How long does skunk spray last on wood? Reason I ask, is that all morning I have been moving this years wood into the holding shed. Well got 5 cords in, almost done, and on oe return trip to the stack, tossed an "uglie" onto the end pile. Wouldnt ya know it, the stack explodes in skunk dust! luckly I was still 20 feet away, and caught the smell without getting "hit". As I sit in the house typing right now, with the windows on that side of the house closed I can still smell it. How long does the smell usually last? I've got about 1.5-2 cords sprayed, 1 of wich was supposed to be delivered in 2 weeks. She had already requested that the wood be "washed" before delivery, and given time to dry. That was todays plan, move my wood, and hose her supply down, for stacking in the trailer next week. Any input would help. I've never had to deal with something that couldnt be de-skunked easily.
skunked!
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Oh man! that is one powerful stink. My own experience is from the "fool dog" (2 times, so far, the first was the worst) and a cat. We used one of those stink eating bacteria sprays on them and the worst part of the stink was gone in a few hours, though the "faint essence" lingered for a week+. I don't know how the stuff works on something more inert (firewood), though we had good luck spritzing it on the rugs immediately and every few days after the initial blast.
Personally, I wouldn't care a fig since we don't store wood in the house. And I can't imagine that incinerating the stink would make it worse after it'd been on the wood for a some time.
Interesting question and a bummer since you make money selling skunked firewood. Ouch.
Personally, I wouldn't care a fig since we don't store wood in the house. And I can't imagine that incinerating the stink would make it worse after it'd been on the wood for a some time.
Interesting question and a bummer since you make money selling skunked firewood. Ouch.
She wants the dirt/spider webs/and anything other than wood removed.(she is ok with "other than spider bugs") She is willing to pay, I am willing to supply. (charge an extra 50 bucks per cord) She is rather eccentric to say the least. Her house is light tan, with dark purple brownish accent pieces, and pepto bismol pink flashing. good thing she lives on 40+ acres!Doing The Dixie Eyed Hustle said:
She's a little wacky and yur gonna sell her a load of fumewood
!!?????
Eye gotz a feelin' after you drop the wood ,,,,,That ain't the last yu'll hear from her!
!!?????Eye gotz a feelin' after you drop the wood ,,,,,That ain't the last yu'll hear from her!
LEE you are 100% correct! last year I cleaned her chimney twice, and painted the stack(above roofline) twice. High temp forest green!! her house has faded green metal roofing. She also called to have me move her wood from the chicken coop (where she stores her wood, covered so it don't get pooped on, but so the chickens keep it bug free). her house is on my way home, 5 miles outa my way at most. I also help her in the summer with her livestock. llamas, alpaca, bulls, a few hefers, and about 10 dogs at any given time. she keeps us in healthy supply of pies, cookies, preserves, apple butter and the like. She is not up there in age to far, but has bad arthitis in her hands. she also will leave packages of new clothes for our daughters at our door, even though she says it is not her our neighbor id'ed her a few times.
couldnt you part with a cord that didnt get bombed?
she sounds a little eccentric but very nice to you and your family ;-)
loon
she sounds a little eccentric but very nice to you and your family ;-)
loon
That is what I will end up having to do. Just was hoping to not have to move a cord out that I just put into the shed today. I have no problem with that, but I am down to 8 cords of fully seasoned wood, and dont wanna skunk my house up! I have 20 cord that I proccesed this year, but that will not be ready till jan/feb, maybe later. I stacked 2 cords in a single windrow instead of my normal 10 cord tight packed squares, just to make sure it would be ready.loon said:
Wind and sunlight will help, but I cannot imagine anything that you spray on will do much good in abating the smell, since the wood is porous enough to absorb enough Skunk Juice to act like a reverse air-freshener (un-freshener?) for quite a while.
Out side in the sun for a couple of weeks on the wood that got "hit" might do it. The rest of the wood in the shed might be mostly ok, if you can identify the pieces that were direct hits.
Good luck!!
Out side in the sun for a couple of weeks on the wood that got "hit" might do it. The rest of the wood in the shed might be mostly ok, if you can identify the pieces that were direct hits.
Good luck!!
