All Illinois bats are protected under the Wildlife Code (520 ILCS 5/1.1).
Bats may not be shot, trapped, transported, or held in confinement except when a bat is found in an area where they may have contact with humans or domestic pets.
Where Do Bats Live in Illinois?
The cave regions of southern Illinois and the valleys of the Mississippi, Illinois River, and Chicago River have ideal natural bat habitats and the highest abundance of bats. Big brown bats, little brown bats, Northern long-eared myotis and tri-colored bats are all colonial bats.
Bat exclusions can be installed when outdoor temperatures exceed 50° F at dusk. Insects are not active at lower temperatures, and all bats in Illinois are insectivores.
When Can You Remove Bats in Attic in Illinois?
Between May 15th to August 5th, you cannot get rid of bats from your attic.
During the spring and summer, females will form maternity colonies in the hollow of trees, attics, or little used buildings. If you find a group of bats in your attic during the spring and summer, tread carefully.
At birth a young bat clings to its mother. When the mother feeds each evening, the young bat is left in the attic. If one were to implement bat removal at this time, the young bats would be stranded inside the attic with no way to feed.
After about three weeks, the young can fly and will start feeding on insects, but they will continue to nurse until they are about 1½ months of age. Once the pups can fly, we can install bat exclusions and a one way valve to get rid of bats in your attic.
Some skill is required to identify all potential entry points because bats can enter through holes as small as 3/8" (the diameter of a dime) or spaces 3/8" by 7/8".
Bat Removal during the Winter in Illinois
During the winter they usually roost in mines and caves. If natural habitats aren't available, bats will winter inside buildings. If able, leave the bats alone for the winter and install exclusions once it gets warm.
They enter a state of bat hibernation called torpor. To survive long periods without a meal, the animals slow their breathing and heart rate to fall into a deep sleep. Unlike true hibernation, bats in this state can wake briefly on warmer days and leave their roost to find meals.
If bats are evicted during one of these warmer months, they won't have a safe place to return when the temperatures drop again.
Testimonials
Raymond was very pleasant and knowledgeable. He paid attention to detail. Good Job!! Thankyou!!
I am so glad I had Critter Control come and inspect my house! The problem was located and fixed immediately and since then I have not had any more problems with bats. Money well spent!!!
I connected Critter Control Orlando and was surprised, though elated that an actual person quickly answered. She was pleasant and efficiently scheduled a visit to my house to solve my varmit problem. The appointment was the next day. As arranged, I got a call from Ryan the next morning to tell me his eta. He arrived right on time and after explaining the procedure, got right to work. After a survey of our attic, he told us the problem and gave us a price to fix it. He explained exactly what would be done and an approximate number of visits it would take. I found Ryan to be easy to communicate with and an excellent customer relations person. I will be recommending Critter Control to my friends and neighbors.
We had a raccoon in the attic and this team of professional workers caught him after days of detective work. It was a pleasure working with them and having them at my house. I especially want to thank John and Kenzie!
After months of fighting moles in our yard ourselves and with the help of a landscaper, with no success, Critter Control caught a mole within a week. Very reasonably priced and very thorough. They’re the experts! We should have called them a lot sooner.
Justin was very professional and he and his team did the work quickly and thoroughly. This is a nice company to work with.
I have had Critter Control for years and they are excellent. Recently I had a new roof which made many things need to be resealed. They worked with me since my insurance would not cover it.
Ricky was fantastic and he made sure the critters were gone which we so appreciated.
After having a corner of our home’s foundation dug up by a family of groundhogs, I called Critter Control and met with Bryan. We tried traps but those darned groundhogs were too smart (they even passed up marshmallows—who does that?!). Bryan suggested fencing the area to keep them out, and it was expertly installed today by Dave. Looks neat, very secure and (hopefully) impenetrable! Bryan was always responsive to my calls and I’m a very satisfied customer; I highly recommend Critter Control!
Tom was really helpful and helped me out first thing in the morning to do the inspection and quote.