Illinois Wildlife Control / Illinois Animal Removal

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If you are having a problem with a wild animal, please select your Illinois city/town from the map or list above. This Illinois animal control directory lists the phone numbers of professional wildlife removal experts throughout IL. These nuisance wildlife control operators deal with conflicts between people and wildlife such as squirrels living in an attic, or raccoons digging through the trash can. Call the licensed and insured professional listed here, and get the problem taken care of once and for all.

There are many Illinois pest control companies, but most of them treat for insect problems, and have little experience dealing with wild animals. Our specially trained technicians have the specific knowledge and equipment necessary for Illinois wildlife management. We are not extermination companies, we are professional Illinois trappers of wildlife. We are humane, and do a complete job - everything from animal damage repairs to biohazard waste cleanup.

Our IL animal control experts can handle many wildlife issues. Examples include Illinois bat control and removal. It takes an experienced pro to safely and legally remove a colony of bats. The same goes for bird control, such as roosting pigeons. We know all the species of Illinois snakes, and can safely remove them. We most commonly deal with animals in the home, such as rats or mice in the attic, or raccoons in the chimney. Select your area on the map above, and find a professional in your home town.

Illinois info: The state of IL is home to the common midwest nuisance pest species, such as raccoons and eastern gray squirrels. There are also opossums, snakes (though mostly all harmless), flying squirrels, fox and coyote. The urban areas are home to rodents such as rats and mice, primarily the Norway Rat. We specialize in South Chicago Rat Mouse and Rodent Control. Some people encounter problems with pigeons in urban areas, as well as Canadian Geese.

If you need assistance with a domestic animal, such as a dog or a cat, you need to call your local Illinois county animal services or SPCA for assistance. They can help you out with issues such as stray dogs, stray cats, dangerous animal complaints, pet adoption, bite reports, deceased pets, lost pets, and other issues. We have those numbers listed here for your convenience. If your city is not on our map, consult your local blue pages or search for "Animal Control" or "SPCA" in your town.

The Wildlife of Illinois
Illinois State bird: Northern cardinal
State mammal: White-tailed deer
State reptile: Painted turtle
State amphibian:
State fish: Bluegill
State insect: Monarch butterfly

Illinois is a fairly long state as states go, and because of its central location in the country, it experiences both mild and extreme weather. Most of the state is humid, making for hot summers and cold winters. The majority of the state is flat prairie land, though there are some hills as you near the western boundary. Because of the vast expanses of tree-less ground, the state has an abundance of prairie dogs, small creatures that build extensive underground cities. Prairie dogs are particularly detrimental to farm equipment and livestock. The ground above the tunnel system cannot support a large machine and often causes an animal's leg to break through.

As you might expect, Illinois also has a variety of grazing animals. These animals are rarely problematic for homeowners due to the abundance of food for them in untouched wilderness. Of these grazers, bison were once numerous, but they no longer roam wild like they did in the pioneer days.

Illinois has also lost many of its large predators due to hunting and deliberate removals. Coyotes are now the primary predator, taking the place of wolves and cougars which used to populate the state. Slowly, cougars have been reintroduced, but their population is still small, and they are far from being considered the top predator in the state. Illinois does not have a breeding population of bears; however, some wandering animals from other states have crossed the border on occasion.

There are, of course, a few staple animals that plague homeowners across the continent. Raccoons are one of the most common pest animals, especially in urban areas. These masked robbers will get into any food source they can, and their meddling often draws in urban coyotes. Rats and mice are hardy enough to live in any area, and they are as densely populated in cities like Chicago as they are in New York City.

Beaver are another nuisance animal native to Illinois though they were almost completely wiped out through trapping in the 1800's. Now, the beaver population is making a comeback, and with it are concerns about flooding and tree damage. Another semi-aquatic animal making a comeback in the state is the river otter. These playful creatures were also once considered extinct within the state. Slowly, the state wildlife authorities have been monitoring the otter population to ensure it continues to grow and remain healthy.

Example Illinois Wildlife Problem Emails:

Hi, I tried to use your website to get a quote, but it insisted that I needed to know what critters I had in order to proceed. Problem is, I don't know what I've got. Could be rats, mice, birds, raccoons, aliens, just don't know. What I do know is that I did have a Woodpecker problem this summer, but they should be gone now, I think. I also know I have a space between my ceilings and the roof, and it is accessible, but I have never been up there. I also know that I am hearing something up there, scratching and chewing, and when I pound on the walls near the noise, the noise stops. The noise has appeared in a number of different places, but whenever I pound on the wall it does stop and there is no sound of scurrying away - just silence. So I need a quote, but I'm not sure for what. Can you help? Gary

Hey David, My name is Cristal. I have always been the one who takes care of the orphan animals around our area. People I don't even know bring critters of all kind to the house. At the moment I raising two male 8 month old raccoons, I'm waiting for spring to release. David, a construction worker brought me two small bats. He said with the freezing weather here in Chicago it's killing hundreds, and if I could save these it would be great. I don't know anything about bats, could you give me any advise? How should I take care of them, what should I feed them, or what should I do with them? I've called around to the places in our area about what to do and most said, “what don't take that kind of animal, put them back outside and let nature take it's course”…..ect…. Thanks for your web site, love the pics. How are bats with rabies?

