Bats are fascinating animals that can be quite beautiful in the wild, but they have no place in residential homes and commercial buildings.  Unfortunately, many species of bat have a tendency of making unwelcome appearances in these and other types of building, which helps to explain why they are classified as a pest species by wildlife control specialists.  Property owners who have found that they have unwanted guests in their attics, chimneys or other areas of the home may want to check out the article below about Bat Removal, Control and Exclusion for some helpful tips before they call in a wildlife specialist.

Bat Identification

Bats are the only mammal with wings, making them quite easy to navigate.  They are most active during twilight hours, although they are technically nocturnal and may remain active throughout the night.  Twilight just happens to be a perfect feeding time for bats, since their diets consist mainly of flying insects, which tend to be most active during that time.

It can be difficult to determine exact subspecies of bat, but it is essential that property owners who wish to exclude them from their homes at the very least make some important observations about their bat populations prior to beginning the exclusion process.  Different subspecies of bat exhibit different behaviors and birthing seasons and come in different sizes, so it’s essential to at the very least attempt to determine which subspecies is infesting the home prior to taking acts to remove them.  Spend at least one night observing the building at dusk with a sketchpad to mark the locations that these animals are entering and exiting the home and note down any features that seem important such as size and flight patterns.

Bat Exclusion

Each bat consumes between 100 and 1,000 insects every night, making them one of nature’s most effective forms of insect control.  This helps to explain why wildlife control companies do not exterminate bat colonies but instead choose to humanely exclude them from the households and commercial buildings.  Bat exclusions are most effectively performed by professionals; however, enterprising property owners can successfully undertake this task if they have adequate experience and equipment.

The first step toward successfully excluding bats from a building is to identify all potential entry and exit points.  This can be extremely challenging, as bats are able to fit through gaps as small as 3/8 of an inch and many of these flying mammals change their entrance and exit points throughout the season.

When attempting to identify bat holes, look for brown staining and bat droppings, which tend to emit a strong odor.  This task is always best performed at night, as there’s no way to tell whether a bat hole is currently in use without actively seeing the bats entering and exiting the building.  It’s entirely possible that a hole with noticeable droppings and staining is not currently in use, and there’s no way to tell if this is the case through a daylight inspection.

Setting Up the Exclusion

One-way exclusion netting and funnels are available to property owners who want to exclude bat populations from their buildings.  These nets and funnels are designed to allow bats to fly out naturally but prevent them from flying back in once they have finished feeding.  It can be quite challenging to get these exclusion devices set up perfectly to allow bats easy egress from the building without allowing them to come back in, and if they’re not set up perfectly the bats just won’t exit the home at all.

Observe the Results

Once the exclusion devices have been placed, observe the building at twilight each night to see whether the bats are able to exit naturally and whether or not they are able to return when they are done feeding.  If the exclusion device is working properly it should be left in place for at least a few days and observed nightly.  Once there are no more bats exiting the building, property owners can begin the process of preventing reinfestation.

Bat Prevention

Once all existing bats have been removed from the building, it’s time to seal up their entry holes.  Pay particular attention to areas such as roof edges, fascia boards, vents, chimneys, and loose tiles.  Bats tend to enter via holes that are at least eight feet above the ground, although they can also enter through lower points.

Property owners who have done their homework and have spent some time observing their bat populations and sketching entry and exit points will be in a better position to determine where they are.  Most professionals suggest performing this preventative maintenance at night with a headlamp, as it’s easier to see even small holes.

Once all of the holes have been identified, it’s time to seal them.  This can be accomplished using sealant or netting.  No matter what type of material is used to seal these holes, it’s essential that they are sealed completely and permanently, as bats have good memories and often attempt to return to the same buildings even years after they have been excluded from them.

Bat Repellents

Some property owners choose to use bat repellents in addition to exclusion devices.  These repellents come in several forms: chemical, audio, and light.  However, there are no guarantees as to the effectiveness of any of these products, which is why most professionals suggest exclusion devices and preventative maintenance in bat control rather than repellents.

When to Call a Pro

Property owners who aren’t certain that they have removed all of the bats from their buildings should call a professional prior to sealing up their entry and exit points.  Exclusion devices can be difficult to place, especially for those who do not have experience dealing with bats, and it can be even harder to find all of the holes that need to be sealed up.  Bat control experts will be able to perform this work both quickly and humanely, helping to ensure that these beneficial flying mammals are kept outside where they can perform their insect control work in peace without becoming detrimental to the lives of human inhabitants.

