Skunks In Aurora: What Homeowners Need To Know
September 12, 2023
If you see skunks near your property, it can be an uneasy feeling. Seeking a trustworthy pest control service for skunk removal in Aurora is vital as soon as you notice these pests. If your dogs roam free on the property or in a fenced backyard, they could encounter a skunk and get sprayed. If you surprise a skunk yourself, you could receive a dowsing from this pest as well, creating a terrible odor that is difficult to eliminate. At D&K Pest Control, we are ready to help you remove any skunks that are near your home quickly and efficiently, keeping your family and pets safer.
Are Skunks Dangerous?
Should you notice these animals near your home and property, it’s important to contact our skunk pest control service as quickly as possible because of the significant problems these pests can cause. Although most people have concerns over being sprayed by a skunk’s terrible odor, this is not the most dangerous thing that can happen during a skunk encounter.
Skunks sometimes carry rabies, and they can transmit this disease to pets and humans through bites and scratches. Skunks typically do not bite or scratch unless they feel cornered or are protecting their nests and babies. For this reason, dogs are especially in danger of a skunk attack. They may chase a skunk until reaching a nest without even knowing it. Suddenly, the skunk fights back, injuring the dog and potentially exposing it to disease.
Because of the danger and nuisance that these pests can create, it’s best to seek professional skunk control in Aurora immediately. Until then, do everything possible to avoid these animals, especially when walking your dog. If you know you have skunks near your property, you may want to keep your dogs on a leash until you are sure the skunks have been dealt with.
How Skunks Get Into Aurora Residential Areas And What Attracts Them
Skunks are only about 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 feet in length, and they often weigh less than 15 pounds. They’re similar in size to a house cat. Like most animals, skunks are drawn to an area where they can find water, food, and shelter. Consequently, these small animals don’t need much free space to squeeze through a fence to gain access to your yard to try to find food. In the worst-case scenario, where you have a loose window or a hole in the foundation, the skunk may even sneak into your house.
Trust D&K Pest Control for the best solutions for pest control for skunks indoors and outdoors.
Tips To Minimize Your Risk For Skunk Activity Around Your Home
In addition to seeking pest control for skunks, remove things that draw these animals to the property. Do not leave pet food and pet water bowls outdoors, especially overnight when skunks are most active. Pick up your food after eating outdoors. Additionally, cover your garbage cans tightly to keep skunks away.
What To Do If You Have Skunks On Your Property Or Inside Your Home
Although removing some pests on your property or from inside your home can be challenging, skunks represent a whole new level of challenge. Simply put, controlling nuisance skunks in Aurora requires the help of an experienced pest control professional.
You can trust D&K Pest Control and our decade of experience controlling pests. You can feel confident that we will do the work correctly the first time, thanks to our experience, training, and equipment. Some of the services we provide regarding skunks include:
Trapping
Prevention
Eliminating entry points
Eliminating items that draw skunks
Reach out to our team today to learn more about the services we offer. We can help with skunk removal inside your home or elsewhere on your property. We are ready to help make your property safe again.
How do I get rid of skunks?
Skunks are more than a nuisance wildlife problem; they pose serious threats to people, pets, and properties. Skunk removal should always be handled by an experienced professional. Trust D&K Pest Control to quickly and completely remove skunks from your Illinois property. After contacting us, our professionals will come to your property to identify where skunks are living, place traps, and help you take the steps necessary to stop them from coming back. For the best pest control in Aurora, please call now.
Say Goodbye To Silverfish In Your Aurora Home
July 15, 2023
Many types of pests and forms of wildlife live in natural outdoor settings near where humans reside, which includes residential areas across Aurora. One of the more problematic creatures that enter homes in this region is silverfish. Often, silverfish will emerge from below rocks, around firewood piles, or within piles of leaves or other vegetation and capitalize on opportunities to infiltrate a home.