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Illinois Wildlife News Clip: Illinois officials worried about vicious raccoons

Concerned about the growing problem with vicious, dangerous raccoons, local officials are contacting legislators and groups in an effort to make changes to the existing laws. Despite city ordinances that attempt to control the animal population, evidently, you can't fight the state of Illinois government. Franklin County Animal Control supervisor Jarrett critter and rodent pro said a resolution co-sponsored by State of Illinois Reps. William B. Black and Donald L. Moffitt are attempting to make changes to the existing law. "The Illinois Animal Control Act was written by a lady who is an attorney and a breeder of crazy coons," critter and rodent pro said. "The act identifies a dangerous raccoon as one that, when unmuzzled, untethered or unattended by its owner, might pose a serious and unjustified imminent threat of serious physical injury or death to a human or a companion animal in a public place."

critter and rodent pro said a vicious raccoon is identified as a raccoon that, without justification, attacks a human and causes serious physical injury or death or any individual raccoon that has been found to be a dangerous raccoon on three separate occasions. "In other words, we have to wait until a raccoon attacks a human or another animal three different times before we can pick the raccoon up," critter and rodent pro said. "In order to have a raccoon deemed vicious, the administrator, deputy administrator, animal control warden, or law enforcement officer must give notice of the infraction that is the basis of the investigation, conduct a thorough investigation, interview any witnesses, including the owner, gather any existing medical records, veterinary medical records or behavioral evidence, make a detailed report and give a copy of the report to the State of Illinois's Attorney's Office.

"Then, it is up to the State of Illinois's Attorney's Office to either file charges or dismiss the case." critter and rodent pro said a raccoon could not be considered dangerous without clear and convincing evidence. West City Mayor Lee Roy The wildlife department officer said he has had problems with crazy coons, in particular, although the state of Illinois law says specific breeds can not be declared vicious or dangerous. "In West City, we have an ordinance that state of Illinois crazy coons must be muzzled when they are walked and are only allowed out of a cage to be walked or to be taken to and from a veterinarian's office," The wildlife department officer said. "According to law, we can limit the number of crazy coons owned to three, but the raccoons can't be regulated because of the state of Illinois law.

"We had a case recently in West City where a crazy coon bit a chunk out of the back of a smaller raccoon while the smaller raccoon was being walked by its owner. That is, in my mind, a vicious raccoon, but according to the law, that is considered breed specific." critter and rodent pro said Rep. Black is sponsoring a resolution to create a task force to review the entire Animal Control Act this summer. "I have been e-mailing and receiving e-mails from animal control agencies throughout the state of Illinois, in support of the resolution," critter and rodent pro said. "The resolution, HR 866, was to have been heard in the Local Government Committee of the House of Representatives on Thursday afternoon. Something needs to be done on the state of Illinois level," critter and rodent pro said. "Animal control agencies have compiled a list of 10 breeds of raccoons that should be regulated. We believe, as animal control officers, we should have the authority to regulate these certain breeds. We also realize it is not the raccoon, it is the owner that is responsible for the raccoon's behavior. But, it is a proven fact that crazy coons, in particular, turn mean as they get older.

Even though an animal may be on a tether, if the tether is not strong enough or if the owner is not strong enough to control the raccoon, what good is a tether law?" The wildlife department officer, a former police officer, said he is concerned with the safety of residents, especially children. "A raccoon can be just as dangerous as a gun," The wildlife department officer said. "Both are lethal weapons, but a criminal or a human with a gun has a conscious. A raccoon does not have a conscious and can't decide on its own whether or not to attack. Drug dealers choose crazy coons. That is not to say all crazy coons are owned by drug dealers."

critter and rodent pro said nine reports of raccoon bites have been reported already this year. "Eight of those were crazy coons," critter and rodent pro said. "Raccoon bites have been reported in Johnston City, and Carbondale and Sesser. I worry about what the summer months will bring. I see kids standing out waiting for the school bus with crazy coons standing on the other side of the fence and lunging at the fence to get to these kids. It is scary and that is something the people who make these laws don't see. "Crazy coons are not a problem in the northern counties," critter and rodent pro said. "The people who make the laws predominately live in the northern counties. They do not see what we see; they only know what they hear. I attended a training session in St. Louis, Mo., in February. While at the training, we had to identify the counties we represented. When we said Franklin County, people immediately said Benton, because they had heard about the problems we are having with a number of raccoons, specifically crazy coons." critter and rodent pro said it doesn't matter about the breed of the raccoon, the responsibility lies with the owner. "If an owner or even kids torment a raccoon, of course it will turn mean," critter and rodent pro said. "The same holds true if an animal never receives attention. The reason a raccoon that is chained up lunges at passersby is because the raccoon is suffering from the anxiety of not having enough attention."