When let out, it produces a pungent odor that deters any potential predator. Plant Life. As well they will eat amphibians such as frogs, reptiles, and fish. "Yes, the digging definitely looks like skunks looking for food," Mueller said. Skunks are omnivorous but especially fond of insects, earthworms, small amphibians, mushrooms, small mammals, as well as fruits and nuts when seasonally available. Skunks can be very nice to have around because they dig up and feed on the larvae of cutworms, Japanese beetles, hornworms, and other crop-destroying insect life. However, skunks are not only partial to insects; they will eat leaves, buds, grasses, grains, garbage, any fruit or berries within reach, and even small game. So, like possums, armadillos and moles, skunks are diggers. Insects are their preferred food, and make up the bulk of their diet in spring and summer. Skunks don’t normally enjoy eating plants as they would much rather prefer to eat small animal prey but they do what they can to survive. During the fall and winter months when food options are limited they sometimes adapt to a plant-based diet. Skunks possess a set of anal sweat glands that contain a liquid these animals use to defend themselves from predators. While capable of digging their own winter burrows, skunks are more inclined to seek residency in spaces that belong to someone else. Skunks eat equal amounts of plant and animal foods during fall and winter. Green grass in the spring and summer makes the landscaping look appealing. Skunks also eat mice, young rabbits, ground squirrels, voles, birds and … Their diets also include crayfish, small animals, birds and their eggs, frogs and turtle eggs – if they can find them. What do skunks eat in the winter? In the fall and all during the growing season, skunks are on the patrol for earthworms, grubs and a variety of soil insects. Skunks enjoy a diet that extends into fallen fruit like mulberries, raspberries, cherries and grapes. Nevertheless, skunks can still fall prey to several would … Signs you may have skunks. Skunks may also dig for grubs in the yard when wet soil conditions push grubs close to the surface — their … (for more, click the Read More link) The fall is when the young leave the nest. "They cause quite a bit of damage in the spring and late summer/fall feeding on grubs, earthworms etc." In doing so, the skunks dig holes the size of a quarter in diameter and 1 to 2 inches deep to eat the grubs. A skunk can tear up a garden or lawn looking for insect larvae. They mate and give birth in the spring, so that's not what it's about. Bees, grasshoppers and beetles are common fare. The family group breaks up in the fall and the young move to new territory. The skunk searches out the grubs underground. They also will eat … All the skunks, young and adults alike, go wandering off, looking for food and searching out good places to make their winter dens. Skunks are night feeders that have a keen sense of smell. Skunks can be very smelly, especially from the mating season through the whelping season, if the female fights off a male. Young skunks usually disperse during the fall of their first year. Grubs are the staple of the skunk diet. This includes securing trash, covering window wells, feeding pets indoors, or if fed outdoors, removing food immediately after pets eat. Striped skunks use different den sites at different times of year, so their winter burrow will usually not be the same place where they raised their young. They do what's called the "fall shuffle." They generally travel about six to 10 km in search of a new home; however, extremes of up to 50 km have been recorded.