it is imperative to ensure that all individuals have left the premises before definitively sealing the access.
Decontamination of the crawl space
Once the animal was removed, the crawl space was thoroughly decontaminated and disinfected . Accumulated organic matter (litter, faeces, food scraps) was collected and disposed of according to biological waste management standards. The soil was then treated with an enzymatic disinfectant that neutralizes the thiole compounds responsible for the skunk’s characteristic odour. This treatment is essential to prevent the smell from lingering in the dwellings and other wild animals from being attracted by the olfactory traces left by the previous occupant.
Closure and sustainable prevention
Both openings were filled: the collapsed concrete block was replaced with a fast-setting mortar, and thick galvanized wire mesh was anchored to the entire base of the building, including a buried section to prevent digging. The building manager was advised on the preventive maintenance to be carried out each fall, including the inspection of the bottom of the foundation and the securing of the garbage rooms, which are one of the main sources of food for skunks in urban areas. Our extermination company ensures rigorous monitoring to ensure that the solutions put in place remain effective in the long term. A verification visit was scheduled four weeks after the closure of the accesses to confirm the absence of any new animal activity in the crawl space. Tenants have also been informed of the signs to look out for, including an increase in odours or scratching noises at night. For examples of comparable achievements, see our report on a similar intervention in a residential building as well as our work on the management of raccoons in urban areas.