Tag Archives: Animal control

Rabid Bats In Illinois

rabid bats

According to the Chicago Tribune, the amount of bats that have tested positive for rabies in Illinois is doubled comparatively to last year. Last year at this point, there were eight positive rabies tests. Currently there are 16. Though these numbers are small and it is early in the season, it could be indicative of a trend this year.

Bats are found everywhere in the state, including the Chicagoland area. Rabid bats have been found in homes in Arlington Heights, Aurora, LaGrange, and Chicago’s south side. The family from Arlington Heights is pursuing rabies vaccinations. Most rabid bats found last year were in Cook and Will counties. Will county had a record setting 20 cases of bat rabies.

Several species of bat are found in Illinois. Big brown bats and small brown bats are quite common, even in urban areas. Officials say that bats are common transmitters of rabies because they are often in contact with humans. Bats can also transmit rabies to other mammals like dogs, foxes, skunks, and raccoons.

To avoid catching rabies, it’s advised to avoid contact with wild animals including stray cats and dogs. Especially avoid animals that are typically nocturnal but may be acting strangely during daylight hours. Do not leave food outside that may attract wild animals. Seal off any entry points to your home, or other buildings like sheds and garages, that wild animals may enter. Bats can enter through small entry pints near windows, attics, soffits, and spaces in your home’s siding. Keep your family pets’ vaccines up to date and do not let them roam without supervision.

If you believe a rabid animal has bitten you, seek medical attention immediately. If there are animal pests on your property or in your home, call pest control to have them safely removed.

Why Should You Hire A Professional Animal Control Company?

Finding unwanted and uninvited animals in your home can be very upsetting. Wild animals can be hazardous to both the health and the property of the human occupants of the home. While your first thought might be to just remove the animals yourself, sometimes it is much better to hire a professional. There may be laws or local ordinances protecting the animals in your home (or governing their removal), not to mention removing them might be dangerous. There are many benefits to hiring a wildlife removal company, including experience and proper tools.

caged-raccoonProfessional animal removal experts have several advantages over a homeowner, and one happens to be experience. While this may be your first encounter with a wild animal from the great outdoors, this may be the professional’s third or fourth call of the day! Wildlife professionals are trained experts who have removed animals countless times and know to expect the unexpected. They are familiar with the animal and the animal’s behavior.

Something else homeowners lack is proper tools. Depending on the animal and where it has taken up residence, your wildlife professional will know what (if any) tools are necessary. In some cases, a cage for trap and release may be required and that would be dangerous for an inexperienced homeowner.

Professional animal removal experts like Attic Solutions are also well versed in state and federal wildlife law as well as local ordinances pertaining to animals and animal removal. Average homeowners are not familiar and open themselves up to possibly unknowingly breaking the law if they attempt to remove wild animals on their own.

You should also consider if there may be any dangerous repairs to be made, like with a chimney or attic. A full-service wildlife removal company like Attic Solutions will not only remove the unwanted wildlife, but clean up the mess they made as well.

It is always best to err on the side of caution and not try to remove wild animals on your own. Without meaning to, you could break a law or endanger yourself or the animal. Call a trained professional like Attic Solutions who are familiar with humane and effective animal removal procedures.