Why Should You Hire A Professional Animal Control Company?

Finding unwanted and uninvited animals in your home can be very upsetting. Wild animals can be hazardous to both the health and the property of the human occupants of the home. While your first thought might be to just remove the animals yourself, sometimes it is much better to hire a professional. There may be laws or local ordinances protecting the animals in your home (or governing their removal), not to mention removing them might be dangerous. There are many benefits to hiring a wildlife removal company, including experience and proper tools.

Professional animal removal experts have several advantages over a homeowner, and one happens to be experience. While this may be your first encounter with a wild animal from the great outdoors, this may be the professional’s third or fourth call of the day! Wildlife professionals are trained experts who have removed animals countless times and know to expect the unexpected. They are familiar with the animal and the animal’s behavior.

Something else homeowners lack is proper tools. Depending on the animal and where it has taken up residence, your wildlife professional will know what (if any) tools are necessary. In some cases, a cage for trap and release may be required and that would be dangerous for an inexperienced homeowner.

Professional animal removal experts like Attic Solutions are also well versed in state and federal wildlife law as well as local ordinances pertaining to animals and animal removal. Average homeowners are not familiar and open themselves up to possibly unknowingly breaking the law if they attempt to remove wild animals on their own.

You should also consider if there may be any dangerous repairs to be made, like with a chimney or attic. A full-service wildlife removal company like Attic Solutions will not only remove the unwanted wildlife, but clean up the mess they made as well.

It is always best to err on the side of caution and not try to remove wild animals on your own. Without meaning to, you could break a law or endanger yourself or the animal. Call a trained professional like Attic Solutions who are familiar with humane and effective animal removal procedures.

Preventing Wildlife From Entering Your Home

Summertime in the Chicagoland area usually means warm weather and longer days. It also means animals are out moving about and mothers are teaching their young how to forage. This time of the year you need to keep a lookout for animals who just might be trying to take up residence in your home. And they do not plan on paying rent!

Raccoons

We need some water!

Raccoons love food and there is an abundance of that this time of year, thanks to picnics and barbeques. Be sure to bring in your garbage cans as quickly as possible (try not to leave them out overnight), and keep any exterior porch or garage doors shut.

Opossums

Just hanging around!

Opossums are shy animals that only act scary to frighten away would-be predators. These meek creatures spend their nights in search of food, and now that it is warm out there is a tendency to have our pets and our pets’ food outdoors. If you leave pet food out, you can bet you will have an opossum taking up residency shortly. To keep them out, remove any food and do not feed your pets outside.

Birds

So what do we do now!

Now that is has warmed up, the birds are flying north again! Be on the lookout for any that may have nested in your chimney, attic vents or soffits, or vents. While all the birds have likely hatched by now, some may have decided to call your house their home. Permanently. If you are just looking to prevent any birds from moving in, consider a chimney cap and wire mesh around any exterior vent or soffit openings.

Small Rodents

I sure hope no one sees me here!

These nocturnal creatures are out and about now that it is nice out. Window wells are an easy spot for these opportunistic animals to sneak in. To animal-proof your window wells, consider putting a plastic or metal grates over them.

Skunks

Who can I tag next!

While we’re past full-blown skunk season in Chicago (it’s generally February through late March), there are still plenty of these smelly creatures around. Skunks aren’t much for foraging, so they go where the ground is soft and there are plenty of people. Skunks have been known to burrow under decks and porches, and an outdoor motion-activated floodlight might help scare them away before they move in.

And of course you have your deer, coyotes, squirrels, turtles, and foxes… Just hanging

Squirrel Infestation Can Be A Health Risk To Humans

Two Squirrels Squirrels may seem cute and innocent when they are running around in your backyard, but if they infest your home they can pose a serious health risk to the human inhabitants. While it is less common, the diseases squirrels carry are quite serious and can be harmful to pets as well. Squirrels are the primary carriers of the following diseases.

