Effingham Wildlife Animal Control

Professional Wildlife Removal Company Servicing Effingham, IL

If you have a problem with wildlife in your Effingham home, your best option is to hire a company that specializes in Illinois wildlife removal only. This is a specialty business, and regular pest control companies do not use the proper techniques to solve animal problems. I have spent many years reviewing Illinois and Effingham, and I recommend the following:

McGinnis Wildlife Control
Cell Phone: 217-610-8800

NOTE: If you have a dog or cat problem, call Effingham County Animal Services: 217-923-3347



McGinnis Wildlife Control specializes primarily in removing animals from attics of homes and buildings - this includes squirrels in attics, raccoons, and rats or mice in homes. Illinois also has a documented problem with bats in buildings, and McGinnis Wildlife Control is specially trained in bat removal. They also perform general wildlife trapping services, such as the capture and removal of skunks or opossums on the property. Call 217-610-8800 to discuss your critter problem and schedule a same-day or next-day appointment. Click here to learn more about what prices we charge in 2020.

When hiring a company to solve your wild animal problem, you want these features:

  • Specializes in wildlife removal, not pest control
  • Fully Illinois and Effingham County licensed and insured
  • Works 7 days per week (critters don't take weekends off)
  • Performs full building inspections: enters and inspects attic
  • Performs exclusion repairs, with guarantee against animal re-entry
  • Offers cleanup of biohazardous wildlife waste

  • McGinnis Wildlife Control is a full-service Effingham wildlife removal company. This is very different from a regular Effingham pest control company. The pest control companies spray poison to kill insects. This is not at all similar to wildlife removal. McGinnis Wildlife Control performs a full inspection of the home or property, and determines why the animal(s) are there, and if inside a building, how the animals got inside. All animals (including rodents) are trapped and removed, or if possible, removed from the building using special exclusion devices. Once the animals are gone, preventative repairs are essential, and cleanup is sometimes recommended.

    Effingham wildlife trapping - it's not as simple as it may seem. It's illegal in Illinois to trap without a license. Trap type is very important and there are many different types, bait is somewhat relevant, trap placement is vital, and there are dozens of small things that are very important to know. Safety is a concern. Then once the animal is trapped, it must be removed and dealt with in the proper manner according to Illinois law. We offer Effingham raccoon removal. Read more about how to get rid of raccoons.

    Animals in attics - this is our specialty at McGinnis Wildlife Control. Many types of animals like to live in attics. This includes squirrels, raccoons, rats, mice, bats, birds, and even possums. Critters like to go into attics for a safe place to live and raise their young. Removing animals from attics is very complex work, partly because of the presence of baby animals. If you need Effingham squirrel removal, we can remove all the squirrels from your attic, and seal out any future ones. Read more about how to get rid of squirrels.

    Rodent control must be done in a very specific way. First off, the most important thing is that all the openings that rats and mice can use to enter a house be sealed. Then all the rodents must be physically trapped and removed. Never, ever use poison! Most Effingham exterminators will just use this lazy poison technique to kill rodents, and it causes more harm than good - dead stinky rats, and it doesn't solve the problem. Call us for correct Effingham rat removal. Read more about how to get rid of rats.

    Bat removal is a highly specialized task. Illinois is known to have colonizing bats who often live in buildings. Bats love attics. If not removed, the colony can grow to a very large size over the years. The bat droppings are often corrosive and cause health risks. The same goes for bird droppings on or in buildings. We perform Effingham pigeon removal and bird control. But our specialty is Effingham bat removal. We remove 100% of the bat colony and seal the building so that it's totally bat-proof. Read more about how to get rid of bats.

    If you have animals inside a house, no job is complete without proper exclusion repairs. If you simply hire a Effingham trapper who only removes the critters, then the problem will return. You need to hire a Effingham wildlife control company that identifies 100% of the animal entry points into your building, and seals them shut with professional repairs. In addition, in many cases animals have left waste or contamination behind, and you'll want a company that can provide professional cleaning services. McGinnis Wildlife Control does both.

