For professional Glenview wildlife control, Quick Kill Exterminating Co. has been resolving wildlife conflicts since 1990 — and we’re headquartered right here in Glenview at 1953 Johns Drive. Because the village is bordered by over 1,100 acres of forest preserve land, bisected by the North Branch of the Chicago River, and home to The Grove National Historic Landmark, Glenview faces wildlife pressure that few suburbs can match. Squirrels, raccoons, skunks, opossums, chipmunks, woodpeckers, and nuisance birds are active across the village year-round. As a result, our technicians handle more wildlife calls in Glenview than in almost any other community we serve.
We also serve neighboring Northbrook, Wilmette, Golf, Morton Grove, Niles, and Des Plaines. However, Glenview is home — and we know every neighborhood, every forest preserve border, and every era of housing stock in the village.
Glenview is bordered by extensive Cook County Forest Preserve land to both the east and west. These preserves include mature woodland, wetlands, and riparian habitat that permanently support large populations of squirrels, raccoons, skunks, opossums, and ground-nesting birds. Consequently, homes along the forest preserve borders — particularly in East Glenview, The Willows, and Northfield Woods — face constant wildlife migration from these adjacent natural areas. Because the preserves are protected land, the wildlife pressure they generate is permanent.
The North Branch of the Chicago River and Glenview Creek both flow through the village, creating waterway corridors that raccoons, skunks, and opossums follow between the forest preserves and residential neighborhoods. In particular, raccoons are semi-aquatic foragers that thrive along river corridors. These waterways also connect otherwise separate habitat areas, which means wildlife can move across the village using the riparian cover without crossing open ground.
The Grove is a 145-acre nature preserve and interpretive center in the heart of Glenview. It includes restored prairie, woodland, and wetland habitats. While it’s a wonderful community resource, it also functions as a wildlife reservoir in the middle of the village. As a result, nearby neighborhoods deal with squirrels, raccoons, skunks, and woodpeckers that originate from The Grove’s habitat.
Glenview’s residential construction spans from the 1890s to the present, and each era presents different wildlife vulnerabilities. The Park neighborhood near the village center dates to the 1890s, with homes that have over a century of settling. The Countryside subdivision was developed in the 1940s and 1950s. Swainwood, Sleepy Hollow, and Bonnie Glen were built through the 1960s. Meanwhile, The Glen development brought modern construction starting in the early 2000s on the former Naval Air Station property. Older homes have more gaps at rooflines, soffits, and foundations from decades of settling. However, even newer homes in The Glen are not immune — raccoons and squirrels exploit construction seams and roof vents regardless of age.
Wagner Farm and the surrounding open space along Wagner Road provide additional habitat for skunks, opossums, and ground-nesting wildlife. Because of the farm’s agricultural character, the area also supports higher rodent populations that attract predators like raccoons. Properties near Wagner Farm consequently see elevated wildlife activity.
Eastern gray squirrels are abundant throughout Glenview — the forest preserves, The Grove, and the village’s mature street trees support enormous populations. They enter attics by chewing through fascia boards, deteriorated soffits, and gable vents. In particular, homes in older neighborhoods like The Park, Countryside, and Swainwood have aging wood trim and soffits that squirrels breach easily. Once inside, they nest in insulation, gnaw on electrical wiring — creating fire hazards — and cause thousands of dollars in damage. Because Glenview’s tree canopy provides aerial access to most rooflines, squirrels rarely need to climb walls to reach your attic.
Raccoons travel between the forest preserves, the North Branch corridor, The Grove, and residential properties throughout Glenview. They’re powerful animals that tear open soffit panels, pry apart fascia, rip off roof vents, and push through deteriorated attic louvers. Inside attics, they create contaminated latrines, destroy insulation, and crush ductwork. They also den under decks, in chimney chases, and beneath porches. Because Glenview has both massive natural habitat and dense residential development side by side, raccoon encounters are extremely common — and removal without exclusion is only a temporary fix.
Skunks den beneath porches, decks, stoops, and sheds throughout Glenview. They also dig conical holes across lawns while foraging for grubs — a frequent complaint near the forest preserve borders and Wagner Farm area. Peak denning occurs in spring when females raise kits. Additionally, spray incidents near doorways and in garages are common during late-winter mating season.
Opossums shelter under decks, in garages, inside sheds, and occasionally in crawl spaces. They follow the river corridors and forest preserve edges through the village. They leave droppings, attract fleas and ticks, and sometimes die in wall voids or inaccessible spaces — consequently creating severe odor issues that require professional inspection to locate and resolve.
Eastern chipmunks burrow along foundations, under walkways, patios, stoops, and landscape edging. Their tunnel systems undermine hardscape and direct water toward foundations. Because Glenview’s established neighborhoods have decades of mature landscaping and garden borders, chipmunk damage accumulates significantly over time.
