Critter Control of Bloomington

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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.

Critter Control Wildlife Removal Process

Critter Control is here for you every step of the way in the wildlife removal process. From inspection to removal—and even exclusion and repair—we have the services you need to get rid of raccoons, rodents, and other nuisances fast. First, we identify the animal on the property, then use humane methods to remove the animal and secure weak points where more could enter. If damage has been done, we can make those repairs for a complete restoration. Contact a Critter Control office near you today.

STEP 1

Wildlife Inspection

During the inspection we try to ascertain how many animals there are, where they are located, and how they got in. Based on what you have seen, heard and smelled, we start the inspection where you have noticed signs of animal activity. Evidence of animals inside your home include nests, dens, feces, and animal tracks. We investigate the exterior of your home looking for possible entry points, any evidence of animal damage, tracks, fur, animal waste, or rub marks.

STEP 2

Removal

We use several methods to humanely remove the animal from your home. Depending on the species, the number of animals, and the condition of your property, we develop a custom wildlife removal plan. Humane wildlife removal strategies include animal traps, one-way doors, and repellents. Once we guarantee all animals are gone, we implement exclusion techniques. Exclusion techniques provide a safe, long-term solution to nuisance wildlife in your home. We create barriers to prevent animals from getting to resources. We only apply exclusions once we are sure all animals are gone from your home.

STEP 3

Exclusion and Repair

Wildlife will damage your home. Exclusion techniques repair any damage the animal causes getting into your home. Inside your home, animals build nests and dens out of readily available material. They will create runs through the insulation. Rodents will gnaw on anything including electrical wires and pipes. Animals can also spread diseases. We apply sanitation agents to clean up feces and urine. Mammals can host pests like fleas, ticks, and mites. Ectoparasite treatments exterminate those pests so you don’t become their next host.

Raccoon Removal

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.

Inspection

Inspection

During the inspection, we determine the severity of the raccoon infestation. We look for physical evidence like footprints in or around the home, stains from raccoon feces and urine. On the exterior of the house, we look for damage like scratches on boards, broken vents and screens, ripped apart shingles, destroyed soffits, and every possible entry point.

Trapping and Removal

Raccoon Trapping

Live trapping is one of the most efficient ways to get rid of a raccoon. Depending on the situation, a one-way door or excluder valve can be installed. An excluder valve works by allowing the raccoon to leave but blocks its reentry. The choice of device is largely dependent on the season and location of the raccoons on your property. Direct capture is not commonly used because raccoons are a rabies vector species. If we must trap, we place traps strategically to safely catch the raccoons and we check traps frequently, based on state laws.

Repairs

Repairs

We provide a wide range of repair and restoration services. We can repair raccoon damage like broken screens on vents and chimneys and broken boards on decks and porches. It is essential to apply cleaning agents and ectoparasite treatments on areas inhabited by raccoons.

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.

Inspection

Inspection

During a rodent inspection, we thoroughly inspect your attic and provide a complete exterior home inspection. The most common signs of rodent activity are gnaw marks, feces, rub marks, nesting material, runs in insulation material, and small entry points.

Trapping and Removal

Rodent Trapping

A Critter Control wildlife specialist will create a strategic trapping plan to remove the rodents found in your home. Critter Control specialists may use snap traps and live traps to capture and remove mice and rats. Rodent trapping can usually takes between five to fourteen days.

Repairs

Repairs

The best way to reduce the possibility of letting unwanted rodents into homes is to seal possible entrances. Exclusion methods include caulking cracks in foundations, capping chimneys, and installing mesh covers over vents and crawl space entrances. We also strongly recommend a maintenance service. Rodents have front teeth that continuously grow, which means they can gnaw a new way back into your home.

Squirrel Removal

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.

Inspection

Inspection

Wildlife specialists look for signs such as chewing on, in, or around your home, small openings leading to the attic or the crawl space, droppings, and debris like nuts or nesting material. Beams, wires, pipes, and insulation may all show signs of damage from squirrels.

Trapping and Removal

Squirrel Trapping

Live trapping or one-way doors are the most effective and humane ways to get rid of squirrels. One-way doors should never be used during birthing seasons (Spring & Fall), so our specialists will decide which is the best tool for the job. If we have to trap, we place traps strategically to safely catch the squirrels and check those according to state laws.

Repairs

Repairs

We can restore your home or office by squirrel proofing all entry points after we have removed the offenders. We can also clean-up the nesting sites and remove any debris, food, feces and soiled insulation.

Bat Removal

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.

Inspection

Inspection

We perform a full interior and exterior inspection and search for signs such as rub marks, guano, a strong scent of ammonia, and small openings. The most common sign is the accumulation of guano (feces).

Trapping and Removal

Bat Removal

The most effective and humane way to remove bats is by utilizing a bat valve in conjunction with a full home exclusion. A bat valve allows for bats to exit your home but not re-enter. We follow all local ordinances for humane bat removal. We will never abandon flightless pups in your attic.

Repairs

Repairs

After removing the bat valves, we seal the entrance hole(s) so bats can no longer enter your home. If there is substantial guano in your attic, you should consider taking advantage of our attic remediation services to remove the soiled insulation and replace it.

Skunk Control

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.

Inspection

Inspection

In addition to noting any pungent odors that signal the presence of a skunk, we will inspect the condition of your landscaping, as skunks are known for tearing-up lawns and shredding grass while hunting for grubs and insects. We will also inspect the perimeter of your building’s foundations and under decks, to locate burrows.

Trapping and Removal

Trapping and Removal

Never try to remove a skunk from your property yourself. Getting sprayed is a very unpleasant experience. Furthermore, these animals may carry diseases that can spread to humans and pets, such as rabies. Our specialists will use live traps to capture and remove skunks for you, or they’ll use a one-way exclusion device to evict skunks from their harborage areas. The most effective ways to control a skunk problem is exclusion and habitat modification.

Repairs

Skunk Control

The most effective ways to control a skunk problem is exclusion and habitat modification. Methods like sealing foundation gaps, replacing and screening broken foundation vents and installing hardware cloth (rat walls) around unprotected sheds and decks are the most effective and permanent ways to keep skunks out.
We recommend keeping pet food inside and securing any trash bins.

Why hire an expert nuisance wildlife control company?

  • They don’t mind getting their hands dirty to remove an animal.
  • They show up equipped with the most modern safety equipment.
  • They have extensive knowledge of every nuisance wildlife.

At Critter Control, our experts:

  • Are licensed and insured
  • Have decades of experience
  • Know Illinois laws and regulations regarding wildlife removal

Need insect pest control in Bloomington? Visit our sister brand Fox Pest Control.

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The Critter Control Difference

Trained Specialists Animal removal is a highly sophisticated job. As such, we vet and train our team members to ensure they have the knowledge and skill to remove any pest from your building. Our wildlife experts utilize advanced removal and exclusion techniques and damage repair.
Guaranteed Work Your satisfaction is always guaranteed. Critter Control® takes great pride in providing quality workmanship resulting in customer satisfaction.
Residential and Commerical Invading nuisance wildlife can wreak havoc on property. If left unattended wildlife and pests can cause costly property damage. Whether a residential property, apartment buildings, retail stores, office buildings, industrial plants, medical facilities, or warehouses, our trained professionals can handle any wildlife removal problem.