Markham, IL Pest Control & Exterminators

Pest Control in Markham, IL

Markham sits between Harvey, Hazel Crest, Oak Forest, and Midlothian, and it stands out in the south suburbs for its generous lot sizes and scattered open land. Many neighborhoods were developed in the 1950s and 1960s with modest brick and frame ranches on deep lots, some with detached garages, sheds, and large gardens. Markham is also home to Markham Prairie, part of the Indian Boundary Prairies, one of the finest remaining tallgrass prairie sites in Illinois. That combination of big yards, gardens, and nearby prairie and vacant parcels creates good habitat for field mice, eastern moles, striped skunks, and garter snakes, alongside the rats and mice that affect aging homes everywhere.

Markham Prairie and open ground

Markham Prairie and the other Indian Boundary Prairie remnants preserve native tallgrass habitat that supports a wide variety of wildlife, including voles, deer mice, garter snakes, and brown snakes. Open lots and fields around the city add more of the same habitat. When fall arrives, field mice move from those grassy areas toward garages, sheds, and basements. Snakes follow the rodents, occasionally turning up in window wells, garages, or basements, though the species found here are non-venomous and generally beneficial. Reducing rodent activity with sealed entry points and exterior bait stations usually means fewer snake encounters. A wildlife specialist can remove a snake that has found its way indoors.

Deep lots, gardens, and Markham's moles

Many Markham homes sit on deep lots with vegetable gardens, fruit trees, and wide lawns. Rich, cultivated soil holds plenty of earthworms and grubs, which attract eastern moles. Their raised tunnels and mounded soil can spread across a yard in a single wet spring. Striped skunks also dig in lawns and gardens for grubs, leaving small cone-shaped holes, and they may den under sheds or porches. Fallen fruit and compost piles draw raccoons and opossums at night. Picking up fallen fruit promptly, keeping compost enclosed, and screening the space beneath sheds with buried mesh reduce wildlife visits. Specialists can trap moles in active runways and humanely remove denning skunks.

Postwar ranches, sheds, and rats

Markham's 1950s and 1960s ranches have reached the age where foundation cracks, worn weatherstripping, and loose siding give house mice easy entry. Outbuildings add to the challenge. Detached garages, sheds on bare soil, and stored materials along fence lines provide Norway rats with shelter, and garden produce, birdseed, and pet food provide the food. Burrows appear along foundations and under slabs, and gnawing on wooden doors is common. Keeping stored items off the ground, sealing gaps under sheds and garages, and using lidded garbage carts help. A licensed exterminator can set tamper-resistant bait stations around outbuildings and seal entry points into the home.

Areas served in Markham: Markham Prairie, Kedzie Avenue, 159th Street, 163rd Street, Pulaski Road, Crawford Avenue.