Arguably the only thing worse than live wildlife in a house is dead wildlife in a house. The unfortunate reality, though, is that every animal eventually dies, and if the animal is living in the house at the time chances are it will die in the home’s attic or its walls. Homeowners and their families may not realize what’s going on until they begin to notice the odor but it is essential that they take action immediately once they have, as rotting carcasses don’t just smell terrible; they also pose a risk to inhabitants’ health.

Dead Animal Cause for Health and Safety Concerns

Depending on where they are located within the home, decomposing carcasses can lead to water contamination if they are not dealt with in a timely manner. Should a dead animal’s intestinal fluid be given the chance to leach into a home’s water system it can cause those who drink the tap water to become seriously ill. Plus, the proliferation of flies that tends to come along with rotting carcasses can lead to secondary illnesses and inhabitants often experience sometimes severe nausea and headaches from dealing with the overwhelming odor.

Even if the carcass does not contaminate water and food supplies through direct exposure or secondary contamination, it can still pose a serious risk to families’ safety. Even relatively small dead animals can draw in larger, more dangerous predators, many of which are not above scavenging when they are in the grips of extreme hunger. These predators can pose a safety hazard to any children and pets living in the household.

Dead Animal Removal Instructions

For many homeowners, simply calling in a wildlife removal expert is the easiest option. However, those wondering How To Get Rid of a Dead Animal themselves can read on to find step-by-step instructions and important health and safety information.

The first step toward solving this unpleasant problem is to narrow down the location of the dead animal. This isn’t always as easy as it sounds, though, as odors are often strongest in areas of the home that have the least air flow, even when they are not the closest areas to the carcass.

Next, check underneath the house if it is elevated, focusing on the area beneath where the odor is most noticeable inside. If this doesn’t yield results, try the home’s attic. Checking the attic often requires a little bit of extra work, as small animals such as rats and squirrels often die inside of the insulation.

Should these preliminary searches fail to yield results, it’s a likely indicator that the carcass is located behind one of the walls. Homeowners can simply place their nose against the wall in the room where the stench is most prevalent and sniff along it to determine where the smell is worst. Removing the dead animal carcass will require cutting a hole in the wall with a drywall saw, so try to be as precise as possible when locating the source of the odor.

Finally, once the carcass has been found, simply put on some rubber gloves, remove the dead animal, and place it in a plastic bag. If the animal was small, such as a rat, mouse, or squirrel, it can be disposed of in the regular trash. Otherwise, the carcass should be either buried or incinerated according to local regulations.

Hygiene Precautions

Anyone handling dead animals must take necessary hygiene precautions. At a bare minimum, these should include wearing heavy-duty rubber gloves; however, many people also choose to wear facial masks. In addition to wearing protective gear, be sure to keep an alcohol gel nearby to disinfect the skin after any kind of contact with fluids from the carcass.

Any time that a dead animal is being moved or handled, the person touching it should be sure to shower immediately and wash all of the clothes they were wearing in order to prevent the transmission of parasites. When a wild animal that is carrying parasites dies, these parasites will immediately begin to seek out a new suitable host. Failing to bathe after handling the carcass or failing to wash clothing immediately after taking them off can lead to unpleasant and difficult to deal with parasite infestations.

Prevention Strategies

Once the dead animal has been removed and the area has been sterilized, it’s time for homeowners to give some thought to preventing future wildlife invasions. Thankfully, taking preventative action is usually much easier than finding and removing dead animals after the fact.

Routine Inspections

The first step is to carefully inspect the exterior of the home for any potential points of entry, including damaged siding and small holes and cracks. Rats, squirrels, and other rodents can fit through even astoundingly small holes, so it’s important not to overlook any potential opening.

Focus on areas where pipes and cables enter the home and check all of the building’s foundation vent screens and to examine the surrounding areas for signs of animal activity. It can be helpful to install vent covers as well as screens in order to further discourage nuisance wildlife.

Homeowners should also examine their roofs, gutters, and fascia on a yearly basis, paying special attention to the roof line. Any signs of water damage and rotted wood should be addressed immediately, as wild animals often create or enlarge holes in rotted wood as easy points of entrance to attics and crawl spaces.