Woodpeckers are heavily active in Glenview because of the extensive forest preserve and The Grove habitat adjacent to residential areas. They drill into fascia boards, cedar siding, exterior trim, and EIFS (synthetic stucco), creating rows of holes that worsen each season as birds return to the same areas. Homes with carpenter bee activity are especially targeted — woodpeckers drill into wood to reach bee larvae. We install deterrent systems and exclusion materials to protect your home. Importantly, woodpeckers are federally protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, so humane deterrence is the only legal approach.
House sparrows, European starlings, and pigeons nest in dryer vents, bathroom exhaust vents, soffits, and building gaps throughout Glenview. Their droppings damage roofing materials and painted surfaces, and nesting material blocks vents — creating fire hazards and moisture problems. Furthermore, bird mites from abandoned nests migrate into living spaces. Pigeons are also active around commercial areas in The Glen Town Center and along Waukegan Road, roosting on building features and creating droppings issues.
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 Glenview wildlife job starts with a thorough inspection. We examine the entire exterior — roofline, soffits, fascia, gable vents, roof vents, chimney caps, and every joint where gaps develop. We also inspect the foundation perimeter, porches, decks, and garages. Inside, we check attics, crawl spaces, and utility areas for droppings, nesting material, damage, and entry trails. Because Glenview’s housing stock spans over a century, we adjust our inspection approach to the home’s era — focusing on settling gaps in older Park and Countryside homes, and on construction seams and vent vulnerabilities in newer Glen development homes. We identify the species, locate all entry and exit points, and assess the full scope of activity before recommending a plan.
We place trap sets in the most effective locations based on inspection findings. A licensed technician returns each day to check traps, reinspect, and remove any non-domestic animals caught. Any domestic animal accidentally caught is released immediately. For attic squirrels and raccoons, we also use one-way exclusion doors that allow animals to leave but prevent re-entry — this is particularly important during nesting season when young may be present.
Exclusion is what separates a temporary fix from a permanent solution — and it’s especially critical in Glenview, where over 1,100 acres of forest preserve guarantee continuous wildlife pressure on every adjacent neighborhood. We seal every identified entry point using heavy-gauge galvanized steel mesh, metal flashing, and commercial-grade construction materials that wildlife cannot chew, pry, or tear through. On Glenview’s older homes, this often means addressing decades of settling at rooflines, soffits, and foundations. On newer homes in The Glen, we focus on roof vent protection and construction seams. For skunks, we install buried L-shaped barriers around porches, decks, and stoops. For birds, we install professional vent covers and screening.
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. 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.
We handle wildlife conflicts across every Glenview neighborhood. East Glenview, The Willows, and Northfield Woods face the heaviest pressure from the eastern forest preserves. Countryside and Sleepy Hollow deal with wildlife from the western preserves. The Park — Glenview’s oldest neighborhood — has the most entry points from over a century of settling. Meanwhile, Swainwood and Bonnie Glen see wildlife moving through the mature canopy and along Glenview Creek. The Glen, despite its newer construction, deals with raccoons and squirrels exploiting roof vents and construction seams. Properties near Wagner Farm and The Grove face wildlife from those open-space areas. Additionally, commercial wildlife issues around The Glen Town Center and along Milwaukee Avenue and Waukegan Road fall within our scope. Whatever the neighborhood, whatever the species — we’ve worked it before.
Timing is the best initial clue. Daytime scratching and scurrying typically indicates squirrels. Nighttime heavy thumping suggests raccoons. Light nighttime scratching could be mice (which we handle through our rodent control program). Fluttering and chirping points to birds. We confirm the species during inspection before recommending treatment.
Wildlife will always be active near 1,100+ acres of forest preserve — that’s permanent habitat supporting large animal populations. However, 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 remain active in your yard. Our two-year exclusion warranty covers the work, and we recommend annual inspections to catch any new vulnerabilities as your home continues to settle.
The Glen was built on the former Naval Air Station Glenview property, which is surrounded by forest preserve and open space. As a result, even newer homes face significant wildlife pressure. Raccoons and squirrels exploit roof vents, construction seams at dormers and gable connections, and any gap that develops as a home settles during its first few decades. Therefore, newer construction is not inherently wildlife-proof — it simply has different vulnerabilities than older homes.
Yes. Because woodpeckers are federally protected, we use deterrent systems and exclusion materials rather than lethal methods. 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.
Cost depends on the species, number of entry points, extent of damage, and cleanup needed. Because we’re headquartered in Glenview, there’s no travel premium — we’re already here every day. We provide a free inspection and quote — call (847) 724-1511.
Quick Kill Exterminating Co. has been resolving wildlife conflicts in Glenview since 1990 — and as your neighbors at 1953 Johns Drive, we take this work personally. Whether squirrels from the forest preserves have entered your attic, raccoons are following the North Branch to your deck, woodpeckers are drilling into your siding, or skunks have denned beneath your porch, we combine professional trapping with permanent exclusion to solve the problem for good.
Other Glenview services: General Pest Control · Ant Extermination · Mouse & Rodent Control · Mosquito Control