What is the best way to get rid of silverfish? In many instances, silverfish are resilient pests that are challenging to eliminate; therefore, consulting with a local pest control company is encouraged. An experienced Aurora pest control professional understands the most effective methods for removing silverfish and knows the best silverfish prevention strategies.
What Are Silverfish?
Silverfish are wingless insects with a silverish appearance that measure from ½ to 1 inch long and move in a “fish-like” way. Silverfish have long antennae and three bristly filaments that end from the rear. After emerging from eggs, young silverfish (nymphs) appear similar to adults; yet, are much smaller.
Belonging to the order Zygentoma, silverfish are insects that consume an omnivorous diet that might include wood, mold, or dead insects. When indoors, silverfish in Aurora will eat cereal, paper, glue, and many materials found in clothing or upholstery.
Are there other types of bugs similar to silverfish? Some of the creatures that look like silverfish include firebrats, earwigs, and bristletails.
Silverfish Can Damage Your Belongings
Can silverfish bite humans? It is very unlikely that a human would be bitten by a silverfish and they are largely seen as a nuisance pest; however, silverfish may create some minor property damage such as:
Silverfish shed their “scales” and generate feces that may accumulate and cause home occupants to experience allergic reactions.
Hungry silverfish may contaminate sources of food.
These pests often leave yellowish stains on fabrics or upholstered items.
Silverfish may chew holes in books, paper products, clothing, and more.
Because of the damage that silverfish might cause inside your home, property owners in Aurora that detect these pests should consider seeking assistance from a pest management professional.
How And Why Silverfish Find Their Way Into Your Home
How do silverfish get in the house? Using their small bodies, silverfish might enter homes through cracks or crevices around the exterior or gaps around the seals of doors or windows.
Keep in mind that silverfish are attracted to humid and moist conditions; therefore, ensure basements and crawl spaces are properly ventilated and use dehumidifiers when necessary. Also, promptly repair any leaky spigots, hoses, or pipes
The Best Way To Get Rid Of A Silverfish Infestation In Your Home
How to get rid of silverfish in my house? The do-it-yourself home pest control products sold by local retailers are commonly ineffective against these pests and might contain harsh chemical formulas. Speaking with a pest control professional is the best means of responding to these problems.
With more than 12 years of experience in the realm of residential pest control, D&K Pest Control will quickly oust silverfish from your property. Our team is properly equipped for safely treating these pests and may make recommendations regarding other existing areas of the property that might be vulnerable to pest intrusions.
We also have expertise in managing concerns involving many types of wildlife that create health risks and may generate costly property damage. Some of these services include bat removal, nuisance bird control, opossum removal, and more. In addition to providing superior wildlife removal and control programs, we provide the highest quality exclusion services that will effectively prevent types of troublesome pests and wildlife from reentering the structure.
Property owners throughout the Aurora region seeking solutions for pest and wildlife-related problems should contact our office today for further detail. Remember to ask about our ongoing residential protection service plans that include quarterly treatment visits from a qualified technician
Are Opossums Something To Worry About In Aurora?
January 15, 2023
Opossums are mammals that represent the lone native marsupial species in North America. Marsupials are creatures such as kangaroos that give live birth to somewhat “premature” offspring that continue developing within the abdominal “pouch” of their mother. More than 100 species exist worldwide, with the Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana), or “common” opossum being the most prevalent type found in North America.
As omnivorous scavengers, opossums consume a wide variety of foods, including fruit, grain, insects, birds, and much more. From the nose to the tail, opossums measure approximately two to three feet long and generally weigh 8 to 13 pounds. Some other characteristics include a pointed face and ears, a hairless tail, and a light-colored face.
An opossum, seen in North America, is a different marsupial than the possum, which people primarily find in Australia, New Zealand, and China.
Are you wondering who provides professional wildlife control services in the Aurora region? D&K Pest Control, an experienced Aurora pest control company, maintains a qualified staff that receives training in opossum pest control solutions as one aspect of a comprehensive array of nuisance wildlife removal services. Professional wildlife experts also understand the most effective preventative measures.