    The above are just some of the services offered by McGinnis Wildlife Control. We also trap and remove animals that destroy lawns, such as moles, or digging animals. Sometimes animals like opossums will live under buildings, steal pet food, raid garbage cans, etc. Read about how to get rid of opossums. Skunks commonly live under sheds or decks, and set up a den. We can trap and remove them without them spraying. Read about how to get rid of skunks. McGinnis Wildlife Control also provides dead animal removal in Effingham. If you need help with any other wildlife conflict, from a fox, beaver, groundhog, or any other critter, we can solve it. We also do Effingham snake removal - most of the snakes in Illinois are not venomous, but call us if you want safe removal, or read about how to get rid of snakes in Effingham. And remember, we are a private business, not Effingham County Animal Control Services, so if you have a dog or cat problem, call the County at 217-923-3347. Effingham County animal services does not handle any wildlife issues.

    McGinnis Wildlife Control: 217-610-8800


    Effingham Pricing Info For Year 2020

    Every wildlife removal situation is different, from the species of animals involved, the location of the animal inside a house or outside, the extent of repairs or cleanup, etc. It's impossible to give one-size-fits-all prices. Examples MIGHT include:

    Small Job: For example, a one-stop job to remove an animal in the yard: $100 on up
    Medium Job: For example, getting critters out of your house with minor repairs: $300 on up
    Large Job: For example, a project involving many service trips and complex work: $500 on up

    Give us a phone call now and tell us about your wildlife issue and we will be able to give you a price estimate over the phone. If you're cool with it, we can schedule a same-day or next-day appointment if you like. Our prices are fair, and a good value because we do the job right, the first time.


    Effingham Wildlife Tip #1:
    What happens to trapped squirrels? - You may have already discovered that the only way to get rid of a pesky squirrel is by trapping the animal and then releasing it elsewhere so that it no longer bothers you, but as you can probably imagine, this comes with its fair share of problems! There are so many questions surrounding this topic that it almost makes absolutely no sense to try and do the job alone. In reality, you should leave it for the professionals to sort out - that's what they trained for after all! If you decide to go it alone, there are a few things that you are going to need to research: Traps - how big do you need them? Where do you need to put them? How long do you need to leave them there for? Are they going to be safe around your kids or pets? Bait - is there good bait or bad bait? How often should you change the bait? What happens if the bait doesn't work? Catching - what do you do with the squirrel once you have caught it? Where can you release it? Are there rules and regulations that you must adhere to? How far away are you going to need to place the squirrel so that it doesn't find its way right back to your home? In conclusion, there are far too many things for you to think about to risk doing it alone. Although it is possible to catch and release this creature, there are so many things that you are going to need to take into account that it would probably be a much safer and easier option if you just called the local wildlife guys!

    Effingham Wildlife Tip #2:
    Will a possum eat rat poison? - There are many methods to remove a possum from your home or land, that rat poison is definitely not the best way forward, especially when you consider the dangers and negatives that surround the topic. You could inadvertently poison your own household pets or small children, as well as potentially causing harm to other pets in the neighborhood and other forms of wildlife, and it would make sense to look more towards the idea of kill traps or more humane methods to remove the animal, that relying on this very painful and long way to remove the animal from your life. One of the most popular forms of rat poison contains something called an anticoagulant, which means that the blood will not clot. Now, in rats this process will take a few days to kill the animal, but with a possum, it can take several weeks, and when you consider all of the other problems that will accompany this form of extermination, and the other causes that will lead to the animals demise, it would certainly cause you to think again. The anticoagulant will affect the Vitamin K synthesis in the liver, which means that the blood will not clot. This can lead to anemia, internal bleeding and blood loss, as well as many other problems, which as you can very well imagine, would be a very long and painful death to have to suffer. Although there are pros and cons for all forms of possum removal, there are other more humane methods in which to remove the problem from your life. You could accidentally kill your own pets, as well as community pets and other wild creatures, and that is before you even begin to think about the harm the poison could do to any small children that may live in the neighborhood. All in all, this should be the last form of removal that you consider, especially if you want the animal to be removed quickly and painlessly, for all involved!