Additional Measures

Homeowners whose properties feature fireplaces with chimneys, whether they are operational or not, may want to look into having animal-proof chimney caps installed in order to prevent squirrels, birds, bats, raccoons, and other wildlife from crawling down them. Keep in mind that screen material cannot be used to replace professional-grade chimney caps, as it tends to clog with soot and debris, constituting a potentially serious fire hazard.

Any property whose landscape features trees growing near the home will be more susceptible to invasion by tree squirrels, roof rats, and similar rodents. These pests often use overhanging branches as bridges to homes’ roofs, allowing them to begin chewing through roofs in order to take up residence in these buildings’ attics. They can jump quite far, so it’s best to ensure that overhanging tree branches are kept at least ten feet away from the roof.

These are some of the important considerations if you think you might have a dead animal in or near your home.  If you are not sure about how to handle the carcass location and removal process we recommend that you contact a professional dead animal removal service immediately.

Winter may be the time of year when most wildlife hides from the outside world, but not all creatures shy away from the cold. Skunks are among the few who tend to follow the beat of a different drum, choosing February through March as their primary mating season.

While this may seem like little cause for alarm, these foul-smelling animals are increasingly transitioning into suburban life and wreaking havoc on neighborhoods across northern Illinois.

Why Should Local Homeowners Be Worried?

Once skunk mating season rolls around, skunks’ nesting instincts kick in, and they begin looking for safe, cozy places to raise their families. As the human population continues to grow and spread into what was once the skunks’ natural habitats, they’re forced to seek shelter elsewhere, meaning they take up residence with people.

Skunks are notorious for their defensive, and offensive, spraying capacity. They have incredibly accurate aim, and muscles near their odor glands allow them to hit targets from as far away as ten feet. If the smell isn’t enough to prompt keeping your guard up, they’re also capable of causing plenty of damage.

What Types of Damage Can Skunks Cause?

Aside from being noxious and potentially nausea-inducing, skunk spray can be somewhat dangerous. It’s been known to cause skin and respiratory inflammation and can even lead to blindness if it comes in contact with the eyes. This is only the beginning.

• Scattered Trash: Like all living creatures, skunks need to eat. When they choose to share your home with you, they also piggyback off your food supply. Trash cans are prime dining establishments for them, and they’re not inclined to clean up after themselves when they find a meal.
• Landscape Destruction: Skunks are burrowers by nature, so they often tear up lawns and uproot shrubbery when seeking out safe places to give birth and raise their kits.
• Property Damage: Being fairly shy animals who like to keep to themselves when possible, skunks generally look beyond the lawn for asylum. Near homes’ foundations, under porches and raised decks and in the confines of crawlspaces offer perfect safe havens for them if they’re available. With ample determination and small-but-sharp claws at their disposal, skunks can tear through underpinning, vent screens and a number of other materials when motivated.
• Household Demolition: Although skunks prefer burrowing underground in the great outdoors, they’ve also been known to move into attics in moments of desperation. Inside the home, their smell becomes unbearable. Urine and fecal contamination make their way into the picture, and they’ll even tear up insulation and rip through electrical wiring.
• Gardening Woes: While skunk mating season takes place during late winter, they’ll linger for the long haul if not removed promptly. For those who plant gardens during springtime, this could result in an ongoing feast for skunks and a disappointing harvest for homeowners.

As cosmetic issues, damaged underpinning and landscaping can be repaired with time, money and effort. Should skunks burrow underneath your foundation or other structural elements, settling could take place and lead to more extensive damage. On top of all that, if skunks are on your property, run-ins with people and pets are bound to happen, and they generally don’t end well.

What Can Be Done to Prevent a Skunk Invasion?

As fate would have it, skunks are a protected species in the state of Illinois, so you can’t harm them even if they’re trespassing on your property. Trapping and releasing them back into the wild is a more humane alternative, but you’ll need a trapping license for this route. Keep in mind, a scared skunk is a spraying skunk, so even if you do acquire a trapping license, you’re vulnerable to their natural defense mechanisms.

In spite of those hurdles, all hope isn’t lost. You can take preventative measures to discourage skunks from choosing your home as their own.