Habits And Behaviors Of Common Opossums
Opossums in Aurora are known for their practice of “playing dead.” Opossums might carry leptospirosis, tularemia, and other health-related concerns. In addition, opossums might carry ticks and other harmful parasites.
Opossums also are known for creating property damage when looking for food in lawn or garden areas. Although generally fearful of humans, opossums possess sharp teeth and could bite, particularly if abruptly encountered or when feeling threatened.
What Attracts Opossums To Your Yard?
In areas of significant land development where much of their natural environment disappears, opossums are often increasingly seen in residential settings. One of the most common attractants is lawn grubs or white grubs, the larval form of certain types of beetles. Opossums will also venture into yards that allow access to trash, bowls of uneaten pet food, or compost piles. In yard areas, opossums might exist below porches or decks.
Natural Ways To Make Your Property Less Inviting To Opossums
Property owners should educate themselves regarding the best strategies for preventing opossums. Consider the following recommendations:
Keep yard areas free of debris and excess vegetation that might provide hiding spots.
Always place trash bags with food scraps in durable garbage receptacles with functional lids.
Avoid placing pet food bowls on patio or deck areas.
Promptly retrieve fallen fruits and consider using durable fencing material to create a barrier around gardens.
Prevent pools of standing water by keeping gutters clear, promptly repairing leaky hoses or spigots, and not overwatering.
While the aforementioned preventative measures typically prove effective, they do not represent a solution for existing wildlife control problems that are best handled by a licensed home pest control professional.
Call D&K Pest Control At The First Sign Of Opossums In Your Yard
The experts with D&K Pest Control provide superior quality professional wildlife removal services. As an experienced wildlife control company, we trap and remove opossums and other unwanted creatures that enter yard areas.
Our organization delivers results for local home and business owners struggling with a variety of pest control problems. As a comprehensive service provider in Aurora, we assist customers with ants, rodents, opossums, and other bothersome and potentially harmful pests. Part of our sustained success results from a firm commitment to industry-leading customer service and always offering a satisfaction guarantee.
After receiving a customer inquiry, one of our specialists will visit the property, perform a detailed inspection, and explain the best treatment. Contact us today for more information.
How To Keep Ants Out Of Your Aurora Home
April 15, 2023
Aurora homeowners are no strangers to ants. Ants are one of the most consistently encountered pests in the area. Ants are well adapted for survival in the wild. They reproduce quickly, explore every aspect of their environment, and build their colonies in out-of-the-way places that are hard to reach. Once ants find their way into your house, they often decide to stay.
If ants have taken up residence in your home, D&K Pest Control can help you get them back out. Call us today and let us be your Aurora pest control experts. We know effective ant control.
How To Identify The Type Of Ant Infesting Your Home
Effective ant control in part depends on understanding the signs of an ant infestation.
Here are some of the ways you can tell if you might have an ant problem:
Carpenter ants: Large ants that prefer to build their colonies around wood. They are reddish black and large, up to ? inch in size.
Pharoah ant: Pharoah ants are approximately ¼ inch in size and are typically found near areas of persistent wetness.
Crazy ants: Approximately ? inch in size, these ants get their name from the fast, erratic way they run.
Pavement ants: Pavement ants are approximately ? inch in size, a dark brown or black in color. They tend to build their colonies in cracks in pavement or concrete.
Many different types of ants in Aurora may visit your home, but only one company you need to contact to get rid of them. D&K Pest Control can help you with ant control in your house. Contact us today for help.
An Ant Infestation Can Be More Than Just A Nuisance
Ants can be extraordinary nuisances. They can situate their colonies in hard-to-reach places and can resist DIY pest control efforts. Despite your best efforts, ants can return again and again, and your frustration will grow. Beyond just being pests, however, ants can introduce real problems into your home. Ants can potentially contaminate stored food, introducing you to health risks. Ants can chew on wires, potentially causing damage that can be expensive to repair. Carpenter ants can cause extensive damage to the wooden structures of your home. Ants are associated with causing allergies among susceptible individuals. Pharoah ants can damage air conditioning units and plumbing systems.