Powassan Encephalitis (POW)

This is a tick born disease and it is fatal in 10 percent of cases according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many people who experience POW do not display any symptoms, but if symptoms are experienced, they generally include fever, headache, vomiting, confusion, weakness, loss of coordination, and seizures. The incubation period (time from bite to onset of symptoms) is about one week to one month. About half of POW survivors have permanent neurological problems including memory problems, muscle wasting, and recurrent headaches.

Tick Fever

Also known as Colorado Tick Fever, Mountain Tick Fever, and American Tick Fever. The most common symptoms are headache, chills, fever, body aches, and feeling tired. Some patients have reported a body rash, vomiting, and sore throat. The incubation period is generally about one to 14 days. There are no medications or vaccines to treat Tick Fever, but life-threatening illness or death is rare.

Rabies

This disease is transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal. Squirrels that seem more friendly might actually be more likely to be rabid. The disease infects the central nervous system and without treatment results in death. Initial symptoms include headache, fever, and weakness. As the disease progresses, there are more specific symptoms including insomnia, anxiety, slight paralysis, hallucinations, increase in saliva, and difficulty swallowing. Once one experiences the onset of those symptoms, death usually results in a matter of days. If you are bitten by a squirrel, you should scrub and flush the wound immediately and then seek immediate attention from your doctor or emergency room.

In addition to these diseases, squirrels can carry other microorganisms and fleas. For your health (and the health of your pets if you have any) Attic Solutions employs trained professionals who can assist you by setting live traps and humanely releasing the squirrels in the wild. Call us at 847.464.1861 the moment you notice squirrels or squirrel damage.

Preventing Raccoons from Moving into Your Home

Raccoons are not small. In fact, they can easily weigh up to 20 pounds. They are also incredibly intelligent and use their paws like hands. They have been known to open doors, jars, lids, windows, and even hatches. Thanks to this large body mass and dexterity, they can do a lot more damage to your home than a smaller animal like a mouse or squirrel.

Raccoons And Soffits

Raccoons seem to enjoy making dens in chimneys and attics. Their point of entry is soffits and they are not afraid to chew their way through. There are several reasons that raccoons find soffits an easy target. Soffits are generally located in low-traffic areas of the home. Many times, raccoon-induced damage may go unnoticed for quite a long time. In fact, by the time you see it, your raccoon may have multiplied! Soffits also are warm with dry air, which is very enticing to a raccoon. They also are usually easy to reach and easy to pry open for dexterous raccoons. Soffits are also generally protected from weather.

What To Do If Raccoons Move In And Raccoon-Proofing Your Home

So, a raccoon chewed through your soffit and moved into your home. The first thing you have to do is have the raccoons removed. You should not try to remove these creatures on your own. Without meaning to, you could endanger yourself or the raccoons. You could even be in violation of a local wildlife removal ordinance. You should start by calling a trained wildlife removal professional like Attic Solutions who are familiar with humane and effective raccoon removal procedures. You do not want to try to separate a mother raccoon from her kits. You might not live to tell about it! Once your raccoon family is humanely evicted, you need to seal and secure all points of entry. Sturdy, hardware wire mesh is usually adequate, although metal bars or panels also work depending on the design of your soffit. Just be sure to fix it properly so another unwelcomed guest doesn’t try to move back in.

How To Prevent and Remove Birds From Your Home

Birds can be more than just a nuisance if they decide to take up residence in your home. Bird nests can damage your home and are filled with bacteria and germs that can be a health hazard.
What Damage Can Birds In Your Home Cause?
When wild birds decide to move into your home, you may be in for some expensive damage. Birds may come in through various points of entry, including the chimney, bathroom or dryer vents, windows, and cracks. If birds get stuck in your vents or build large enough nests, it can cause damage to your heating and cooling systems. If woodpeckers invade your home, they may do damage to the wood in your home, while Chimney Swifts can be very loud and obnoxious.
One of the diseases associated with birds and their nests is histoplasmosis. Some birds carry fleas and mites, and other parasites. The unsanitary conditions bird nests create can be harmful to human health, which is why it is important to keep wild birds out of your home.

