Calgary skunk explosion keeps pest experts busy

Have you noticed something pungent in the air lately?

According to one Calgary pest control company, city skunks are breeding like bunnies.

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Canex Pest Control has set more than 200 traps this year — that's about triple the number they were putting out five years ago. The company has also had to hire more staff to deal with the little stinkers.

"We've been running like rented mules," operations manager, Mike Zborosky, told the Calgary Eyeopener Wednesday.

He suspects the population explosion is due to more baby skunks surviving the winters, which have been fairly mild over the last few years.

The company does not kill the skunks, but relocates them outside the city.

• Has your pet sprayed by a skunk? How did you get rid of the stink?  Leave your comments below.

Homeowner responsibility

If you discover a stink bomb nesting under your deck, don't expect the the City of Calgary or the province to come to the rescue.

"The city bylaw department, or parks, we cannot do anything about it," said Coun. Sean Chu. 

"Any wildlife actually belongs to the province."

However, Alberta Fish and Wildlife only deals with big game — like moose, wolves, cougars and bears, meaning homeowners must set their own traps and call pest control to take away the critters.​

With files from the Calgary Eyeopener