• Shed Light on the Subject: Skunks are nocturnal and prefer to carry on their daily activities at night. Keeping your yard well lit could go a long way toward keeping them at bay.
• Take away Potential Food Sources: Your trash is a skunk’s dining treasure, so move garbage cans into the garage at night if possible. If not, opt for locking lids. Bring pet food indoors at night, and remove bird feeders during skunks’ late winter mating periods. If you have fruit and nut-bearing trees, rake the lawn often to keep it cleared.
• Block Them: Skunk-proof metal mesh is available in rolls at hardware and home improvement stores as well as online. Install it around raised decks and porches, tools sheds and other structures skunks could potentially use for shelter. It can also be buried around your home’s foundation if you’re willing to revamp your landscaping in the process.
• Over-the-Counter Deterrents: Pepper spray and ammonia have both been said to drive away skunks though a number of people argue against their effectiveness. If you resort to these measures, you’ll be battling the snow, so frequent reapplications will be necessary. Bottled synthetic predator urine is also widely available, but if you have a dog, you have a strategic advantage.

None of these methods are truly foolproof. Deterring scents fade despite your best efforts to keep them strong. Taking away human-generated food sources may present skunks with an interesting challenge, but nature tends to fill in the gaps. Keeping your lawn brightly lit could be considered the most effective option; still, a skunk in search of shelter for her young is a determined one.

Call in the Professionals

If you notice the telltale sulfuric stench repeatedly permeating your property during the weeks to come, you could have a family of as many as 12 skunks taking over your home within a couple months’ time. Man-made regulations and the laws of nature greatly limit the power people have over the local skunk population, but a skunk removal specialist in northern Illinois can help.

Experts advise against trying to remove skunks on your own due to the potentially harmful nature of their spray. Being proactive may help deter them, but it won’t guarantee your immunity to an invasion. Call in a professional for more information on preventative measures or for help with getting skunks off your property.

When a person smells skunk for the first time, they never forget the smell. This pungent, oily spray clings to every surface it touches and ends up causing a terrible smell that burns the eyes and nostrils and even makes individuals feel nauseated. It is important dog owners know What to do if dog gets sprayed by skunk so they can get rid of the smell as soon as possible.

Curious Dogs Often Get Sprayed by Skunks

Skunks can be found almost anywhere in the country. Unfortunately, dogs can often get curious when they see these unusual animals, leading to a spraying. When a dog gets sprayed, owners often panic because they are not sure how to get rid of the pungent odor.

Regrettably, a normal bath simply will not do for such a noxious odor. With these steps, owners will know the exact steps they need to take, should their furry friend get into a tussle with a skunk.

The first step a dog owner needs to take is to make sure they do not panic or become overly angry with their dog. It is fairly easy to become overwhelmed when a dog smells like the dead but getting overly upset will cause a dog to become too upset which could make them anxious during the bathing process. It is a wise idea to keep the dog outside so the inside of the home does not become a smelly mess.

Recipe For Removing Skunk Odors From Dogs

When it comes to removing skunk odors, there are three ingredients that seem to work really well. These three ingredients need to be mixed together and then the dog should be washed with this mixture as soon as possible after they are sprayed so the skunk spray does not have long to penetrate into the skin and cause lasting odors. The formula for this natural treatment is:

• One quart of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide

• 1/4 cup of baking soda

• One teaspoon dishwashing liquid

How to Get Started

It is important a person wears gloves when washing their smelly dog or the skunk smell could get on their hands and be difficult to remove. It is helpful to put the mixture into a spray bottle and spray it all over the dog, rubbing it into the coat and making sure it is well penetrated. It is important the mixture is immediately rinsed from the fur so no bleaching occurs.

Once the dog has been thoroughly rinsed, they should be washed with dog shampoo and then dried. It is important to make sure the dog is carefully dried and placed in a warm location to keep them comfortable.

These tips will help if a skunk sprays your dog and the smell is unbearable. The three ingredients work well together to break down the chemicals in the skunk spray and lessen its potency so it can be washed away.

When you react quickly and use the recipe above, skunk odors can be removed so your dog and you are no longer suffering. The key is not to panic and take time in the washing process.

When the weather starts to turn colder, most people start to bundle up more and venture outside a bit less frequently. Animals are often the same way. Some animals will start to get ready to hibernate for the winter, while other ones are going to start looking for a place to call home. Often, wildlife find the inside of homes a perfect place to call their own and they will need to be handled carefully to protect the home and the occupants.

What Types of Wild Animals Might Go Inside a Home?

Racoons, bats, squirrels, birds, mice and a variety of other animals might try to make their way inside a home. They can often fit into very small spaces so it’s easy for them to get in and out of a structure, even if the homeowner doesn’t notice a way to access an area of the home from the outside. Any local animals looking for a place to be during the colder weather might find your house attractive.

