Aggressive Squirrel Puts a Hit on Chicago Politician

Having performed squirrel removal in Chicago for years, we know how much damage an aggressive squirrel can cause to your property. But still, even this incident is a new one to us.

In a blatant act of aggression, the Chicago squirrel mafia placed a hit on Chicago Alderman Howard B. Brookins Jr.

On November 13, 2016, alderman Brookins was enjoying a recreational bike ride along the Cal-Sag trail when he was jumped by the squirrel mafia hit man.

The squirrel laid in wait for Brookins to ride by and then threw himself into the bicycle wheel spokes, causing the victim to be thrown head first over his handle bars at a high rate of speed.

The victim received a fractured skull, broken nose and had several teeth knocked out. The perpetrator was killed in the attack but not before seriously injuring the alderman.

aggressive squirrel attacks politician on bike

Why did the squirrel mafia order the hit?

The reasons for the hit on alderman Brookins was immediately apparent to his colleagues and followers of Chicago politics.

Howard was a well known outspoken critic of the Chicago squirrel mafia and their destructive property crimes.

Only the month before, Brookins had attacked the squirrels at a city council meeting, saying that “aggressive squirrels were undermining the effort to overhaul the city’s trash carts, (reported the Chicago Sun Times). The squirrels were gnawing through the garbage cart lids at a cost of $300,000 to the city.”

Little did he know that the Chicago squirrel mafia would not tolerate this attack on their campaign of destruction across Chicago and it’s suburbs. Squirrels are ruthless though.

We at Attic Solutions want you and the rest of law abiding citizens to remain vigilant in the face of this attack.

We cannot let them get away with this!

If you have a problem with squirrels destroying your property, let this be a warning to you that you should call the professionals.

We are not afraid of them! We at Attic Solutions are here to protect you and your loved ones!

Call us today for squirrel removal at (847) 464-1861

 

Sources: NPR | Washington Post |

Image credit: CoC Wiki

animals in home during winter

Protect Your Home from Animals in Winter

 

So where do animals go during the winter? What do they do when you’re inside warming yourself around the fireplace or tucked under a warm blanket.

Those wild critters get cold during winter too. They need a warm place to stay. Your attic, garage, shed or basement sure start to look like an inviting critter Airbnb.

These are not the kind of holiday guests you want in your home!

Squirrels, raccoons, mice, and bats oh my! They’re all looking for a warm place to stay and your warm home is so inviting.

If you think your family and friends can make a mess of your home during the holidays, you don’t want to see what these wild critters can do!

So how do you keep these determined rodents out of your home?

Here are some tips to help keep wild animals out of your home during the winter months.

Wildlife in the home prevention tips

  • Check your foundation – From the bottom up, check your foundation for openings or any signs of animal activity in the spots where pipes, vents, and cables enter your home.
  • Secure your trash cans – Wherever you store your garbage before you take it to the curb, keep it tight and secure. Raccoons especially are attracted to garbage cans. Once they find a nice place to eat, they might decide it’s also a nice place to live.
  • Trim branches away – Tree branches that come close to your home make a nice path for a squirrel or bat to find their way into your home. Don’t make their trip into your attic easy for them.
  • Clear away clutter – Piles of clutter, yard debris and garbage make great hiding places for animals. Unnecessary clutter makes critters feel comfortable to get close to your home.

You can’t always keep all animals out but the biggest thing is to not make their route into your home any easier.

Keep a clean home and property. Check your doors, foundation, roofline, pipes and utilities and patch up any potential entrances.

If you do get critters in your home, Attic Solutions are experienced at animal removal in the Chicago area.

If you have any questions, just give us a call at (847) 464-1861

Squirrel Removal and Relocation

Squirrels Carry Diseases and Can Cause Damage To Your Home.

As cute as they are squirrels can be a real nuisance and problem if they get into your home. When they move into your home they bring with them disease, parasites, and with teeth made for gnawing wood, can cause thousands of dollars of damage.

squirrel-trapped

Attic Solutions https://www.attic-solutions.com/ will eliminate the squirrels from your home, exclude them from your property permanently and decontaminate the areas affected by urine and fecal matter neutralizing diseases harmful to humans and pets as well as the odors that attract more wildlife.

Oh, and by the way, squirrels are always relocated (and never exterminated) to a wooded area where they are welcome, far away from your home.

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Call (847) 464-1861 , Attic Solutions https://www.attic-solutions.com/ now to resolve your squirrel problems permanently.

We can have your issues resolved, call today!

 

SOURCE: http://animalsintheatticbrevard.com/solutions/squirrel-removal-and-relocation/

IMAGES: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sdzooglobal/6077682115 http://www.aabats.com/squirrel-exclusion.html

How Do You Know If There is a Dead Animal in Your Home? 

New InsulationI hope that smell isn't what I think it is...

