# Skunk Control in Polk County, FL Source: https://drcritter.com/skunk-control/polk-county-fl/ Type: Local service page Service: Skunk Control Area served: Polk County, FL --- Professional Skunk Control services in Polk County, FL. Dr. Critter specializes in removing skunks from under decks, sheds, and crawl spaces without setting off a spray incident and provides expert wildlife control throughout Central Florida. **Skunk Control in Polk County, FL — key facts:** Dr. Critter has worked Central Florida wildlife since 1996 — nearly three decades of skunk control work across Central Florida. Our team is registered with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) as a nuisance wildlife control operator, and the trapping, exclusion and relocation of skunks is governed by FAC 68A-4.001 and 68A-9.010. We serve Polk County and the surrounding area with same-day response, lifetime warranty on structural exclusion work, and a 4.9-star rating across 388 Google reviews. Skunk intrusions in Central Florida structures typically require both removal of the active animal and remediation of contaminated insulation or surfaces — we handle it as part of a single quoted job rather than billing the cleanup as a surprise second invoice. **Wildlife in Polk County:** Polk County sits between Tampa and Orlando, with the Green Swamp along its northern edge and the dry scrub of the Lake Wales Ridge running down its spine. That sandy ridge soil is easy digging for armadillos, and it usually reaches us as collapsed burrows under a driveway or pool deck. The Winter Haven chain of lakes and the reclaimed phosphate land around Tenoroc and Circle B Bar keep raccoons, opossums, and snakes moving through the neighborhoods that back onto them. In the older parts of Lakeland and Winter Haven, roof rats are the attic call we take most often. **Florida wildlife facts & law:** According to the [Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission](https://myfwc.com/conservation/you-conserve/wildlife/bats/bats-in-buildings/), all 13 of the state's native bat species are protected, bat maternity season runs April 16 through August 14, and Florida Administrative Code 68A-9.010 makes exclusion during that window illegal. April 15 is the last day a building can be cleared without a permit, and the work cannot resume until August 15. The same rule governs how: FWC requires an exclusion device to stay up a minimum of four nights, and the work to be done when overnight temperatures are forecast to reach at least 50°F, so the colony can actually leave. According to [University of Florida IFAS Extension](https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/topics/rodents), a roof rat female produces litters of five to eight pups after a gestation of only 21 to 23 days and can raise four or five litters a year, which is how one unsealed roofline gap becomes 20 to 40 rats inside twelve months. UF/IFAS also reports that the nine-banded armadillo, the only armadillo species in Florida, gives birth to four genetically identical young per litter, so one breeding pair is enough to leave an entire yard pocked with digging. On snakes, UF/IFAS puts Florida at roughly 50 native species of which only six are venomous, and records that just four of those six occur in central and southern Florida: the eastern diamondback rattlesnake, the pygmy rattlesnake, the cottonmouth, and the harlequin coral snake. So most of what turns up beside a pool deck here is harmless, and under FAC 68A-4.001 it is protected too. Because raccoons and bats are the state's principal rabies-vector species, FWC rule 68A-9.010 sets what may lawfully happen to one once it is caught, and the list is shorter than people expect: released on the capture property when the capture and release sites are one contiguous piece of land, released off site only if the animal is native and the receiving property is inside the county of capture, is at least 40 contiguous acres, and its owner's written permission is in hand at the moment of release, or euthanized humanely. Whichever it is, it happens within 24 hours of the capture or of the trap being checked. Relocating the animal to a park or a patch of woods is on none of those lists. Sources: [Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission](https://myfwc.com/conservation/you-conserve/wildlife/bats/bats-in-buildings/); [UF/IFAS Extension (rodents)](https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/topics/rodents); [UF/IFAS WEC220 (snakes)](https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw258); [CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/leprosy/causes/). ## Why Choose Dr. Critter for Skunk Control in Polk County? - **Emergency Response 7 AM–11 PM** - Seven days a week, including weekends and holidays - **Insured, and registered with FWC** - as a nuisance wildlife control operator - **Lifetime Warranty** - We guarantee our work - **Humane Methods** - Safe for animals and your family - **Local Expertise** - We know Polk County and its wildlife challenges ### Emergency Skunk Problems? Don't wait if you're experiencing: - A skunk denned under an occupied structure - Spray odor inside the house - A skunk that sprayed a pet **Call 800-932-7287 immediately for emergency service!** ### Our Control Process in Polk County - **Free Inspection** - Complete property assessment - **Humane Removal** - Safe extraction of all animals - **Entry Point Sealing** - Prevent future intrusions - **Cleanup & Restoration** - Remove contamination and odors - **Lifetime Warranty** - Guaranteed protection ### Common Skunk Issues in Polk County Our experienced technicians regularly address these problems: - Denning under decks and sheds - Lingering spray odor - Lawn digging for grubs ### Get Professional Help Today Don't let skunks damage your Polk County property. Contact Dr. Critter for immediate, professional assistance. **Call 800-932-7287 now for your free estimate!** **Reviewed by:** Steve DeMoor ("Dr. Critter"), founder, Dr. Critter Wildlife Control. Florida wildlife control professional since 1996. [About Steve DeMoor →](https://drcritter.com/about/) Last updated October 13, 2026 Polk County is one of the areas covered by our [wildlife removal service](https://drcritter.com/services/humane-critter-removal/), which sets out how a job is inspected, quoted and warranted wherever we work. ## Towns this page covers in Polk County This page covers Auburndale, Eagle Lake, Lake Hamilton, Lake Wales, Lakeland, Polk City. --- Dr. Critter Wildlife Control, FWC-registered Florida nuisance wildlife control operator since 1996. Sanford, FL, serving Orlando and Central Florida. Phone: 800-932-7287.