If you need to know how to get rid of ants in the kitchen or anywhere else, make a call to D&K Pest Control. Our technicians have extensive history dealing with ant infestations, and we pride ourselves on our history of success.
Four Easy And Effective Ant Prevention Tips
Ant control in Aurora is critical given that ants can cause a lot of problems around your home, and it is better to avoid an ant infestation than to have to treat it.
Here are some ways to reduce your chances of having to deal with ants:
Seal outside garbage: Seal garbage well to avoid attracting ants.
Seal your home: Ants will exploit openings in your home to gain entry.
Seal food: Ants can easily get into loosely sealed food containers.
Keep a clean home: Dirty counters and floors can be enticing to ants.
If you are struggling with ants in your Aurora home, D&K Pest Control can help. Get in contact with us today because we know how to get rid of ants.
Total Ant Control For Aurora Homes
Ants have all the skills and abilities they need to easily make their way into your home. Once inside they can be difficult to remove using DIY pest control efforts. Instead of struggling to do it on your own, call D&K Pest Control for help and to learn more about our residential and commercial pest control services in Aurora. We offer the best ant control solutions, and we can help you with any ant problem.
Squirrels Hanging Around Your Yard Can Be Really Problematic
February 14, 2023
Can you spot shallow holes in your garden? Do you occasionally find your vegetables and fruits half-eaten? Have your recently planted bulbs been dug up? Chances are that squirrels may have caused the damage. For the most part, extensive damage is done in fall, when the rodents prepare for the winter season. Additionally, they are active in spring because of ripening fruit and new growth since seeds are in limited supply. If you are wondering what kind of pest control in Aurora can help prevent these rodents from rummaging through your yard, this post will supply you with the valuable information you need.
Characteristics of Common Tree Squirrels
There are three categories of tree squirrels, large tree squirrels (fox squirrels and eastern gray squirrels), small tree squirrels (red squirrels), and flying squirrels (southern and northern flying squirrels). Eastern gray squirrels are typically gray, but there are other color variations, like black. Fox squirrels are generally orange-brown with different color ranges, like black and silver-gray. Red squirrels are often red-brown with white underparts. The red squirrel has small ear tufts and a black stripe that separates the light belly from the dark upper color.
Flying squirrels are 8 to 12 inches long and have broad skin tissues connecting the hind and fore legs at the wrist. They also have flat tails and large black eyes. Eastern gray squirrels are typically 16 to 20 inches long, weighing 1 1/4 to 1 3/4 pounds, and red squirrels are smaller at 10 to 15 inches long, weighing 1/3 to 2/3 of a pound.
Five Simple Yet Effective Squirrel Prevention Tips
Although most of us like watching squirrels, they can be a menace in your garden because they can cause so much damage. If you need practical solutions to keep them out of your yard, here are some squirrel control methods you should try:
Fence the yard: Install a one-inch mesh wire fence at least 30 inches high, extend it six inches in the ground, and add an extra six inches bent 90 degrees to limit burrowing.
Seal entry points: Look for gaps, cracks, and rotten wood that a squirrel can chew through to gain access. Also, inspect for holes in the attic where light can pass. Once you identify the entry points, seal them up for squirrel control.
Reduce the availability of squirrel food sources: Remove pet bowls, birdbaths, or bird feeders to lower the activity of squirrels in your garden.
Clear yard debris and trim tree branches: Remove any piles of trash from your property. Also, if other trees are six or eight feet from your house, trim the overhanging branches to ensure that squirrels cannot access your roof.
Manage ivy and climbing plants: Hanging plants are handy ladders for squirrels. Trim them up to restrict squirrels from getting close to the roofline.
