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Miscellaneous Nuisance Wildlife Control in Atlanta

The Metro Atlanta Area office of Rid-A-Critter is a full-service animal-control and wildlife-management provider. We provide safe, humane, non-chemical control of many kinds of nuisance animals including some that we don't encounter frequently enough to mention on this site. We'll talk a bit about a few on them on this page. For others, please visit our main company site, or just call us for more information.

Skunk Trapping and Removal

A striped skunk walking through a field

Skunks are common nuisance animals in and around Atlanta

Skunks are small- to medium-sized, mainly carnivorous, mainly-nocturnal animals who are best-known (and most-disliked) for their ability to squirt a foul-smelling liquid at a would-be attacker with a degree of accuracy that would make an artillery commander proud. There are several species of skunks, but the ones we get most often in Atlanta and most of Georgia are striped skunks, whose bodies are predominantly black with a white stripe stretching from the tops of their noses to their tails.

Although generally disliked, and sometimes even feared, by many people, skunks are actually fairly laid-back animals. They don't even like to spray. They almost always give warning before using that powerful weapon, usually by stamping their feet and arching their backs. Most people or animals who get sprayed by skunks got sprayed because even after this warning, they continued doing something that the skunk saw as threat to its life.

The kinds of things that skunks see as a threat (and which you therefore shouldn't do if you happen across a skunk) include:

The best thing you can do if you happen upon a skunk is to slouch slightly, lower your head a bit, nonchalantly turn in another direction, and walk away from the skunk. If you do that, chances are you won't get sprayed.

Skunks don't like to spray for three reasons. First of all, it seems to irritate them. After spraying, they spend quite a bit of time rubbing their rear ends in the grass trying to get it off. Secondly, it takes them between several days and a week or more to "recharge" their scent glands after spraying, during which time they are relatively defenseless. The third reason is simply that skunks, by nature are relatively passive, laid-back animals.

Skunk Control

Skunks become a problem when they get into or under homes. They frequently get into crawl spaces and under porches, for example, where they'll live quite contentedly once they no longer consider the occupants of the home a threat. Some will even beg for handouts from time to time, especially if they were still young when they "moved in."

There are several problems with this arrangement, however. Some have to do with health. Skunks have ectoparasites like fleas, ticks, mites, and so forth, some of which carry disease. Their droppings also can harbor bacteria and fungi that can be harmful if it gets airborne, and skunks have a fairly high incidence of rabies. So even if you don't mind a family of skunks living in or under your home, it's not an especially good idea.

Another problem is that there's always the chance that you (or your pet) will surprise and startle the skunk, in which case it might spray you. It also might spray some other animal while it's under your porch or in your crawl space, which will stink things up so badly that even the skunk itself will most likely up and move someplace else.

Rid-A-Critter offers skunk trapping and removal throughout the Metro Atlanta area. We also provide animal-proofing services that protect your home from invasion by all sorts of wildlife -- including skunks.

Muskrats

A muskrat swimming through the water

Muskrats occasionally make a nuisance of themselves in our area

Muskrats are stocky rodents, somewhat bigger than a Norway rat, who like to live by water. They have a distinctive tail that's shaped sort of like a knife blade standing on edge. They're frequently encountered along streams and ponds, where they build their "lodges" out of mud, branches, and twigs.

All this construction activity is one of the reasons why muskrats can become a nuisance. Their lodges can cause flooding when they dam up small streams or block drainage ditches or culverts.

The other reason why muskrats can be a nuisance is because they have a taste for the same sorts of food crops that people like eat, and frequently freeload in our vegetable gardens or planted farm fields. They actually damage more of the crop than they eat because they're nibblers. Instead of just sitting down and eating an entire eggplant, for example, they'll take a nibble or two from every eggplant in the garden.

Muskrat Control

Muskrat control tends to be an as-needed, trap-and-remove kind of job. They have no desire to get into homes, anyway. But we can trap and remove muskrats who presently are on your land, and we can help you fence them out of your garden. There's no much we can do, however, to prevent "new" muskrats from moving in and living along streams and ponds.

Other Miscellaneous Animals

As a full-service animal control company, the Atlanta regional office of Rid-A-Critter has dealt with a wide variety of animals over the years. We've trapped groundhogs, rescued owls and rabbits, and even chickens and turkeys. So please call us if you have a problem with any animal problem, and we'll let you know if we can help you out. Most likely, we can.

Left pointing arrow. Right pointing arrow.

A ground hog with the upper half of its body leaning out from a foundation vent hole with no cover on a house in Powder Springs Georgia.
Groundhog removed from a Powder Springs home
Broken foundation vent cover and a flimsy screen that a groundhog crawled through to get into the crawl space of a house in Powder Springs, Georgia.
How a groundhog got into this Powder Springs home
American tree from sitting on the rain gutter cover of a house
American tree frog on a rain gutter
Two furry young chipmunks asleep inside a wall void in a house in Atlanta
Baby chipmunks in a wall void in Atlanta
A chipmunk facing the camera and held in the gloved hand of the technician who removed it by hand from a house in Atlanta Georgia
Chipmunk removed from a house in Atlanta
Chipmunk in a cage trap after having been removed from inside a wall void at a house in Atlanta Georgia
Chipmunk removed from inside a house in Atlanta
A skunk in a trap after being removed from the grounds of an Atlanta, Georgia hotel
Skunk trapped at an Atlanta, Georgia hotel
Skunk trapper David with a skunk he removed somewhere near Marietta, Georgia
David with a skunk captured near Marietta, GA
Young skunk being held by a skunk removal expert in Sandy Springs, Georgia
Young skunk trapped in Sandy Springs, Georgia
A skunk walking through a field
Skunks are common nuisance animals in our area
A rabbit in a trap caught during an Atlanta, Georgia rabbit control job
Rabbit trapped in Atlanta awaiting relocation
Muskrat traps in the water in Douglasville, Georgia
Muskrat trapping in Douglasville, Georgia
Muskrat swimming
Muskrat swimming in a creek
Muskrats holes adjacent to a sea wall
Muskrat damage to a sea wall
Large snapping turtle being held by the tail
Large snapping turtle near Atlanta, Georgia
Feral kitten rescued from inside a wall in Atlanta, Georgia
Kitten rescued from inside a wall in Atlanta
Feral cat in a trap in Atlanta, Georgia
Feral cat caught in Atlanta, Georgia
Man with a chicken in a trap in Conyers, Georgia
Chicken removal in Conyers, Georgia

 

Reviews and Affiliations


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

Another happy customer in Atlanta. House sealed. Traps set. Got it done before the storms came in.
by Chad W.
Aug 30, 2023 02:30:26 pm.

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.

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.

On the way to Brookhaven this morning to seal a rental house
by Chad W.
Aug 01, 2023 06:42:56 am.

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.

Atlanta bound this morning. Taking down some funnel traps and deodorizing attics
by Chad W.
Jun 28, 2023 05:36:17 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 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.

The Atlanta, Georgia office of Rid-A-Critter provides animal control and animal proofing in all of Metro Atlanta including the City of Atlanta and the communities of Berkeley Lake, Buckhead, Cartersville, College Park, Conyers, Decatur, Douglasville, Duluth, Dunwoody, Fayetteville, Hull, Johns Creek, Kennesaw, Lithonia, Loganville, Mableton, Marietta, McDonough, Newnan, Norcross, Peachtree City, Powder Springs, Roswell, Sandy Springs, Smyrna, Stone Mountain, and Vinings. We are fully licensed and insured.

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