The Bat Guy Wildlife Control

04/19/2024

Bat calls coming in all day long, and there is no lack of ridiculous "sales" people using totally BS tactics. Just talked to a lady (for 30 minutes) who has a bat colony in the attic. The company she called told her they will drill holes into the attic from inside the home, and spray pheromones in there so the bats "will leave". They said they would return in 2 weeks and remove all the insulation from the attic and replace it. This wasn't one of the big bug companies (which are horrible at bat work)..... but the guy claimed he was "licensed". FYI... anyone licensed for bat work KNOWS that is NOT an approved method, and it certainly isn't effective. I explained to her how a successful bat exclusion program is performed, and that she needs to toss that guy's business card in the trash. I gave her a friend's number (Daryl Drennan from Belleville) who does PROPER bat work. This whole ordeal with unscrupulous, untrained "bat" companies is way out of hand. Caveat emptor!

04/07/2024

I'm retired.... but the phone still rings constantly. It's the peak time of year for raccoons to search out dry, protected areas to have their litters. Raccoons: Climb downspout (or TV tower, or siding trim, etc), tear open soffit, use attic for den site. Humans: Hear noises in attic, possibly notice horrible odor, find fleas throughout home, and end up spending thousands on ductwork and insulation replacement. PSA: GO LOOK AT YOUR HOUSE EXTERIOR.

02/10/2024

Had a pair of kestrels flying around calling yesterday. I knew there was a squirrel living in the kestrel box, so set a trap as soon as I heard the kestrels. Caught the squirrel in 40 minutes. Used my lift to clean the squirrel nest out of the box. Added a couple inches of wood shavings. Hoping for success.

01/19/2024

Classic starling "nest" I removed from an attic a few years back. Truly not a nest, as they couldn't even get into the attic. This is an example of "haystacking", which is a weird behavior that starlings frequently engage in. They find a small opening in an attic vent or ridge vent end, and make thousands of trips dropping pieces of nesting materials into the hole. Yet are never able to use their masterpiece.

12/31/2023

Join us for this exciting new program…..

06/21/2023

We are in the middle of the summer blackout period (in Illinois) for bat work due to the birthing season. No bat exclusions until the fall period begins August 5th (through October 30). If you call a company that says they can do it now, RUN AWAY.

05/20/2023

Three species of migratory bats in decline, and it's NOT White Nose Syndrome. It's those "eco-friendly" wind turbines.

Wind turbines were found to present the greatest threat

12/27/2022

It's very common for bats to hibernate in homes.... usually in wall cavities, attics or basements. Winter warm-ups OR really cold snaps often causes them to awaken, and they may end up in the living quarters. They typically land somewhere high, and curtains are one of the most likely places to find them.

12/27/2022

Met with IDOT a couple weeks ago regarding a flooding issue along Old Route 66. The drainage ditches are impeded by beaver activity. They have 4 dams in a 1/4-mile section of the drainage canal, backing water under the roadway and flooding farm fields. They are going to remove the main dam with a trackhoe, but want me to trap the beavers out first. Challenge accepted.

03/27/2022

It's peak time for squirrels and raccoons to invade homes, as they are having litters. Just because you can't see an entry while walking around your house (on the ground), doesn't mean those sounds in your attic aren't real. Animals gain entry in a variety of ways.

09/01/2021

Performed phase one of a bat exclusion program today in Hillsboro. Thought I was working alone.... but had a supervisor keeping an eye on me.

08/29/2021

Site fidelity is quite strong with bats. Once evicted from attics or wall cavities, they often find a new roost spot on the exterior of the structure.

08/09/2021

With the fall bat eviction period now underway (in Illinois), it's not uncommon to find bats roosting on the exterior of a home once they exit the one-way escape tubes. They have very strong site fidelity, and will sometimes hang around for a month or longer after being evicted from the attic and wall cavities. No worries, they'll find a new roost site and be fine.

07/02/2021

It's peak time of the year (in our region) for young bats to end up in the living quarters. The attic or wall cavities have a nursery colony, and the pups 'go the wrong way' when they attempt to venture outside for the first time. I sealed the INSIDE of this 3rd story area to isolate the bats from the interior until the whole colony can be evicted in August.

05/09/2021

Some of the bat exclusion projects are of great magnitude. About to finish phase one at this one. The Wright Mansion in Altamont, IL. Worked on it 6 days last fall, and 5 more days so far this spring. Rented a 50-foot lift for the upcoming week, should finish the initial bat-proofing and get the bat escape tubes in place tomorrow or Tuesday.

03/24/2021

Bat tubes. The ones for displaying baseball bats. Well, they also make perfect capture devices for furry bats that get into living areas of homes. Tape one rubber end cap on, and leave the other end open. Hold up to a hanging bat and push up. Bat drops into tube and can't get out. Better than fishing nets, towels, boxes or coffee cans.

03/20/2021

Spring is here, and bats are already actively feeding at night. If you think you are hearing screeching and scratching noises in your ceilings and walls, check you home for bat guano pellets. Just inspected this one in Greenville, and it's easy to see the bat droppings stuck on the siding and front of the gutter. Entry is at upper level soffit.