Taking these steps to ensure that you regularly conduct checks around your property for things that can influence an infestation of your yard will help limit any chances of a squirrel crisis from happening.
The Best Way to Keep Squirrels and Other Wildlife Away
The best defense for controlling squirrels and other wildlife is ensuring that you have a clean yard. Clear out any clutter or debris and trim overgrown branches and shrubs. When you lower the exposure of items that animals can equate with food or water, you can keep wildlife away. Other squirrel pest control measures include storing trash cans inside your garage and scheduling regular pest control for squirrels and other wildlife services.
There are many methods of controlling squirrels in your area, some are simple preventive measures, and others require experts to manage severe squirrel problems. Once you have a clean property and well-taken care of landscaping, you reduce the chances of attracting squirrels and other animals. But you'll get the best results if you work with the experienced professionals at D&K Pest Control. We offer residential and commercial pest management services for various environmental invaders. Our comprehensive approach to pest control will ensure that we quickly handle the pest problem. Call us today, and let's discuss your pest issue.
Bat Removal In Aurora, IL
A protected species that needs a little help sometimes.
It Is Tricky To Deal With Bats In Your Home
When bats accidentally find their way into your attic space or wall voids, they can create problems. Not only are they noisy, but they're also a bit messy. Bats are not housetrained, and you'll want to get these pests out of your home as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, bats are an endangered species, making them a difficult pest problem to address.
There are only two small windows of opportunity to evict them from your home. The first window is between March 15th and May 15th, and the second is between August 5th and October 30th. Why can't you just get rid of them at any time? During the winter, bats go into hibernation, and you cannot evict them. In the summer, it is hard to evict them because it is possible to separate a momma bat from her young accidentally. If the momma leaves her baby in your attic alone, it will not survive. Baby bats require nursing for about two weeks and can take to the air in about three to four weeks. While nursing, they are vulnerable. We help you navigate these challenges and choose the right time to evict bats from your home.
How We Address Bat Infestations
No two bat infestations are the same, but the methods we use are often the same. We perform an inspection and consider the entry points bats are using to get into your house. Most of the time, we can locate entry points by locating guano, rub marks, and other warning signs of entry. If the signs are subtle, we may set up a bat watch, which is a surveillance program to catch bats going in and out at dusk.
Once we have determined where bats enter and exit, we install bat cones at these entry points. These allow the bats to exit but keep them from getting back inside. Along with the bat cones, we will check the roofline and seal openings 1/4 x 1 inch or larger. These exclusions prevent bats from getting back inside. The worst thing is to have to turn around and pay to address another bat infestation on the heels of the first. We protect you from this.
After two weeks, we return to remove the bat cones and patch any entry points. We'll also perform an inspection to make sure your home is bat-free.
It is often tricky dealing with a bat infestation. When you need bat control in Aurora, we're the right choice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you offer a free inspection for a bat problem?
There is a cost for the inspection, but we subtract that cost from the cost of your pest control service. So, when you move forward and have our licensed and experienced wildlife management professional handle your bat control issue, there is technically no charge for your inspection.
Do you offer a warranty?
Yes. We back the exclusion work we do with a three-year warranty. Our goal is always to provide the highest level of service and guarantees you can trust.
Are bats dangerous?
Not generally. Bats rarely bite, but they may bite when trapped or scared. If a bat has rabies, it is a health concern, as rabies is a serious disease. For this reason, we can use more direct measures when dealing with bats in the common areas of a home. Another concern is histoplasmosis, which can cause respiratory issues. Always wear a respirator when cleaning up bat droppings in your attic and around your house.
Get The Right Solution For Your Bat Problem
D&K Pest Control provides industry-leading wildlife management solutions. We perform professional inspections, evaluate the conditions that led to your infestation, and apply long-lasting solutions you can trust. The bat control products we use have a strong track record of success. At every stage, we consider the health and well-being of the bats and their young and apply your bat control in a way that is considerate to you and your family.
