Chicago has consistently been named one of the rattiest cities in America, and the most common pest rat in Chicago is the Norway rat (also known as the brown rat, sewer rat, common rat, wharf rat, street rat). These pests prefer to burrow in the ground, but they are excellent swimmers and climbers. Norway rats can establish a colony in your basement, crawlspace, walls, and attics.
Homeowners in the Chicago area tend to notice rodent feces or strange sounds in their walls and attics first. Rodent problems extend beyond those nuisances. Feces can transmit diseases. Rodents gnawing on electrical wires can increase the risk of fires. The pests introduce parasites like fleas into your house.
Critter Control in Chicago specializes in rat control. Rodent removal begins with a thorough inspection to determine how severe the problem is. The more established rodents are, the more involved the removal process will be. After inspecting, our wildlife specialist will build a custom solution to trap, remove, and seal all entry points.
Home Inspection for Rodents
During a rodent inspection, our inspector will thoroughly inspect your attic as well as provide a full exterior home inspection. The most common signs of rodent activity are chewing, droppings, rub marks, nesting material, and small entry points.
The most common areas to find a rodent infestation is in your attic, in the crawlspace, and inside the walls. You’re likely to find evidence of rats and mice in your kitchen as they scavenge for food.
Rodent Removal & Trapping
Based on the inspection, our wildlife specialist creates a strategic trapping plan to remove the rodents found in your home. Types of traps, placement of traps, and bait used in traps determine the effectiveness of rodent trapping.
Our wildlife specialist will ensure to use of the most efficient and safe removal process for your home. Though the standard rat trapping duration is normally between 5 to 14 days, the trapping process may be longer if the rodents are well-established.
Rodent Control in Your Attic
The most effective rodent control method is exclusion. Blocking rodent entry points so the pests cannot gain access to your attic. Rodents can squeeze through small holes. Some rodents like mice can fit through openings as small as half an inch in diameter, which means that small holes, gaps in doorways, and wall vents often serve as common entry points.
Rats are also proficient swimmers capable of traveling through sewer lines and entering buildings by emerging from toilets and open drains.
Check your roof and soffits for any small holes. Any rodent can take a pre-existing hole and gnaw it to make it bigger. Another way rodents can get into your home is through your vents. There are a few ways you can keep rodents out of your vents.
Rodent Control for the Crawl Space
Rodents can easily find their way into your crawlspaces. Norway rats and mice are the most common rodents in crawl spaces. Norway rats tend to burrow along the foundations of homes.
Rodent Exclusion
Rodent exclusion is the best rodent control method. Exclusions are naturally chemical and rodenticide-free. Exclusions work immediately once properly installed and offer a long-term solution. During the Critter Control free inspection throughout Chicagoland, our technicians identified all current and potential animal entry points.
Rodents leave pheromone trails, and other rodents quickly utilize those scent trails so it is essential to block all entry points. Our exclusion services can help avoid rat stoppage tickets in Chicago.
Habitat Modification to Prevent Rodents
Food sources, water sources, and shelter attract rats to your property. The city of Chicago offers free heavy-duty plastic 96-gallon garbage cans with tight fitted lids to single-family residences to help curb the rat population.
Our technicians can offer other simple ways to make your property less appealing to rodents. Keep pet food inside and stored it. Keeping your property clear of debris can help to keep your property rodent-free. Trimming Rodents love clutter and will use debris for nesting material.
Keep your garage door closed as much as possible, especially in dark. Garages are often used as storage spaces, and rodents will take advantage of any food they can get to or any items that can be used for nesting.
When Will I See Rodents Most?
Squirrels are diurnal and most likely to enter your home during their breeding seasons.
Rats and mice are nocturnal and active year round. You might notice more rat activity during the summer and fall as the rats are preparing for winter.
Pest Control vs Wildlife Removal Services
Some pest control companies will exterminate your rodent problem. A rodent exterminator is a short term solution, and not every company can offer a long term solution.
Critter Control specializes in whole home exclusions. We identify the rodent entry points and install materials designed to keep rodents out. We offer a one year warranty on whole home exclusions and suggest recurring rodent control services to keep your home protected.
Raccoons tend to seek shelter in attics during certain times of the year, typically in late winter to early spring when they are looking for safe and warm places to nest and raise their young. Raccoons give birth from March through June, and litters average two to four pups.
In Chicago, this could mean anywhere from late January through April. However, it’s worth noting that raccoon behavior can vary depending on factors like weather conditions, food availability, and urban development. If you suspect raccoons have entered your attic, it’s essential to address the situation promptly to prevent damage and ensure your safety. Consider contacting a local wildlife removal expert for assistance.
Juvenile Raccoons in Attic
Baby raccoons, also known as kits, can produce various noises in an attic that range from high-pitched whimpers to soft chirps and muffled cries. Their vocalizations can be quite distinct, often resembling a combination of whining and chittering sounds. These noises may increase in intensity and frequency when the kits are hungry, distressed, or communicating with their mother. Additionally, the scratching and scampering of their tiny feet against the attic floor or walls may accompany their vocalizations, indicating their presence and activity within the space.
Baby raccoons look very similar to adults, the only difference being their size. Newborns do not open their eyes until their third week of life, so they are dependent on their mothers. Even after baby raccoons have grown large enough to run, climb, and forage for food on their own, they stay with their mothers for about a year.
Raccoon Trap in Attic
Live traps are the most effective and humane way to remove a raccoon from a property. We set and baited the traps to capture a raccoon but limited the possibilities of catching a non-target species.
Raccoon Removal from Attic
Exclusion repairs are the most effective raccoon control. Some of the most common damage repairs include chimney caps, roof vents, and shingles. After raccoon removal, we seal all entry points with material to block all potential raccoon entry points. Once the house is protected from raccoon infestations, we apply sanitization and ectoparasite agents to mitigate the raccoon damage in your house.
How Raccoons Get into Your Attic
Raccoons are excellent climbers. They use tree limbs, downspouts, or even siding to gain access to your roof. Once on your roof, entry points include shingles, loose soffits, eaves, vents, or roof returns. Raccoons can take a small entry hole and create a bigger one. Once raccoons are trapped and removed, you need to seal all current and potential entry points for long-lasting raccoon control.
Raccoon Removal from Attic
Even though baby raccoons look cute and cuddly, they will still bite and scratch. Raccoons are not born with rabies but instead exposed to the disease at birth by the mother as she grooms the newborn. Do not keep raccoons as pets! Critter Control of Chicago provides humane raccoon removal that focuses on keeping people and animals safe.