Call Attic Solutions to have a professional determine the cause, and plan for removal.

A combination of sulfur dioxide, methane, benzene derivatives and long chain hydrocarbons produced as various body parts of a decomposing body could be the source.. But to those familiar with the stench of dead bodies, it’s simply the smell of death. Like all smells, it is hard to describe. But unless you’re a real vulture, you’ll find the smell disgusting and sickening.

The smell of death can be a major customer relations problem in pest control. You’ve gotten rid of the pests, say a group of rats, but the resultant smell may make you think that the solution is worse than the problem!

Dead animals will smell until they are completely decomposed or until they are dried out. The damper the site, the longer the odor will last. If a rat dies near a steam pipe, the smell can be horrible for weeks. The odor from a dead mouse may last only a day. In fact, there may be no noticeable odor from a single dead mouse, but several dead mice in the same area could be a problem. A dead rat may smell really bad for a week, but there can be some lingering odor for as long as a month.

The obvious solution is to call us to find and remove the dead animal or animals, then ventilate the site.

But a better solution is prevention. In residences, offices or other sites where odors from dead animals are a concern, we use pest-proofing and other IPM tactics to prevent pests from entering the structure. If there are rodents inside, using a control method that holds the animal rather than one that allows it to wander off and die in inaccessible areas is a better option. Traps, rather than baits can be used, so that disposal of the carcass is easier. Check traps and glue boards often to remove dead animals.

Accumulations of dead insects can also cause an odor problem. For example,

  • Dead insects can rot in an insect light trap (ILT) catch tray. Be sure to empty and clean them frequently.
  • An insecticide-treated bee nest in a wall void can become quite stinky as the dead bees and the brood rot and as the the honey deteriorates.

Eliminating Odor

There are several ways to get rid of odor problems in a building.

  • Taking the odor out of the air by using an air cleaner with an absorbent filter.
  • Adding something to the air that neutralizes the odor.
  • Or, adding a new, more desirable odor that temporarily masks or covers up the bad odor.

Air cleaners usually use a replaceable absorbent filter such as activated charcoal or silica gel. When room air circulates through the filter, it absorbs and removes particles.

Odor neutralizers often contain bacteria or enzymes that break down the organic compounds that are causing the odor. Others use ionic minerals to neutralize odors. Some odor neutralizers also contain an artificial fragrance, but many do not. Odor neutralizers are available as powders, granules, sprays, or as rods.

Masking deodorants are highly concentrated fragrances that simply cover up the bad smell. They don’t neutralize it. They can be applied as granules, aerosols, mist sprays, or released through a cotton wick. Since they have a very strong fragrance, using them carefully to be sure they aren’t more offensive than the original odor.

Finding the Source of the Smell

To locate a dead animal in a wall void, use your nose. Flies in the room may lead you right to the spot (some technicians have been known to release flies to find a carcass). You may see maggots migrating away from the carcass. Or, with a larger animal, you might find a damp spot or a stain on the wall or ceiling.

The best solution is to contact https://www.attic-solutions.com/ , at (847) 464-1861 to remove the carcass.

source ; www.techletter.com

Bats in the Attic During Winter Months

Brown bats in attic during winter

As the winter months approach, common bats will either migrate to warmer climates or more commonly, hibernate from November to April.

It’s quite possible bats may be hibernating in your attic!

It was once thought that bats usually hibernated in caves during the winter months but it is actually much more common for them to find a safe spot in homes and buildings. We just usually don’t realize it because bats don’t just find a spot at the top of your attic to hang like we might imagine.  They often will hibernate beneath your insulation or find a space in between the walls.

What not to do with bats in your attic

Don’t seal their exit! The most common mistake people make is to seal all of the entries and exits during the day. The problem with this is that now you’ve trapped them inside. Those bats will now be desperate to get out and will very likely find their way into another room in your house, creating an unpleasant situation.

Dont Kill the bats You may not realize this, but in most states bats are a protected species. They are so valuable in helping control insect populations that they are protected at both the state and federal level.

Don’t use poisons, glue boards, or high-frequency noise emitters Although you might be able to buy these products online, there is actually a federal ban against ultrasonic pest control devices. It is illegal to poison bats in Illinois.

What to do about bats in the attic

Inspection Whether you do it yourself or hire a professional bat removal service, the first step is a thorough inspection to find bats, their locations, entry and exit points.

Exclusion You need first to locate the primary entry and exit points while observing the bats in the evening. During the winter months, bats may exit your home to search for water if the temperature move above 45 degrees. When all bats have left the home for evening hunting, this is when you should seal all entry points.

Professional Removal Bats in your attic during the winter months will spend a majority of the time being inactive. This is a good time to contact a professional removal service to have them safely removed. Remember, bats are a beneficial and protected species, so do not attempt to remove them yourself during hibernation.

