Illinois law requires you to choose from several options when removing raccoons. You can trap the raccoon yourself by obtaining a free permit, and then you must release it on your property within 100 yards of where it was caught. You can also turn the raccoon over to a licensed veterinarian or rehabilitator, or you can hire a WCO with the permit, license, and safety equipment to trap and handle the raccoon. The last option is best because raccoons are protected in some areas as furbearers.

Raccoons look cute with their permanent masks, but they can get aggressive, especially if they have recently given birth to a litter of pups. Breeding is a winter activity between January and March. Two months later, they give birth to multiple young.

Raccoons typically only live two to four years but can do much damage in that time. You will know if raccoons are causing problems on your property. If in your home, expect to hear them as they scratch and tear insulation and drywall and leave piles of urine and feces in a spot known as a latrine.

Raccoons usually go out at night to find food. However, the more urban the area, the more likely it is to see raccoons out during the day. This does not mean they are rabid, but they can be. Raccoons can also carry ringworms, tapeworms, distemper, and parvovirus. As omnivores, raccoons eat meat, plants, animal feed, and human food. Their dexterous hands help them open trash cans, climb siding and trees, dig holes in the lawn, catch pond dwellers, and raid gardens.

WCOs have safe and humane equipment to remove raccoons and can implement exclusions to prevent their return. Exclusions include sealing all holes and entryways and eliminating food and water resources.

Out of the six mice species and two rat species in Illinois, two non-native rodents cause the most problems in your home, the house mouse and the Norway rat. Mice weigh less than an ounce and are only 5 to 7 inches long, meaning they can squeeze into cracks and holes smaller than a dime. Rats are usually 10 to 12 inches long and weigh about ten to twelve ounces.

You may not see them in your home during the day, but when you turn off the lights and everything is quiet, they will begin their hunt for food. They typically don’t travel too far from their nest. You will see evidence of them through feces, urine trails, gnaw marks, and holes in food containers. Both rodents eat plant and animal foods, including seeds, nuts, insects, berries, crumbs, cereal, and leftovers on counters or in open trash cans.

Mice typically only live for one year, but in that time, they can reproduce several times, bringing five or more babies into the world, and your home, each time. Rats live for a few years and reproduce multiple times throughout the year. Rats can give birth to eight or more babies. If not controlled early, you can quickly find that your home has an infestation.

It only takes one rodent to contaminate your food, chew wires, and pass along diseases like salmonellosis. Rats can break shingles and siding. If either gets into your attic, they will shred insulation and drywall and leave feces and urine on all your prized possessions.

Although there are no legal protections for rats and mice, it is best to call a WCO to help get rid of them. Experts know the right baits and traps to capture all rodent family members effectively. If done improperly, the infestation will grow. Before setting traps, professionals seal all holes and cracks to prevent entry, even the ones you may not know exist.

Aside from sealing access points, repairs and exclusions include replacing shingles, wires, insulation, and drywall damaged by rodents. They will teach you proper food storage and lawn maintenance to prevent future rat and mouse control problems.

Another rodent taking over Champaign neighborhoods is the squirrel. Unlike rats and mice, squirrels contribute to our ecosystem’s health by distributing nuts and seeds. Three squirrel species exist in Champaign: fox, Eastern gray, and Southern flying.

The Southern flying squirrel is nocturnal, but the others are active all day and night, searching for food and nesting materials. They like nuts, grains, seeds, flower buds, bird eggs, berries, and bark. They stuff their cheeks and dash off to store their findings, usually underground. In Illinois, squirrels do not pose a threat to human health. However, they can carry parasites, mange, fungal infections, and some diseases, so avoiding contact is best.

Squirrels have two mating seasons: winter and late spring or early summer. Not all squirrels mate twice. Litter sizes range from four to seven babies. Squirrels only live a few years, but in that time, they may create costly damage to your property. One reason is that squirrels have teeth that do not stop growing. To keep them filed, squirrels chew on hard surfaces. They will chew holes in siding, drywall, wood boards, and beams. They will build nests in gutters, vents, ducts, and eaves. They scratch bark from trees and cut holes in the mesh to enter or exit your home. Squirrels have a reputation for chewing wires that shut down the internet and electricity.

Illinois requires you to apply for a permit to remove a squirrel from your property. The Wildlife Code protects them as small game and furbearers. There are strict regulations on how to trap and where to release squirrels. Hiring a WCO with safe and humane traps, one-way doors, repellents, barriers, and other equipment is best.

WCOs can seal entry points after removal and help with exclusion by removing food sources, trimming tree branches, and installing barriers on trees and roofs.