How To Keep Birds Out Of Your Home

There are several methods to prevent and/or remove birds from your home.

• Seal all points of entry.

Some ways you can seal points of entry include capping your chimney and capping your vents with the proper material that still allows safe airflow.

• Bird deterrents.

While they might not be the most aesthetic method, big scary eye balloons are an excellent (and cost effective) way to scare birds away from structures. Another deterrent product includes tape and predator decoys.

• Bird repellents.

The most common bird repellant for prevention is bird gel. This product is good for areas where bird spikes cannot be used, however you have to be careful with its placement since it will melt if it gets too hot outside.

• Bird spikes.

Bird spikes will prevent birds from being able to have space to build nests. Bird spikes are usually placed along building ledges and under the roof lines.
If you find wild birds have decided to move into your home, call the trained professionals at Attic Solutions to safely and humanely evict them. The specialists at Attic Solutions are qualified experts in removing bird infestations and repairing any damage they may cause.

How To Prevent Bee And Wasps Nests

Bees are one of the most important and beneficial insects on our planet. Besides producing honey, honey bees pollinate more than half of all our fruit and vegetable crops. Wasps also play a crucial role in our ecosystem: They prey on many of the insects that damage our crops. While bees and wasps are vital to human survival, they can also be harmful. About 100 people per year die from wasp or bee stings and nearly 1 percent of the population is allergic to bee and wasp venom.

When Do Bees And Wasps Become An Issue?

There are many types of bees and wasps, some of which include Bumble Bees, Honey Bees, Carpenter Bees, hornets, paper wasps, and yellowjackets. In the Midwest, wasps, hornets and yellowjacket colonies usually abandon their nests shortly before winter and then seek shelter until spring. Yellowjackets, often mistaken for bees, are wasps that peak near the end of summer. Yellowjackets often convene in public areas where there is leftover human food and they are attracted to meats and sweet liquids. You can often find them circling around garbage cans and they are notorious for being aggressive and stinging repeatedly. Honeybee colonies can grow as large as 50,000 strong since these bees can survive winters even in northern states.

Where Do Bees And Wasps Build Nests?

Honey Bee nests built from beeswax can usually be found in the tree and rock cavities, while Bumble Bees can be found in wall voids, porches, and old rodent burrows. Paper wasps build the nests you are probably most familiar with. They look like umbrellas and usually hang upside-down from structures. Yellowjackets build papery nests that look like combs. Hornets build the paper nests that hang from trees and other structures and are basketball-shaped.

How To Prevent Wasp And Bee Nests

Preventing bees and wasps from building nests is nearly impossible. There are some paint finishes you can use on outdoor structures to discourage some species like Carpenter Bees, but generally there isn’t much you can do until the insects build their nests. Always use extreme caution when spraying a pesticide and when trying to remove nests while on a ladder.
Sometimes yellowjackets, wasps and hornets build nests in attics, vents, and crawl spaces. It can be dangerous to try to remove colonies from areas like these in your home and it may be best to call trained professionals for removal.

Tips About Keeping Opossums Away From Your Home

While opossums might not be the cutest animal you’ll ever encounter (depending on who you ask, of course), they’re not nearly as mean or as viscous as they seem. Opossums use their scary snarl and loud hiss to scare away predators, but it’s really just a big bluff! Opossums are actually quite shy and aren’t aggressive toward humans or pets, and in fact they can’t bite or attack well at all. If their scary act doesn’t work, they will usually try playing dead. They really are much more afraid of you and your pets than you are of them.

Even though the opossum doesn’t want to hurt you or your pets, you still probably do not want him moving in on your property, and that is perfectly understandable. Here are some tips to keep these critters at bay.

Exclusion, exclusion, exclusion

Start by searching your property for any opossum dens. You’ll want to look around the perimeter of your property and especially around porches and under decks. If you find any dens, wait until a few hours after dark (that’s opossums will be out roaming around) and then fill it in with straw, leaves, or even crumpled up newspaper. This is a humane method because if an adult opossum is indeed still in the den, he or she will be able to climb out but be very unlikely to return. After a few days, check to see if the den has been disturbed. If not, check if any young are inside (it’s not likely, but you never know). Once you’re sure the den is opossum free, you’ll want to seal it up. Digging a trench and putting in hardware cloth is a great method for sealing.

