Do Coffee Grounds Repel Skunks?

Coffee grounds are one of the best ways to keep these little critters away! They don’t like the smell of coffee. So if you scatter coffee grounds around your yard or inside your garden, they’ll stay out. 

I've heard that some people use ground cloves in this same way, too - it might be worth mixing some in with your backyard oasis for extra protection. After all, why should you have to deal with skunks if you don't have to?

Skunks and raccoons are both pretty intelligent animals, so they tend to find accessible food sources for them to reach. One of the most accessible places for them to get a hold of food is your garbage can. 

It can be a pretty smelly experience for you - because even if the smell seems like it's gone once you take out the trash, it doesn't end there. 

From my own experience with this, I’ve found coffee grounds working the best to keep skunks away. 

Coffee grounds are made of coffee beans, and they contain volatile oils that skunks find off-putting. The oils don't smell like coffee at all, and the powdery texture of the grounds makes them ideal for scaring skunks away. 

If you can sprinkle these grounds into your garbage can or even around it on the ground, you’re more likely to keep your trash area safe from skunk attacks!

How Do Coffee Grounds Keep Skunks Away?

Coffee grinds contain a bitter odour that, unlike black pepper and capsaicin (or chilli peppers), does not irritate skunks’ sinuses while deterring them. 

However, this aroma is powerful enough to upset skunks in a less abrasive fashion while also alerting them to the presence of humans in the vicinity (similar to how urine repels skunks) and warning them not to enter the area.

Coffee grounds are not only effective at repelling skunks, but they are also excellent for composting. Use the grounds in your garden to not only keep skunks away but also to feed your plants and keep other rodent-like critters at bay. 

Coffee grounds, especially those from regular caffeinated coffee beans, are also a great addition to your compost for soil fertilization and the prevention of soil erosion.

How to Use Coffee Grounds to Repel Skunks

To keep skunks away from your garden and compost area, sprinkle fresh or dry coffee grounds around the edges of your garden beds. 

Thick layers of coffee grounds mustn't sit in one spot for long; either sprinkle them in thin lines or use a light sprinkling every few feet. 

Coffee grounds are also a great addition to your compost pile; after mixing them with other materials, they will help neutralize odours while breaking down vegetable matter.

Coffee grounds are also excellent at keeping other critters away as well. For example, use them to keep those pesky mice away from the pet food and bird feeders that have absorbed their habitat over time. 

Coffee grounds are also a natural deterrent for raccoons and rabbits, which can be a real nuisance around your trash cans and compost area.

What Else Can You Do to Repel Skunks?

Skunks are attracted to the odour of your garbage and will invade your trash cans if you do not take appropriate measures.

Keep your trash cans secured to prevent skunk break-ins and remove any bags filled with scraps or other food residue. 

If you take these simple precautions, you should see a decline in skunk sightings around your yard and property lines.

Will Coffee Grounds Deter Skunks in the Long Run?

Quite possible, yes. That, however, is entirely dependent on how much coffee you consume!

If you maintain reapplying coffee grounds outside daily or biweekly, the skunks will likely stay away. However, there is always the possibility of habituation, in which skunks become accustomed to the smell and then realize that humans would not hurt them. 

To avoid this, combine the coffee ground method with our guide on utilizing motion sensor lights to deter animals and wildlife. 

Are There Any other ways to keep Skunks away?

Yes. There are several DIY ways to deter skunks from your property. A popular one involves using ammonia and various scents that you should sprinkle around your yard.

Additionally, you can use cayenne pepper, clove, or even moth balls when attempting to deter skunks from your home. 

Cayenne pepper is a chemical that will repel skunks, deer, and coyotes; it even repels mountain lions. However, this method of repellent may not be the best choice.

Not only does it smell like chilli peppers, but cayenne pepper will also cause you to sweat more when it touches your skin. 

Mothballs are something that most people can use for improvised organic methods of keeping animals away from their yard and garden.  

They smell terrible and will keep skunks away from your yard, but it is essential to know that these toxic chemicals can be dangerous to your health if you are exposed to them in high concentrations for long periods. Therefore, you need to use them carefully as a repellent should.

Some people also use natural repellents to keep skunks at bay. These substances will repel skunks while having little or no negative impact on the environment. Peppermint oil is one of the most common essential oils to keep skunks away. 

The natural, minty aroma of peppermint oil can effectively keep skunks away from your yard and garden without harming them. 

Additionally, baking soda has proven effective at repelling animals and pests; it is abrasive to the mucous membrane lining of a skunk’s nose while simultaneously irritating them. As with peppermint oil, baking soda has little impact on the environment.

What smells do skunks hate?

They hate citrus, ammonia, mothballs, and predator urine. The smell of other animals is usually not a problem; they will usually sniff the air around them and then move away.
They are also just as likely to avoid areas that have the smell of cats, which can be taken advantage of by using cat urine to repel skunks.

What is the best deterrent for skunks?

Bright lights are always a good deterrent to use when deterring skunks and other mammals.
They seem to be able to see more in the dark than they can with their eyes open, so using lights will help them live in a safer environment while also keeping their night vision intact.
Others use motion-activated lights as an alternative; that way, skunks may not be able to see well enough to detect human movement at night.

The takeaway:

Coffee grounds can keep skunks away by repugnancy from a distance. Coffee grounds may seem to be a viable option for keeping skunks out of your garden and compost piles, but other methods work just as well.

The most important thing is to be consistent with keeping skunks away from your yard and gardens. If you notice skunks trying to come to your property, you can make small changes over time that will improve the odds of keeping them out.

Have you used coffee grounds to deter skunk attacks? Did it work for you? We’d love to hear about your experience! Let us know in the comments section below.