Call a professional

If you don’t want to remove bats yourself (and we DON’T recommend it), then please call Attic Solutions at (847) 464-1861 for professional bat removal in the Chicagoland area.

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Image Source: Wikipedia Commons
Post Sources: The Bat Guy & MIBat Control

Raccoons in the Attic

racoons-in-the-attic-illinoisCharging rent is not the answer.

Raccoons are more likely to visit in winter, but they can and will get inside at any time of year. A mother may choose an attic as a safe spot for giving birth to and raising her young.

Warm Dens

Raccoons seek out warm dens in the winter to help protect them from the elements. They most commonly seek out hollow trees, but are opportunistic about other options. Raccoons have been known to take over the underground burrows of other animals, use caves or make dens in attics to keep warm. They sometimes den with other raccoons as well to take advantage of the mutual body heat, especially in severe winters.

Raccoons in the attic

As intelligent problem-solvers with great dexterity and determination, raccoons often find their way into attics at entry points where different building materials join. This might be where dormer junctions occur, where unpainted trim board creates structural defects, or where the building material itself is pliant, enabling them to push their way past, as is easily done with some plastic soffits.

Raccoons in the chimney

When a mother raccoon sees an uncapped chimney, she sees a perfect nursery. It’s a safe and sheltered place to give birth to and raise her young until they are able to get around on their own.

The fireplace chimney is usually preferred because the horizontal “smoke shelf ” is a convenient size to nestle with her kits, but she may also use the chimney venting a furnace.

Call a professional

If more immediate and direct intervention is required to remove raccoons, then we strongly recommend hiring Attic Solutions. Evicting a raccoon can be difficult. There are potential safely risks to the homeowner and humane concerns for the raccoons if the eviction isn’t done properly.

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Image Source: Business Insider
Post Sources: Humane Society & Pets on Mom.me

Top 6 Signs That a Raccoon is Rabid

top 6 signs that a raccoon is rabid

Raccoons may have a reputation for carrying rabies and it’s warranted. Raccoons are the number one animal to contract rabies. In fact, raccoons make up about 30% of all animal cases of rabies; bats, skunks, and foxes follow them. It’s important to protect yourself and your family from animal pests, especially rabid animal pests. Below are our 6 top signs that a raccoon is rabid.

Top 6 Signs That a Raccoon is Rabid

1. Walking strangely – If you see a raccoon that is walking in circles, or walking like it has partially or fully paralyzed hind legs, it most likely has rabies.
2. Look confused or disoriented – Raccoons typically look alert and interested in what they’re doing. A rabid raccoon will be lethargic.
3. Foaming at the mouth – Foaming at the mouth or drooling are classic signs of rabies. This is due to choking caused by the virus. Avoid any contact with a raccoon that exhibits this sign of rabies.
4. Making strange noises – Though raccoons are chatty, a rabid raccoon will be making bizarre or wild noises.
5. “Weeping” eyes – A rabid raccoon has a goopy, weepy appearance to their eyes.
6. Aggression – Raccoons typically retreat when approached, but a rabid raccoon may start a fight with your pets, or even you.

Mistaken Signs

Raccoons are typically nocturnal and most active at night. It is a common misconception that any raccoon active during the day is rabid. If the raccoon exhibits standard raccoon behavior, besides being active during the day, it probably is not rabid.

When To Call Pest Control

Call animal control if the raccoon pestering your home exhibits any of the top 6 signs that a raccoon is rabid. Stay away from the raccoon at all costs and keep children and pets indoors or away. Rabies is a very serious virus that can cause serious health issues to pets and humans alike. Call pest control immediately to have rabid raccoons safely removed from your property.

Top 10 Signs Of Rats

top 10 signs of rats

During autumn, animal pests like to enter your home, seeking shelter and food. In rural areas, when fields are plowed, rats lose their habitat and make their way indoors. In urban areas, the cool weather drives them into your home. Regardless of where you live, rats can cause big problems. Aside from the numerous diseases and parasites they carry, they can cause major damage. If you have a hunch that you have a rat infestation, check out our lists for the top 10 signs of rats:

TOP 10 SIGNS OF RATS

  1. Scratching in the walls – Scratching or rustling sounds in the walls is one of the early, subtle signs of a rat infestation. They run through the walls to and from food sources. In addition, if they are building a nest, they will be moving materials between the walls.
  2. Rat droppings – Rat droppings are small, brown, and rice-shaped. A single rat leaves between 10 and 30 pellets a day.
  3. Grease marks – Rats have an oily fur that leaves grease or dirt tracks. You may notice them along floorboards or across counter tops in your house.
  4. Footprints – Their tracks have front and hind paw marks plus a tail print. You may notice them in dustier areas of the home.
  5. Rats holes – Brown rats are great burrowers and may leave holes as evidence.
  6. Rat nests – Rats make nests with cardboard, straw, and other soft items. You may notice them in your attic or basement, depending on the type of rat in your home.
  7. Rodent odors – You may notice a musky smell with the presence of rats.
  8. Urine stains – Their urine stains glow under UV lights.
  9. Chewed wires, floorboards, & boxes – Rats’ teeth are continuously growing, which means they gnaw on plastic, wood, and anything hard to keep them filed. You may notice gnawed floorboards, boxes of cereal, or walls.
  10. Rat sightings – If you’ve seen a rat, dead or alive, in your home – you may have an infestation.