Make your property unattractive (to opossums, of course!)

There was a reason the opossum decided your property was the place to be, so you need to figure out what made it so attractive. Is your garbage lid loose? Maybe the opossum smelled the food in there and decided your home was the best buffet in town. Do you feed pets outside? Again, if the opossum finds an easy source of food, or even just the possibility of easy food, they are more likely to hang out. Make sure your garbage lids are tight, you feed pets indoors, and don’t have any food laying around outside.

Despite what you may have heard, opossums rarely have rabies. That drooling mouth is just to scare you away. If you find opossums have decided to move into your home and you need help with removal, call the trained professionals at Attic Solutions to safely and humanely evict them. The specialists at Attic Solutions are qualified experts in opossum removal and fixing any damage they may cause.

Preventing Wildlife From Entering Your Home

Raccoon Removal There is nothing more frustrating than trying to remove an animal once it has decided to take up residence in your home! Whether they burrow under the foundation, or invade the attic, it can be both a time consuming and expensive process to evict them. Remember the old saying “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”? Well, that is very fitting! The following are some tips on preventing animals for making your home their home.

Window Wells

Window wells are an easy spot for an opportunistic animal to sneak into your home. To animal-proof your window wells, consider putting a plastic or metal grate over them.

Basement And Foundation

Do a check of your perimeter specifically looking for any holes near the foundation. An animal only needs a small space to gain entry. If you are concerned that an animal has already taken up residence, ball up some newspaper and place it in and around the hole (unless you suspect birds or bats because this can trap them). If you have animals, the paper will be disturbed. Once you determine no animals have already moved in, move forward with sealing any holes you may have found. These holes can be plugged with materials such as wood, aluminum, sheet metal, mesh hardware cloth, or any other durable item. Small and hard to reach holes can be sealed with wadded up wire or even copper or stainless steel scouring pads.

Decks And Porches

Animals like raccoons and skunks have been known to burrow and build dens under decks and porches. An outdoor motion-activated flood light can help spook away animals who are interested in moving in. If you have a deck or porch that is built within 2 feet of the ground, the University of Illinois suggests that you dig a trench at least 10 inches deep around the perimeter. Once you have your trench, attach 1″ × 1″ welded wire or 1/2″ × 1/2″ mesh hardware cloth “from the top of the outside joists to the bottom of the trench.” You should allow for 6 to 8 inches of wire at the bottom and “bend it out at a 90o angle.” Then, fill the trench with rocks or soil and cover it with something like a lattice to make it look it nice.

Roof

Keep an eye out for loose shingles. Also look for any areas that may have water damage since that softens the material and it is easier for animals to dig a hole through it. You should check your roof twice a year and if you see any damage fix it immediately (after ensuring no animals have moved in).

Attic Vents And Soffits

You can prevent animals from coming in through attic vents and soffits by covering the inside opening with 1/2″ × 1/2″ mesh hardware cloth.

Attic Fan Opening

Follow the same steps used for attic vents and soffits. You can make it even more secure by nailing 1″ × 2″ pieces of wood on the edges of the mesh hardware cloth to keep it in place.

Fireplace Or Furnace Chimney

Install a commercial chimney cap or cover with mesh hardware cloth. In order to keep sticks from accumulating, be sure to leave a peak over the flue.

Do not try to remove raccoons on your own. Without realizing it, you could endanger yourself or the animal, or even be in violation of a law or ordinance. Call a trained professional like Attic Solutions who are familiar with humane and effective wildlife removal procedures.

