In Bloomington, nuisance wildlife is an animal that poses a threat to humans, causes damage to your home or property, or becomes annoying. We have raccoons, snakes, opossums, skunks, rodents, rabbits, squirrels, bats, and many other nuisance wildlife we encounter daily. Some are stealing your garden crops, some are scattering your trash, and others are building nests in your attic.
Capturing and handling nuisance wildlife can be dangerous.
The local government suggests you contact a nuisance wildlife control company for help. At Critter Control, we use a process that follows all laws and is safe for you and the animal. We provide inspection, removal, and repairs. Below are examples of how we’ve handled nuisance wildlife in the past.
Raccoons roam Bloomington neighborhoods at night, using their human-like hands to open dumpsters in search of food scraps, dig holes in your yard, raid your garden and break into your home.
Once inside, raccoons can shred drywall, chew through wires, scratch flooring, and use insulation to create a nest. They can be noisy animals, sounding like a screech owl when calling out to one another. In Illinois, raccoons are protected as furbearers. Permits from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) are needed to remove nuisance raccoons. Or you can call a nuisance wildlife control operator.
When Critter Control is called for raccoon removal, we show up prepared.
Rat and Mice Pest Control
Illinois is home to six native mice species and two native rats. The pests causing trouble in your home are non-natives, either the
Norway rat or the house mouse. One good thing about rats and mice is that they are prey for animals like owls, hawks, snakes, and more.
You may never see them, but the signs they leave behind are evidence of their destructive behaviors. Rats like to create burrows in your yard and will gnaw just about anything, including wires, siding, pipes, garden hoses, and any wood. Mice inside your home will chew holes in your cabinets to get to your pantry foods, contaminating groceries and costing you money.
Mice can fit through a hole the size of a quarter, and rats can fit through a hole the size of a golf ball. Holes you may never notice are entry points for rodents that carry diseases. We can help eliminate your rodent problem. Because rats and mice multiply often, the sooner you call, the better.
Squirrels common to Bloomington neighborhoods include four tree squirrels: fox, eastern gray, red and southern flying. Squirrels are busy all day, except for the southern flying squirrel, which is nocturnal. They search for foods they love, like nuts, seeds, grains, bird eggs, fruits, vegetables, and some bark. They then store the items for the winter months. Occasionally, they carry their collections into your home via the chimney, vents, or small holes or cracks that seem insignificant.
Once in your home, squirrels will wreak havoc in your attic. Expect chewed wires and shredded insulation, and if you have sentimental objects not correctly stored, they could become part of a squirrel's nest. Squirrels have even been known to cause power outages in Illinois when they short out transformers. To control a nuisance squirrel, here’s what we do.
Bats in Bloomington are more common than you may realize. In Illinois, there are 13 bat species. Bats fly out of their roosts at night to feast on as many as 3,000 insects a night. They forage for a few hours, then roost and feed their pups. This continues throughout the night.
Bats have one big problem, guano, or bat poop. Bat guano contains uric acid, the kind that can corrode metal. If inhaled by humans, guano can grow molds that may lead to respiratory issues, like histoplasmosis.
Bats roost upside down in places with high ceilings. They don’t need much of a hole to squeeze into the space; ¼ inch is sometimes enough. Bats are always covered in
bat guano. This is one of the top reasons you should never try to remove a bat by yourself. If you touch them, you are also handling their guano. Plus, they can bite when they feel threatened. Let us do the dirty work involved with getting rid of bats.
Skunks in Bloomington react when threatened, typically anytime any animal or person gets near them. In defense, they spray a chemical that can cause blindness, and it smells terrible. It is where the skunk releases its spray that makes it a nuisance. If it has taken up residence under your deck or porch, that smell could get into your home and stay for weeks. Skunks also dig holes in your yard and raid your garden.
Skunks can carry rabies. A rabid skunk will not show fear of humans, and they may lose coordination and have seizures. If you have a skunk invading your space, don’t take the risk of getting sprayed or bitten. We know how to handle them carefully.