We also know how to control bats in your house. If one has gotten into a common area, we'll catch it and send it out for rabies testing. We do this even if no one in your home thinks they've been bitten. We want you to have peace of mind after your bat control service is complete.
If you're looking for the best way to control pests in your Aurora home, D&K Pest Control has the solution. We'll guide you every step of the way and help you find the right solution to address the specific conditions of your bat control issue.
Wildlife Management Techniques: Protecting Your Aurora Property And Environment
Raccoon Removal
August 12, 2023
Owning a home in Aurora brings with it an unexpected responsibility – managing encounters with local wildlife. From knowing the different species in our area and understanding their potential to damage property to implementing effective Aurora pest control strategies, there's a lot to navigate. In this article, we'll discuss these issues and why sometimes professional removal services are the best solution.
Recognizing Common Nuisance Wildlife: Identifying The Culprit
Living amidst Aurora's natural beauty often means sharing our spaces with various wildlife species. But when they venture too close, effective wildlife control becomes crucial. The first step is identifying these uninvited visitors:
Raccoons: These masked invaders are infamous for their trash-digging antics.
Squirrels: Despite their charming appearances, squirrels can gnaw on wires and other materials, damaging items and potentially causing electrical hazards.
Skunks: Skunks, known for their trademark scent, have a notorious tendency to ravage gardens.
Bats: While vital for insect control, bats can become problematic when roosting in attics or other structures.
Opossums: These nocturnal creatures, though generally harmless, can disrupt your property, especially if they decide to make a home there.
By familiarizing yourself with these potential troublemakers, you'll be better equipped to seek the most suitable nuisance wildlife control near you. Knowledge is indeed the first line of defense in wildlife management.
Property Damage And Wildlife: Understanding The Costly Consequences
Living alongside wildlife in Aurora can be both an adventure and a challenge. While these creatures bring life to our city, they can inadvertently cause property damage. Mischievous raccoons might scatter trash, disrupting the cleanliness of your surroundings. Squirrels, despite their charming appearance, may chew on electrical wiring, posing fire hazards. Skunks, recognized by their potent scent, can destroy your carefully nurtured garden while hunting for food. Bats, though integral to our ecosystem, can contaminate your home if they choose your attic for roosting. These issues can lead to expensive repairs and health concerns, underlining the necessity of effective nuisance wildlife removal. This service is crucial to maintaining your property and peace of mind.
Professional Wildlife Control Services: Why Hiring Experts Matters
Wildlife issues are often complex, requiring more than simple DIY solutions. D & K Pest Control offers professional nuisance wildlife removal, utilizing a deep understanding of local wildlife habits and the most effective management techniques. Our aim is to balance respect for Aurora's vibrant ecosystem with the need to protect your property. Our professional wildlife control services ensure a quick, effective, and environmentally friendly approach to wildlife management. Looking to protect your home from potential wildlife damage? Choose D & K Pest Control – your trusted partner in wildlife management.
Effective Strategies To Deter Nuisance Wildlife: Preventing Encounters
Taking proactive steps for wildlife pest control can save you the stress and costs associated with wildlife damage. Here are some key preventive measures:
Clean up fruit and nuts: Regularly clean up any fallen fruit or nuts from your yard to avoid attracting wildlife.
Close off access points: Make sure all vents, chimneys, and other access points are properly screened or sealed.
Remove bird feeders: While bird feeders attract birds, they can also attract unwanted pests.
Feed pets indoors: Feeding pets inside eliminates a major food source for wildlife.
Install fences: A sturdy fence can deter animals from entering your yard.
Remove potential nesting sites: Regularly clear your yard of debris that could serve as a potential home for animals.
Secure garbage: Ensure your trash bins are tightly sealed to prevent wildlife from being attracted to your property.
Trim trees: Keep branches trimmed back to prevent easy access to your home for animals like squirrels.
Through diligent prevention practices, you can help ensure the integrity of your property. After all, the best wildlife control is good prevention.