For professional Arlington Heights wildlife control, Quick Kill Exterminating Co. has been solving wildlife conflicts since 1990. Arlington Heights covers roughly 16 square miles with over 77,000 residents, and the community sits at the intersection of major wildlife corridors. The 3,700-acre Busse Woods forest preserve borders the south side, Salt Creek runs through southern neighborhoods, and Arlington Heights’ mature residential canopy connects these habitats directly to your property. Squirrels, raccoons, skunks, opossums, chipmunks, woodpeckers, and nuisance birds travel these corridors daily — and every fall, many of them begin searching for warm shelter inside attics, crawl spaces, garages, and wall voids. With housing dating from the 1920s through modern construction, Arlington Heights properties present entry opportunities that wildlife exploits readily.
We operate out of nearby Wheeling and service Arlington Heights regularly. Our wildlife control program follows a straightforward approach: thorough inspection, professional trapping, and exclusion to keep the problem from returning.
This 3,700-acre Cook County forest preserve borders Arlington Heights to the south with mature hardwood forest, Busse Lake, and an elk herd. The preserve supports dense populations of raccoons, opossums, skunks, and squirrels that travel north into residential neighborhoods. Properties along the preserve border face the heaviest wildlife pressure in the community, though animals travel well beyond the immediate edge through connected canopy and creek corridors.
Salt Creek flows through Arlington Heights’ southern sections, providing a wildlife highway lined with dense vegetation and mature trees. Raccoons follow creek banks for water and food. Skunks den along vegetated creek edges. Squirrels travel the riparian canopy. This corridor connects Busse Woods habitat directly into residential neighborhoods, carrying wildlife deep into the community.
Arlington Heights’ established neighborhoods feature large oaks, maples, and elms that form a continuous overhead canopy. Squirrels use these trees as aerial highways to reach rooflines, and raccoons climb them to access attic vents, dormers, and soffit gaps. Woodpeckers are drawn to this mature canopy as well — and when they begin drumming on fascia boards, cedar siding, or exterior trim, the damage adds up quickly. The denser the canopy on your block, the more wildlife activity your home faces.
Homes in Arlington Heights range from 1920s-era bungalows in the historic downtown area to mid-century ranch homes and newer construction. Older homes develop settling gaps around rooflines, dormers, soffits, and foundations over decades. Even newer homes have construction gaps at roof-soffit junctions, gable vents, and utility penetrations that wildlife discovers quickly.
Eastern gray squirrels are the most common wildlife intruder in Arlington Heights. They chew through fascia boards, soffit panels, and gable vents to access attics, where they nest in insulation and gnaw on electrical wiring — creating a genuine fire hazard. Squirrels are active year-round but seek attic shelter most aggressively in late fall and again in late winter when females prepare nesting sites for spring litters.
Signs of squirrels in your attic:
Raccoons are strong, intelligent, and remarkably destructive. They tear open soffit panels, rip off roof vents, and pry apart fascia to access attics. Once inside, they create latrines contaminated with raccoon roundworm, damage insulation, and crush ductwork. Females seek attic spaces in spring for birthing dens. In Arlington Heights, raccoons travel from Busse Woods and Salt Creek into residential neighborhoods via the tree canopy and storm sewer system.
Skunks dig beneath front stoops, concrete porches, decks, sheds, and low-clearance additions to create dens. Beyond the obvious spray risk, skunks damage lawns by digging conical holes while foraging for grubs. They are most active from February through October throughout Arlington Heights, with peak denning activity in spring when females raise kits.
North America’s only marsupial frequently shelters under decks, porches, and in garages throughout Arlington Heights. While generally less destructive than raccoons, opossums leave droppings, attract fleas and ticks, and occasionally die in wall voids or crawl spaces — creating severe odor problems. They follow the same creek and canopy corridors that raccoons use.
Eastern chipmunks burrow along foundations, under walkways, patios, and retaining walls. Their tunnel systems can undermine hardscape and direct water toward foundations. While small individually, chipmunk populations near Busse Woods and wooded neighborhoods can create extensive burrow networks that cause real property damage over time.
Woodpeckers drill into fascia boards, cedar siding, exterior trim, and EIFS (synthetic stucco) throughout Arlington Heights — particularly in neighborhoods with mature tree canopy near Busse Woods. Damage appears as rows of small holes or larger excavation cavities, and it worsens each season as the birds return to the same areas. Woodpeckers are also drawn to homes with carpenter bee activity, drilling into wood to reach larvae inside. We use deterrent systems and exclusion methods to protect your home from ongoing woodpecker damage.
