Category Archives: Animal Removal

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.

Histoplasmosis: The Danger of Animal Droppings

histoplasmosis

Did you know that bat and bird droppings can harbor fungus spores which cause illness in humans? Simply cleaning the mess will not remedy the situation either—in fact, it could make spores more airborne. This dangerous illness is known as histoplasmosis.

What Is Histoplasmosis?

Histoplasmosis is an infection caused by breathing in spores of a fungus known as Histoplasma capsulatum. This fungus thrives in soil that is rich in organic material. It is commonly found in bat and bird droppings. When these droppings are cleaned, the spores can become airborne and enter lung passages.

Signs & Symptoms

There are several types of histoplasmosis. The mildest form shows no signs and symptoms. Symptoms of histoplasmosis include fever, headache, muscle ache, dry cough, and chest pain. Some experience joint pain and a rash following exposure to the spores.

Chronic histoplasmosis can occur in those with pre-existing lung conditions. Symptoms of chronic histoplasmosis include weight loss and coughing up blood. Severe histoplasmosis can occur in those with compromised immune systems, like infants or the elderly. It can affect multiple organ systems. When left untreated, this is usually fatal.

Treatment

For mild cases of histoplasmosis, treatment is not always necessary. Severe symptoms or those with immune compromised systems should seek medical treatment. Anti-fungal drugs are used to treat the infection.

Prevention

The best prevention for histoplasmosis is avoiding exposure to bird or bat droppings. Avoid areas prone to harboring these animals, like caves, coops, attics, and old barns. If you’ve had bats or birds nesting in your attic or near your home for a long period of time, professional removal may be required. Hosing down any contaminated droppings with water can prevent spores from being released in the air.

If you discover bats or birds nesting in or near your home, call animal control to safely remove the pests. Preventing these pests from leaving droppings can prevent histoplasmosis from reaching you and your family.

Pests and Lyme Disease

lyme disease

Lyme disease season is here. The disease affects an estimated 300,000 Americans per year, especially during the summer months. Lyme disease is caused by a specific bacteria carried in several animals, and then transferred to humans through tick bites. Ticks carrying Lyme disease can be found in especially wooded areas of the country, including northern Illinois. Animals such as mice, chipmunks, squirrels, opossums, and raccoons can be infected. This means finding a pest on your property could mean more than an annoyance, but also a risk of infectious disease.

Lyme Disease

Lyme Disease is often characterized by the bull-eye rash it causes at the bite location. The infectious disease is carried by ticks and transmitted to humans when the ticks are attached for 36 – 48 hours. Signs of Lyme disease range from flu-like symptoms like fever, fatigue, headaches to serious conditions like heart palpitations, skin disorders, and loss of mobility. In rare cases, the bacteria can spread to the brain or heart. The disease is known to cause long-term symptoms and illness, though they vary greatly.

Prevention & Pest Control

To avoid contracting the disease, there are several precautions that can be taken. Avoid tick prone areas that are heavily wooded. If traveling to a tick prone area, wear long sleeves and pants, closed toe shoes, and a hat. After you or your pets have been in a heavily wooded area, check hair and fur for ticks. In addition, if you discover animal pests on your property (that may be carrying the disease) call pest control to have the animals removed. Especially make sure to have animal pests removed if you have pets that spend time outdoors.

Groundhog Facts

This furry creature gains its fame from a holiday in its name and is very common in North America. Groundhogs are usually born in April or May and you may begin to see them in the following months. Though these animals can cause burrowing damage to your yard and eat your vegetables, an animal control company can easily remove them. Compiled below are interesting groundhog facts.

Groundhog

1. Groundhogs are rodents. Just like rats, mice, squirrels, and capybaras, groundhogs are rodents, all of which have gnawing habits.
2. Groundhogs live as far north as Alaska and as far south as Alabama. The groundhog population is likely higher now than before settlers reached North America and cleared forests, since there is much more burrowing space.
3. Groundhogs are clean animals. In fact they are resistant to plagues that wipe out other wild animal species, and a contributing factor is their cleanliness. They wipe their face after eating and lick their fur clean.
4. Groundhogs hibernate, hard! Groundhogs go into a very deep hibernation, like a coma, and their body temperature drops, blood flows very slowly, and breathing nearly stops.
5. Groundhogs help humans study hepatitis B- induced liver cancer. A portion of the groundhog population is infected with woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV) and is one of the only species that scientists can study and compare to viral hepatitis in humans.
6. Groundhogs have helped reveal an archaeological site. Numerous artifacts have been found because of the burrowing activity of groundhogs at the Ufferman Site in Ohio.
7. Groundhogs do not drink water, usually. This is because groundhogs get most of their water content from the plants they eat and any rainwater collected on them.
8. Groundhog burrows can be huge. These critters dig burrows up to 5 feet underground with 46 feet of connected tunneling. It’s estimated that the average groundhog moves 5,500 lbs of soil when digging a burrow.

This final groundhog fact really points out why groundhogs are considered pests. Their burrows can cause significant structural damage to a home. Plus they can cause major damage to home gardens and farmer’s crops. If your yard is being overrun by groundhogs call animal control immediately.

Attic Solutions Alert: Dangers Of Wild Animal Bites

A bite or scratch from any wild animal, or even that of a domestic house pet like a dog or cat, can be dangerous. Even if the wound is minor, it can become infected and spread throughout your body. Further, any bite can carry disease. One of the most common causes for worry among wild animal bites is rabies.

What Is Rabies?

Rabies is a viral infection of warm-blooded animals. It is most commonly found in bats, raccoons, skunks, coyotes, and foxes in North America, although wild animals can infect dogs, cats, and livestock. The disease attacks the nervous system and, once symptoms develop, it is 100 percent fatal in animals.

How Do You Get Rabies?

You can contract rabies through a cut or scratch on your body, or through the mucous membranes (the lining of your eyes or mouth). The virus travels to your central nervous system in your brain and then travels to various organs where it multiplies.

Rabies Symptoms

Stage 1 (symptoms lasting 2 to 10 days)
- Fever
- Headache
- Vomiting
- Decreased Appetite
- Malaise
- Pain, itching or numbness around the wound site
Stage 2
- Difficulty swallowing
- Disorientation
- Agitation
- Becoming paralyzed

How To Diagnose Rabies

Animals are diagnosed fairly quickly. A test called direct fluorescent antibody test (DFA) is most often used by laboratories and results can be had in as little as a few hours. In humans, it is a bit more complex. Several tests must be completed for confirmation including saliva, serum, spinal fluid, and skin biopsies from the back of the neck.

What Is The Treatment For Rabies

There is not a cure for rabies and it is more difficult to treat once symptoms have presented. However, there are vaccines that provide rabies immunity following exposure or to prevent it (which is useful for people who work with animals like vets).

What To Do If Bitten By Wild Animal

Wash the wound with soap and water.
If bleeding, apply pressure.
Dry and cover the wound, but do not use tape or bandages to prevent trapping bacteria.
Call your doctor or healthcare professional for further instructions.
Locate the animal that bit you if possible.

How To Prevent Being Bitten

Avoid strange or sick animals.
Do not bother animals who are eating.
Keep pets on a leash.
Do not separate fighting animals.
Always get your family pets their rabies shots.
Supervise your pets outside.
Do not play with or approach wild animals.

As soon as you suspect you may have a wild animal infestation, call Attic Solutions immediately at 847-464-1861 for removal. We are trained professionals and equipped to deal with the issue. We will remove the animals and fix any property damage they may have caused.

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 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.

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.

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.