If some or all of the top 10 signs of rats apply to your home, it may be time to call pest control. Attic solutions can safely and effectively remove rats from your home and repair damage caused by rats.

Get Rid Of Groundhogs … Before It’s Too Late!

get rid of groundhogs

Do you have groundhogs at home? Are they burrowing in your yard and garden? Or are they hiding under your shed and digging tunnels? Groundhogs are known for their burrowing behavior. In fact, they may dig 5,000 or more pounds of dirt to create their burrows. These burrows and connecting tunnels can cause major damage to agriculture and residential development.

Why Should You Get Rid Of Groundhogs?

Groundhogs are incredibly slow movers. It is for this reason that they tend to stay near their dens. Groundhogs will not venture far to search for food. For example, if a groundhog makes a den near your home, it may root through your garden and even turn up bulbs. Since the groundhog moves slowly, its natural safety defense is to stay close to the protection of its den. If the groundhog knows there is a food source near its den, you’ll have a tough time getting it to leave.

Worse still, is that groundhogs spend plenty of their time in their den. They use dens for protection, hibernation, rearing young, and sleeping. Groundhog litters have several pups that mature at a year of age. Your yard and surrounding area could be infiltrated with half a dozen families of groundhogs quickly. In addition, groundhogs live to about three to six years in the wild. Plus, they hibernate over the winter and will be ready to breed again in the spring. Finally, groundhogs are actually very territorial and will become aggressive. They are not an animal you want to mess with. Though they probably could not cause any harm to an adult human, there is no point in risking injury.

This means, you need to get rid of your groundhog problem as soon as you discover it.

How To Get Rid Of Groundhogs Quickly

In this situation, you should call pest control immediately. Attic Solutions can remove groundhogs safely and effectively relocate them. This will prevent them from coming back to your yard to burrow. Due to their slow movement, they will create a new burrow rather than try to relocate back to your home. After the groundhogs are removed, be sure to fill in any open burrows. Skunks and other creatures may use them as homes when vacant.

What Do Animals Do During Fall?

Where do animal pests go when the whether becomes chilly? Surprisingly, many of them stay active before the snowy, winter months hit. Read more to discover what do animals do during fall.

what do animals do during fall

What Do Animals Do During Fall: Migration

Many birds and insects migrate to warmer areas during the chillier months of fall. Because temperatures begin to drop during the fall season, these creatures begin to find more suitable conditions. For example, swallows migrate south once the weather begins to cool and their food sources dwindle. You may think that since some animal pests are leaving during this season you’ll see less activity, but it’s far from the truth. In fact, you may see more activity in your home at this time of year.

What Do Animals Do During Fall: Hibernation Preparation

Other animals prepare to hibernate during the fall. Squirrels, chipmunks, and groundhogs will gather food to store for the winter. Although chipmunks and squirrels do not go into a true hibernation state, they a relatively inactive during the winter. This leads them to frantically stockpile leftover food near your garbages or from your bird feeders. These small mammals can be quite pesky during the fall.

Bats will also hibernate during the cold months. You can expect their presence to taper off as the insect population dies down with the cool weather.

In addition, wasps and bees will still be active during the fall. They do not hibernate until winter. If there’s a nest near your home that needs to be removed, unfortunately the cold weather won’t be enough to detract them. Make sure to call pest control for assistance moving wasps or bee nests.

What Do Animals Do During Fall: Stay Active

Many other animals stay active during this time of year. Skunks, for example, stay in their dens but are awake during winter. You’ll see (and smell) plenty of skunks during the fall. Raccoons behave similarly, and will stay active year round. This means, you still have to be vigilant and remove outdoor food sources for these pests. In fact, you may notice more pest activity because homes have plentiful opportunities for food, while the cool weather limits natural sources.

Opossums are also active during the colder months. You may be surprised to know that they’ll even become active during the day, though they are nocturnal. Nonetheless, you should never take a chance with an opossum behaving strangely, as it may be infected with rabies or another disease.

Lastly, rodents remain highly active during the cold months. You may see more mice and rats in your home during the fall, as fields are plowed and they escape to your safe home. In addition, homes are full of food sources and provide shelter from the elements. Your rodent problem may be highest during the fall. Call Attic Solutions to remove your pests safely and efficiently, so you can enjoy the fall season without pests.