Bat Species in Illinois

Little Brown Bat You may not realize it, but there are actually 12 different species of bats that regularly occur in Illinois. Don’t be alarmed; all of the bats who call Illinois home are insectivorous, which means they only hunt insects. Bats are small, winged mammals, who usually weigh no more than a few ounces. Their heads and bodies are covered with fur and their wings have hairless membranes connecting them to the hind legs, body, and forelimbs. Bats are also quite intelligent creatures. Some of the bat species inherent to Illinois include:

Little Brown Bat
Southeastern Bat
Indiana Bat
Eastern Pipistrelle
Northern Long-Eared Myotis
Gray Bat
Silver-Haired Bat
Eastern Red Bat
Hoary Bat
Rafinesque’s Big-Eared Bat
Evening Bat
Big Brown Bat

Habitat

Most bats are either colonial or solitary. Colonial bats live together in colonies and solitary bats live as is suggested: alone. Most bats in Illinois roost in trees, caves, mines, rock crevices, and sometimes even under bridges when a cave isn’t available. There are four species of bats in Illinois that have been known to take up residence in buildings or dwellings, including residential homes. Since there is not an abundance of insects during the fall and winter, most bats find a warmer climate or hibernate.

Reproduction

Bats are mammals so their babies (called pups) are born alive (not hatched as some may think) and then nursed. Most females give birth to one or two pups per year, typically in May or June. Bats do not build nests. When pups are born, they climb onto their mothers and hold on to them, except for when the mother has to hunt. Pups can usually fly on their own at about three weeks of age.

Droppings

Bat droppings, called guano, can be easy to spot if you know what you are looking for. To the untrained eye, bat and mouse droppings may look similar, but they really aren’t. Guano is shiny and brittle due to the consumption of insects. You will usually find piles of guano underneath bat roosts.

Little Brown Bat Population Decline

Recently, there has been a drastic decline in the population of the little brown bat. In fact, the decline is so severe, the little brown bat may soon find itself on the federal endangered species list. The decline in population is due to an affliction known as White Noise Syndrome. White Noise Syndrome, a white fungus that grows in the nose of and on the muzzle, tail, and wings of a bat during hibernation, causes the bats to lose their fat reserves, which they desperately need during winter hibernation. Essentially, White Noise Syndrome causes bats to starve to death. The cause of White Noise Syndrome is still unknown, and scientists and wildlife experts at both the state and federal level are continuing to monitor the situation. When it comes to bat removal it is very important to contact the right animal removal to safely and humanely remove bats.

What To Look For In An Animal Removal Company

Opossum Removal Discovering you have an uninvited animal living in your home can be both frightening and stressful. Wild animals can cause damages that are costly to fix and may even pose a health hazard. Not only can removing wild animals from your home be dangerous, there may also be laws and ordinances you aren’t even aware of governing the procedure. If you find yourself needing to hire a professional animal removal company, there are several factors you should take in to consideration.

Methodology

How does the animal removal company actually remove the animals? Attic Solutions believes in the providing the most humane animal removal service possible. Attic Solutions is also well versed in state wildlife law as well as local ordinances pertaining to animals and animal removal.

Services

Some animal removal companies offer full services, like Attic Solutions, while others only do the basics. Attic Solutions is committed to not only catching the wild critter, but also repairing any damage they may have caused and repairing their point of entry. Attic Solutions believes it is important to offer a full range of services and make sure your home is fully restored.

Sometimes, you may not have a live animal causing the problems. If you are dealing with a carcass, many times local Animal Control agencies will not perform removal. A private animal removal company like Attic Solutions can do the dirty work for you.

What Animals?

You will want to look at what types of animals a company. Is it primarily pest control? Rodents only? Or, is it a full-service company that can assist with you a variety of creatures? Attic Solutions has trained animal-removal professionals who are qualified to assist with a wide range of animals.

Cost

Pricing is an important factor as well when choosing an animal removal company. Find out if the company charges by the hour, by the job, or even by the number of animals. Many times you might think you only have one little critter living rent-free in your home when really that one little critter has his entire extended family moved in!

Always err on the side of caution and do not try to wild animals on your own. Without realizing it, you could endanger yourself or the animal, or even be in violation of a law or ordinance. Call a trained professional like Attic Solutions who are familiar with humane and effective animal removal procedures.