Skunks can't stand the smell of old fashioned Pine-Sol disinfectant. To repel Skunks or get them to move from under a building, soak a rag with Pine-Sol cleaner and stuff it down their burrow or soak a boundary line you don't want them to cross. You can also staple rolled up towels under your deck and soak them with Pine Sol. Skunks are primarily crepuscular (active during dusk & dawn) and will usually spend the day in their dens, so if you wait for them to leave before deploying the Pine-Sol you will often be able to persuade a skunk family to find an alternate den site after they return.
Skunks will only spray as a last resort. They only have a limited amount of spray in their arsenal, and it takes a while to recharge their scent glands so they try not to use their ultimate defense weapon unless they have to. When a skunk decides to use the nuclear option, it swivels so that its face and butt are both pointing at the threat, it then ejects its two spray nozzles on either side of the anus and aims at the eyes of the presumed predator. A full blast can travel twelve feet. The thiols in the spray are such potent irritants that they can cause nausea and temporary blindness and can stop a bear. You can feel perfectly comfortable in the vicinity of skunks as long as the skunk is comfortable in the vicinity of you. If they feel nervous, they will pause, look at you, and stomp their front feet. If you move toward them, they next try a handstand to display their bold stripes which are a warning coloration. That's a sure sign it's time to back away. Dogs don't know any better so they usually jump right into the fray and get sprayed. That's also why they usually end up with a snout full of porcupine quills after they mess with these gentle creatures who would rather be left alone just like the skunks.
