Clearing Pest Control & Wildlife Removal

Pest Control in Clearing, Chicago

Clearing sits on Chicago's far Southwest Side between Harlem Avenue and the tracks just east of Cicero Avenue, from 59th Street south to 65th Street, with the southern portion of Midway International Airport inside its boundaries. The neighborhood takes its name from a large railroad yard designed to clear freight cars between rail lines. It was incorporated as a town in 1912 and annexed to Chicago in 1915. Housing is dominated by brick bungalows from the 1920s and a large wave of post-World War II Cape Cods, raised ranches and Georgians on orderly blocks. Hale Park and Lawler Park serve as neighborhood gathering spots. Rail corridors, airport grounds and mid-century homes combine to produce a steady mix of rodent and insect concerns.

Rail lines and rodents on Clearing's edges

Clearing's roots are in railroading, and rail lines still run along parts of its boundaries and through the surrounding area. Railroad embankments and adjacent open land create undisturbed ground where Norway rats dig burrows and travel between neighborhoods. From there they head into alleys, garages and yards in search of food. Homes nearest the tracks and the airport's perimeter tend to notice the most activity, including burrows under garage slabs and along fence lines. Keeping garbage carts closed, removing wood piles and debris, sealing gaps under garage doors and working with a pro to place tamper-resistant bait stations along the property line are the most effective ways to keep rats at bay.

Clearing's post-war Cape Cods and raised ranches

Much of Clearing filled in after World War II, when returning veterans and growing families bought Cape Cods, raised ranches and brick Georgians on the neighborhood's west end. These homes are now 70 years old or more, and they have predictable weak spots. Cape Cods have knee-wall attics along the eaves where mice and squirrels hide, and raised ranches can develop gaps where the lower level meets the soil or around garage doors. Mice move in each fall through these openings, and squirrels from parkway trees chew into soffits and gable vents. Sealing foundation gaps, screening vents and trimming branches away from the roof protect these homes before winter.

Hale Park, Lawler Park and summer pests in Clearing yards

Clearing's neighborhood parks and well-kept lawns make summer pleasant, but they also bring seasonal insects to the door. Pavement ants build nests under sidewalks and driveways and trail into kitchens, while carpenter ants move into damp wood around decks, fences and older window frames. Late summer brings wolf spiders and house spiders wandering in from lawns and gardens, and house crickets often slip in through garage doors as nights cool. Earwigs can gather in damp mulch beds against foundations. Pulling mulch back from the house, sealing gaps around doors and windows and a seasonal perimeter treatment from a licensed pro keep these outdoor pests from moving inside.

Areas served in Clearing: Hale Park, Lawler Park, Midway International Airport, 63rd Street, Harlem Avenue, Central Avenue, Narragansett Avenue.