House sparrows, pigeons, and European starlings nest in vents, soffits, signage, loading docks, and building gaps throughout Arlington Heights. Their droppings are acidic and damage roofing, paint, and building materials. Nesting material blocks dryer vents and bathroom exhaust fans — creating fire hazards and moisture problems. Sparrows and starlings also carry mites that migrate into living spaces once nests are abandoned. We remove active nests, install exclusion materials over entry points, and apply deterrent systems to prevent birds from returning.
Quick Kill does not provide bat removal or exclusion services. Bat work requires specialized licensing and techniques. If you suspect bats in your attic or walls, we recommend contacting a licensed bat removal specialist. However, many homeowners who think they have bats actually have squirrels or birds — call us and we’ll help identify what you’re dealing with.
Every wildlife job starts with a thorough inspection. We examine the entire exterior — roofline, soffits, fascia, gable vents, roof vents, chimney caps, foundation perimeter, decks, porches, and any outbuildings. Inside, we check the attic, crawl space, and garage for signs of activity including droppings, nesting material, damage, and entry trails. We identify the species, locate all entry and exit points, and assess the extent of activity before recommending a plan.
Based on the inspection findings, we install trap sets in the most effective locations. A licensed technician returns each day to service the traps, reinspect, and remove any non-domestic animals that are caught. Any domestic animal accidentally caught is released promptly. For attic squirrels and raccoons, we also use one-way exclusion doors that allow animals to leave but prevent re-entry — an effective approach especially during nesting season when separating mothers from young must be avoided.
This step determines whether the problem comes back. We seal every entry point using heavy-gauge galvanized steel mesh, metal flashing, and commercial-grade construction materials that wildlife cannot chew, pry, or tear through. Common Arlington Heights entry points include roof-soffit junctions, gable vents, dormer connections, chimney gaps, plumbing vents, and foundation openings. For skunks, we install buried L-shaped barriers around porches, decks, and stoops. For nuisance birds, we install vent covers, screening, and deterrent systems over nesting sites.
Our exclusion work comes with a two-year warranty covering the materials, installation, and any trapping services needed in the areas we’ve sealed.
After removal, we address contamination left behind. Raccoon latrines require careful cleanup due to roundworm risk. Squirrel-damaged insulation may need replacement. Bird nests in vents need full removal to restore airflow and eliminate mite infestations. We sanitize affected areas and remove nesting material to eliminate odors that attract new animals to the same entry points.
Timing helps identify the species. Daytime scratching and scurrying typically indicates squirrels. Nighttime heavy thumping or walking sounds suggest raccoons. Light nighttime scratching could be mice (which we also handle through our rodent control program). Fluttering and chirping usually points to birds. We confirm the species during inspection before recommending treatment.
Yes, but we take special care during spring and early summer. We check for young before sealing entry points and use eviction techniques that encourage the mother to relocate her litter naturally. Separating mothers from dependent young is both inhumane and counterproductive — an orphaned litter in your attic creates a far worse problem.
The preserve guarantees permanent wildlife pressure, but proper exclusion keeps animals out of your home reliably. Once we seal all entry points with wildlife-grade materials, animals cannot re-enter even though they continue living in the area. Our two-year exclusion warranty covers the work, and we recommend annual inspections for preserve-adjacent properties to catch any new vulnerabilities before wildlife discovers them.
Yes. Woodpeckers are federally protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, so lethal methods are not permitted. Instead, we install deterrent systems and exclusion materials to prevent further drilling. We also address underlying attractants — if carpenter bees are drawing woodpeckers to your home, we treat the bee galleries first to remove the food source.
Absolutely. Sparrows and starlings frequently nest in dryer vents, bathroom exhaust vents, and range hood vents. We remove the nest and nesting material, then install a professional vent cover that allows airflow while preventing birds from re-entering. Blocked dryer vents are a serious fire hazard — this should be addressed promptly.
Cost depends on the species, number of entry points, extent of damage, and cleanup needed. We provide a free inspection and quote — call (847) 724-1511.
Quick Kill Exterminating Co. has resolved wildlife conflicts in Arlington Heights since 1990. Whether squirrels have invaded your attic, raccoons have torn open your soffit, woodpeckers are drilling into your fascia, or sparrows have clogged your dryer vent, we combine professional trapping with permanent exclusion to solve the problem for good.
Other Arlington Heights services: General Pest Control · Ant Extermination · Mouse & Rodent Control · Mosquito Control