That wood will hold that smell for a long time. Anytime the wood gets slighlty damp or possibly just humid, you will smell it. I think I would keep that for my own use, but would not sell it, at least not for months. Uncover the wood, get it out in the elements, and wait.
Having had our house get hit by a skunk that wandered into the garage one night when my father left the doors open . . . I suspect the smell will linger for several days to a week. Getting the wood outside in the wind, sun and rain (or just washing it down like you said you were going to do anyways) might speed up the process. Obviously the smell will not linger forever . . . when skunks spray outside you may smell it for a day or two, but it eventually the smell dissipates thanks to the wind and exposure to the elements. I think if you can get the wood out and exposed the wood will be fine in a few days to a week or so.
Pineburner said:
Right there in bold. That is a good enough reason to make this gal happy!
As for the skunk smell, I've not experienced it on a wood pile but when I think about skunk smells, other than road kill, it seems to me it dies off rather fast after they spray out here in the woods. A couple days and sometimes even the next day and the smell is gone. Just the spraying, that is. Kill the critter and that smell lasts a long, long time.
I think it depends on how direct the hit was as well. A long time ago a friends house suffered a direct close range hit from a skunk and the siding was covered with this yellowish orange stain. So it seems that the smell is created by a liquid and gas mixture from the skunk. If it took a direct hit washing it and lots of time will be needed for sure.
Set it aside until next year and it will be scent free.
Skunks spray stuff outside all the time, or get hit, etc- these surfaces all weather it off fairly quick once there's no skunk there. The woods would constantly smell like skunk everywhere if the smell lasted for months outdoors.
Skunks spray stuff outside all the time, or get hit, etc- these surfaces all weather it off fairly quick once there's no skunk there. The woods would constantly smell like skunk everywhere if the smell lasted for months outdoors.
not too many weeks ago I had a "close encounter" with a skunk that wandered into the trap I had set for my cat who is on "walkabout". Most everything lost the scent in a few days, but the trap, which sits outside, and is made of galvanized metal, still has a pungent aroma to it. I can't figure how something that is not porous has held the stink for so long. with any amount of luck the organic nature of wood will accelerate the breakdown of skunk juice to some degree, or like AP says everywhere would smell like skunk.
I think the skunk is the coolest dude in the woods. They will walk right past you- they know you're there, but it's like the guy with the crazy sports car that drives slow. Everyone knows he's got the power- so he has no reason to show it off.
The skunk may be my totem critter
The skunk may be my totem critter
I would give your customer some non skunked wood , why mess up a good account. Use the wood yourself and stick it outside wash it with some skunk deodrizer a few times and then wait it should decrease enough over the next month or so to use with no major problems.
My money is on that stink lasting a long time. It lasts a long time on the car if you hit one. Then the garage smells if you park in there. The dog smelled for weeks or more, especially when it rained. There's an online remedy using peroxide and dish soap that worked wonders the second time the dog took a hit. Look it up and try that.
If was me, I would keep the stink infested wood, and give your generous customer some your trice stacked wood.
Since she wants "cleaned" wood, clean yours also.
I've used a product called "Odoban" or "Odo-Ban" or some thing alone those line of spelling, for cat urine and decayed(ing) animal smells. Worked good full strength, then power-washed a few hours later.
Since she wants "cleaned" wood, clean yours also.
I've used a product called "Odoban" or "Odo-Ban" or some thing alone those line of spelling, for cat urine and decayed(ing) animal smells. Worked good full strength, then power-washed a few hours later.
I have " hydroxyl generators" as part of my mitigation business. In an enclosed space, they can deodorize just about anything. We did deodorize a dog that was skunked pretty much overnight.
I'll be home Saturday if you want to come by to see how they work.
Seriously, you may be able to rent one locally. Anywhere the odor can get, the hydroxyls can get, and work on the molecules responsble for the odor. Ozone generators may work as well, and are more common than what I have
Chris
I'll be home Saturday if you want to come by to see how they work.
Seriously, you may be able to rent one locally. Anywhere the odor can get, the hydroxyls can get, and work on the molecules responsble for the odor. Ozone generators may work as well, and are more common than what I have
Chris
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