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Skunk, Muskrat, and Miscellaneous Wildlife Control in North Georgia

Rid-A-Critter is the largest full-service, regional wildlife management company in our region. We can help with almost any animal control problem. Some animals, however, don't make nuisances of themselves often enough to earn their own page on our site, so we've set aside this page for those "occasional" nuisances who haven't made the big leagues yet.

Skunks and their Control

A striped skunk walking through a field

Skunks are just one of the many animals we trap and remove

Skunks (sometimes called polecats) are among the most misunderstood animals in the South. This misunderstanding begins with their taxonomic order. Although often mistakenly thought to be rodents, they aren't rodents at all.

Skunks actually belong to the order Carnivora, although they are omnivores who also eat leaves, grasses, berries, and other plant products in addition to insects and small animals. Although they sometimes eat field crops, in balance skunks probably are mainly beneficial to agriculture because the insects and rodents they eat cause more crop damage than the skunks do.

Contrary to popular belief, skunks aren't "mean" animals. As wild animals go, they're actually relatively passive and rarely attack unless they're afraid for their lives. When that happens, however, watch out. Skunks are capable of spraying a noxious, foul-smelling, irritating liquid with great accuracy at whomever or whatever startled them. The liquid is potent enough that even bears are repelled by it.

But because a skunk's scent glands only hold about 15 cc of the liquid and it can take more than a week to refill them, they spray only as a last resort. They also provide plenty of warning before they spray, which may include snarling, baring their teeth, stamping their feet, raising their tail, or any combination of the above.

Muskrats and their Control

Muskrat swimming in the water

Muskrats are semi-aquatic rodents and are common throughout Georgia.

 

Muskrats are small, semi-aquatic mammals found throughout Georgia and most of North America. Muskrats usually live along the banks of rivers, ponds, and streams, where they build lodges of twigs, weeds, cattails, and mud. They are named for the scent glands located under their tails, from which they emit a musk-like substance that's used mainly to mark their territory.

Muskrats weigh two to four pounds, on average, and have rich, brown fur. Their front feet have sharp claws that they use for grasping plants and prey, and their hind feet are broad and webbed for swimming. They also have a unique tail: It's long and thin like a rat's tail, but it's shaped like a knife standing on edge (that is, the tail is taller than it is wide).

Muskrats trapping and muskrat control become necessary when muskrats damage earth dams and sea walls by their burrowing and lodge construction. They also can cause flooding when they clog conduits, culverts, and storm drains.

Muskrats are also nuisance wildlife around farms and gardens, where they often feed on growing crops. They especially seem to like eating eggplant, zucchini, pumpkins, and other squash; and they have an annoying habit of taking just a single nibble or two out of every single squash in a planted row, destroying the whole harvest for a few morsels of food.

Other Assorted Critters

Over the years, we've handled a wide variety of animals that don't become nuisances frequently enough to justify their own pages on our site. These include chickens, feral cats, turtles, lizards, and many other critters. Here are some pictures of skunks, muskrats, and other miscellaneous animals and their control.

Left pointing arrow. Right pointing arrow.

Chipmunk gnawed a hole through a silver clothes dryer duct
Chipmunk damage to a dryer duct in Jasper
American tree from sitting on the rain gutter cover of a house
American tree frog on a rain gutter
Muskrat in a box trap in LaGrange, Georgia
Muskrat trapped in LaGrange, Georgia
Skunk control expert David Cox and his son with a captured skunk
David Cox and his son on midnight skunk patrol
A skunk walking through a field
Skunks are common nuisance animals in our area
Muskrat swimming
Muskrat swimming in a creek
Muskrats holes adjacent to a sea wall
Muskrat damage to a sea wall
Kitten trapped in the crawl space of a house in Carrollton, Georgia
Kitten rescued from house in Carrollton
Feral cat in a trap in McDonough, Georgia
Feral cat captured in McDonough, Georgia
Technician holding a chicken trapped in Carrolton, Georgia
Chicken control in Carrolton, Georgia
Muskrat trapped in Columbus, Georgia
Muskrat caught in Columbus, Georgia
Groundhog being held by an animal control expert in Canton, Georgia
Groundhog trapped in Canton, Georgia
Hole in a brick foundation allowed bears to get into a house in Georgia
Black Bear Entry into a Home
Baby rabbits removed from under a porch in Atlanta
Baby bunnies removed from under a porch

With animal control specialists living and working throughout North Georgia, Rid-A-Critter has the tools and personnel to handle any animal control job. Please call us today for help with any animal problem.

 

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Spending this Sunday resting up for a big week ahead.
by Chad W.
Sep 10, 2023 08:32:59 am.

Finished up an exclusion before it for too hot outside. Perks of getting up early and getting started.
by Chad W.
Aug 26, 2023 11:03:43 am.

It’s a hot one today. Headed to Jasper Ga to look for a dead animal under a house
by Chad W.
Aug 24, 2023 01:11:32 pm.

Resting up for another full week of critter ridding.
by Chad W.
Aug 20, 2023 06:11:58 pm.

