Skunks, not off topic

3isles · Post by **3isles** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 6:49 pm

Ok here's a funny one...(I'm laughing today, but it was all tears yesterday) we have a skunk living under the floor of the kitchen, and it must have had a nightmare sometime early Thursday (12/1). I know because skunk filtered through xpap was enough to wake me from a lovely, hard won (its taken me 6 months to get to be able to sleep with mask on) sleep.

Last night I tried to use it and it still smells too strong. This has happened before in the summer, but back then I was hardly able to use the machine at all anyway, so I just bagged it. Now I have been using it nearly every night for about 40 days, I don't want to loose ground. The house still smells, and shooting it right up my nose is just not pleasant. I expect the answer is the same as for the rest of the house, its just going to have to wear off.

Just thought I'd share this charming anecdote.

Swordz · Post by **Swordz** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 12:57 pm

Wow, that stinks! (HA, you know you all thought it, I was just the 1st to post it!)

Seriously tho, what do you do to get that stink out of your machine?

3isles · Post by **3isles** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 5:14 pm

lol yeah, totally stinks!

As to the smell in the machine, it just sort of fades after a while, but the air in the house needs to lose the fragrance first. When it happened in the summer, I was already so non complient I just quit using xpap for weeks. Last night I put some grapefruit oil on a tissue and put in near, but not touching the air intake. It helped, and of course since I hadn't slept much the night before, I was tired enough...and then there is that little pill... so I made it through using the machine all night. Not the best smell, but breathing is so important to me...

If that varment lets loose again however...

so far in the past two nights we have trapped two cats. They lit out like bullets when we released them, and may I say there are two kitties who will probably NEVER take tuna from strangers again. We're still hoping to catch the real culprit.

Ramona · Post by **Ramona** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 8:52 pm

Have you tried washing your hose then soaking it in it's normal vinegar/water solution as it you were giving it it's weekly cleaning? Might help enough to be able to useit. If that doesn't work, try rubbing a little tomato sauce on your mask and letting some run through the hose, then washing and soaking really well.

3isles · Post by **3isles** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 9:20 pm

Thanks Ramona, the hose solution is certainly worth a try. I did wash out the foam filter. And the mask did not reek after I washed it as usual, I think the smell just was in the room air and its concentrated when its blowing up my nose directly. Bus, it was tolerable last night, and I am sure the hose cleaning will help
Thanks again

Sleeping With The Enemy · Post by **Sleeping With The Enemy** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 11:20 pm

I live out in the country and had that happen earlier this Spring. It was terrible!!!

They kept getting under our back porch and found a hole in the foundation and got into the basement and would spray!!!!!!

I finally threw moth balls under the porch and around the area and they never came back.

I've put vinegar/ammonia in a spray bottle and sprayed it around the house to rid the house of the smell or a vet or Fleet Farm has stuff you can spray in your house to get rid of skunk smell.

I feel for you because I've been there and it ain't pretty!

Good Luck!!

Heidi

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 7:50 am

I can tell you from TWO unfortunate expierences while training a bird dog that tomato juice will do NOTHING to help your problem.

3isles · Post by **3isles** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 12:04 pm

I appreciate the commiseration Heidi, its better here today, and its really cold out, when the temp goes up to 45 or so, it will be moving again. My dh made a one way door, hopefully it will go out on some nice mild evening and not be able to get back in.

and guest thanks for sharing your experience re tomato juice

Swordz · Post by **Swordz** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 6:34 pm

I'm going to start selling bear traps to set next to CPAP's so rodents aren't a problem. Any buyers?

You should see them on cpap.com soon....

3isles · Post by **3isles** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 12:59 pm

Hey Swordz, thats a great idea! Can you make one that simultaneously seals the pest up in plastic for easy and hygienic disposal. I think that would be particularly advisable in the case of our little skunk problem. You can kill 'em, but they get revenge if its the last thing they do.