    Illinois Wildlife Information:

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

    Illinois, a long state near the bottom of the Great Lakes, experiences hot summers and cold winters. How harsh your season is depends on where you are located; the northern residents receiving cooler temperatures and more snow than the southern residents. As a humid, flat tract of land, Illinois is prone to tornados and violent thunderstorms. It is primarily covered in farm land and supports a large population of grazing animals. The plains are also known to encourage the proliferation of prairie dogs. These cute, intelligent little creatures are surprisingly problematic for farmers, digging tunnels beneath equipment and compromising the integrity of buildings. Pest control for this species is a daunting task; a prairie dog city can contain thousands of members.

    The entirety of Illinois is not just grass. There are forests in the state, and the local governments have been proactive about planting trees to help prevent erosion. In these forests, just like in most forests, raccoons, squirrels, rabbits, opossum, snakes, and chipmunks live, waiting to find a way to invade homeowner's yards. In reality, the most common offenders are raccoons. Because of how intelligent these critters are, the raccoon can live happily in an urban setting, feeding off of garbage and other edible waste. Raccoons aren't the only problem animals city dwellers need to worry about, however. Rats are just as common in Illinois as any other state. If left uncontrolled, the animals could easily overrun many of the city streets. Thankfully, rats have learned to remain in their sewers when humans are around.

    There are not many large predators in Illinois due to excessive hunting and deliberate removal by state authorities. Wolves and cougars were once native to the region. While the cougar is slowly being reintroduced, it is the coyote that claims the title of top predator in this plains state. Coyotes can be just as pesky as rats when it comes down to invading a property. Because of the large number of farms in Illinois, homeowners need to be on constant watch for the opportunistic coyote. These canines won't hesitate to sneak inside the lawn and snatch a pet or a chicken. In most locations, a coyote in the yard threatening pets or children can be shot on sight. This, of course, depends on where you live, as discharging a firearm in the city is likely to be frowned on.

    You can always call McGinnis Wildlife Control, any time of day, at 217-610-8800, for a price quote for Effingham wildlife control services. I am confident that this is the best choice amongst wildlife removal companies in Effingham, IL.

Select Your Animal

RaccoonsRaccoon Control Education and Services

SquirrelsSquirrel Control Education and Services

OpossumOpossum Control Education and Services

SkunksSkunk Control Education and Services

RatsRat Control Education and Services

MiceMouse Control Education and Services

MolesMole Control Education and Services

GroundhogGroundhog Control Education and Services

ArmadillosArmadillo Control Education and Services

BeaverBeaver Control Education and Services

FoxFox Control Education and Services

CoyotesCoyote Control Education and Services

BirdsBird Control Education and Services

BatsBat Control Education and Services

SnakesSnake Control Education and Services

DeadDead Animal Control Education and Services

Chipmunks Chipmunk Control Education and Services

Voles Vole Control Education and Services

Deer Deer Control Education and Services

Flying Squirrel Flying Squirrel Control Education and Services

Gophers Gopher Control Education and Services

Prairie Dog Prairie Dog Control Education and Services

Feral Pigs Feral Pig Control Education and Services

Alligators Alligator Control Education and Services

Iguanas Iguana Control Education and Services

Muskrats Muskrat Control Education and Services

Nutria Nutria Control Education and Services

Otters Otter Control Education and Services

Pigeons Pigeon Control Education and Services

Goose Goose Control Education and Services

Muscovy Duck Muscovy Duck Control Education and Services

Starlings Starling Control Education and Services

Woodpecker Woodpecker Control Education and Services

Porcupines Porcupine Control Education and Services

Rabbits Rabbit Control Education and Services

Weasels Weasel Control Education and Services

OthersOther Wildlife Species Information