What Are the Wild Animals Looking For?

Wild animals are generally looking for protection from the weather, protection from other animals, and easy access to food. The attic is the perfect place for an animal that can get inside because larger predators will not be able to get in easily and because the attic is typically warmer than outside as well as protected from freezing rain and snow.

The animal can also find something to eat inside your home depending on what is available. If they prefer to eat insects, for example, they might find insects in areas of the home that you don’t have access to.  This allows wild animals to eat without having to leave the warmth and security of the structure. Otherwise, they’ll find a food source close to their new home so they don’t have to go far to eat.

How Can This Be Prevented?

Most animals are going to find any small hole they can use to get into a home or structure, so prevention should include checking the inside and outside of your home carefully to repair any damage that could allow animals in. Screens can be used to further prevent entry by blocking the smaller holes in vents outside vents.

What Should Happen if an Animal Gets Inside Your Home?

Animals are often noisy and easy for a homeowner to hear. They also leave droppings, so even if a homeowner doesn’t see or hear the animal when they check the attic, for example, they’ll know an animal has been in their attic. As soon as any signs of an animal have been noticed, the homeowner should contact a wildlife control company for help.

A professional will be sent to their home to determine what type of animal has entered the home and to remove the animal. Often, they will also let the homeowner know if they noticed any way the animal could have accessed the home so this can be fixed to prevent more animals from getting inside.

Are you wondering, What do wild animals do during the fall? They tend to look for somewhere to protect them from the weather and to provide easy access to food. Make sure you learn more about what your local animals might do during the winter and the signs that might reveal there’s a wild animal in your home. This way, you can take the appropriate action quickly to remove them from your home.

Home and commercial building owners in towns and cities are experiencing Animals in the attic in increasing numbers. There are a few reasons for the rising cases of intruders. One is the loss of wildlife habitat. Urban sprawl has been an issue for the past few decades. The population is growing at an alarming rate and habitat is disappearing quickly.

That also means there is less food available and less places for safe shelter. Most animals venture into towns and cities looking for food and often find warm and safe shelter in attics. The majority of Animals in the attic are expectant females looking for a dry place to make nests and raise their young.

Damage caused by animals in the attic

All animals will damage the space in one way or another. The extent depends on the type of animal, the size of the litter, and how long the animal has been in the attic. Many will chew wood and wires. That weakens the structure and creates fire hazards. The problem of droppings varies with the animal size, but the risk of health issues, contamination, and foul odor is associated with all intruders.

Which Animal Has Moved Into the attic?

The noises heard, the time of day when activity is apparent, and the evidence left behind are some ways owners can determine which critter has invaded the attic. One commonality is that animals will not leave of their own accord and will have to be professionally removed. Once gone, there are measures that have to be taken to ensure they will not return.

Squirrels in the attic

The most common occurrence of intrusion is squirrels in the attic. They will usually enter via a small hole, which they will chew to make bigger for easier access. At first, noise will be slight in the mornings and early evenings. A fast scamper or nuts rolling around will be the only sound heard until the babies are born.

Squirrels have two litters each year in the summer and winter. Noises will become loud and scurrying will be heard in the walls as well as the attic. Nesting debris and hundreds of droppings will be left behind. Once they are removed, the attic has to be cleaned and the holes sealed up as soon as possible. The scent will attract other wildlife to the attic if not completely gone.

Raccoons in the attic

There will be no mistaking raccoons in the attic because they can weigh up to forty pounds when full grown. They are also nocturnal so sleeping will be difficult if raccoons have taken up residence. Babies are quite vocal and loud as well.

Strong climbers, these pests will explore the entire area. The entire clan will remain for up to eight months and are most likely to arrive in March or April. Large droppings are left behind, as well as massive destruction. Ducts can be torn up and insulation may need to be completely replaced.

Bats in the attic

Bats are very social animals and travel in colonies of females. They are most active during twilight hours.  If there is one bat, there are a multitude of bats in the attic. Each bat will give birth to one, which means the number doubles fast. These creatures often stay in one place and are quiet until the numbers increase.

At that point, crawling, flying, and squeaking can be heard. The most serious damage is in the massive amounts of guano (droppings) that will accumulate. This can cause lung disease in humans.

Most people are not concerned with birds in the attic, but they will create nests, fly into attic fans, and attract cats, coyotes, and squirrels. Problems will multiply very fast.