There is nothing like waking up and looking forward to going to going to work. I love my job and am blessed to be in the position I’m in.
by Chad W.
Aug 19, 2023 07:28:21 am.

Headed to Birmingham to do a raccoon quote. Got another raccoon quote in irondale. Squirrels will be active soon. Call Ridacritter for your free exclusion quote.
by Chris Scott
Aug 18, 2023 09:57:39 am.

A dentist office in Stone Mountain has a dead animal smell that needs checked out this morning
by Chad W.
Aug 16, 2023 07:11:34 am.

Sun’s out in Marietta. Getting hot
by Chad W.
Aug 14, 2023 02:51:31 pm.

Sun’s out in Marietta. Getting hot
by Chad W.
Aug 14, 2023 10:59:56 am.

Headed to Birmingham to seal a bottom transition that snake are entering through. We have a big bat exclusion in sylacauga today.
by Chris Scott
Aug 11, 2023 09:45:07 am.

Installed some crawlspace vent covers in Cartersville then checked out some gutters in Big Canoe
by Chad W.
Aug 09, 2023 02:13:17 pm.

Villa Rica to get some materials, Cartersville to screen some crawlspace vents, then Big Canoe to clean out a gutter for a customer. Busy day
by Chad W.
Aug 09, 2023 06:04:59 am.

Started with bats I Talbotton Ga, Bats in the attic in Manchester Ga. Now to Tyrone Ga for rodents in a home.
by Jason Arruda
Aug 01, 2023 12:52:34 pm.

Taking this Sunday to rest up for a big week. Gonna be a hot one
by Chad W.
Jul 30, 2023 08:20:46 am.

Mountains this morning to check out some carpenter bee and woodpecker damage then to Atlanta to trap a raccoon that’s trying to break in
by Chad W.
Jul 18, 2023 06:42:06 am.

Mountains this morning to check out some carpenter bee and woodpecker damage then to Atlanta to trap a raccoon that’s trying to break in
by Chad W.
Jul 17, 2023 06:12:21 am.

Headed to Tuscaloosa. Going to quote a client that has rats and bats. Got a few traps to check around the Birmingham area. Then to Lincoln for a flying squirrel quote.
by Chris Scott
Jul 13, 2023 08:23:51 am.

Villa Rica this morning to pick up some material then to Cartersville to look at a house with problems in the crawlspace
by Chad W.
Jul 12, 2023 05:50:08 am.

Quoting exclusions today, Tifton Ga bats this morning and more bats in Americus Ga this afternoon. Bats in the attic, bats in the house!
by Jason Arruda
Jul 11, 2023 01:35:50 pm.

Headed to Loganville Ga this morning to seal a house and install ridgeguard. Then to Duluth to check some traps
by Chad W.
Jul 11, 2023 06:30:46 am.

Another happy customer in Duluth Ga
by Chad W.
Jul 09, 2023 11:27:57 am.

Atlanta this morning to seal a house and do some ridgeguard. Then to Cleveland Ga to seal some carpenter bee holes
by Chad W.
Jul 07, 2023 06:46:37 am.

In Anniston to look a customer’s chimney. I believe he has chimney swifts nesting in the flue pipe. Going to Leeds after that to set some mouse traps. Couple stops in Birmingham for squirrels and rats later today.
by Chris Scott
Jul 05, 2023 09:10:06 am.

Another good day in the critter industry in the south ga region. Time to call it a day.
by Jason Arruda
Jun 28, 2023 05:53:20 pm.

We will be going around removing traps and deodorizing now that we have stopped all critter activity. Love seeing happy customers!
by Brandon C.
Jun 28, 2023 06:41:28 am.

Started off today having to get a new phone. At the end of the day we have more Exclusions lined up. Customers from Williamson Ga to Macon Ga. Also saw some clients in Sharpsburg and Peachtree City.
by Jason Arruda
Jun 27, 2023 04:01:52 pm.

Headed to north ga this morning. Blue Ridge , Young Harris, Hiawassee, and Clayton.
by Chad W.
Jun 21, 2023 06:02:36 am.

Headed to Lilburn Ga for a bat quote
by Chad W.
Jun 20, 2023 01:41:56 pm.

Got a few stops in Albany Ga today.
by Jason Arruda
Jun 20, 2023 10:34:47 am.

Rainy day isn’t going to stop production. Lawrenceville, Tucker, Atlanta.
by Chad W.
Jun 19, 2023 07:15:41 am.

Warm Springs Ga bats, Newnan Ga rats just to start off today.
by Jason Arruda
Jun 15, 2023 11:18:36 am.

Hiawassee, Canton, Cartersville, Alpharetta, Winder. Getting around today
by Chad W.
Jun 13, 2023 02:13:41 pm.

Rid-A-Critter provides skunk, muskrat, and miscellaneous animal control services in all of North Georgia, including Athens, Atlanta, Alpharetta, Canton, Carrollton, Cartersville, Cumming, Dacula, Doraville, Ellijay, Flowery Branch, Gainesville, Jasper, Lawrenceville, Loganville, Macon, Milton, Norcross, Rome, Suwanee, Villa Rica, Winston, Woodstock, Young Harris, and everywhere in between.

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