Riverside, IL Pest Control & Exterminators

Pest Control in Riverside, IL

Designed in 1869 by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, Riverside is a National Historic Landmark village laid out with winding streets, broad public greens and a long frontage on the Des Plaines River. Its homes are equally notable, from Victorian and Italianate houses near the historic water tower to Prairie School designs such as Frank Lloyd Wright's Avery Coonley House, plus well-kept 1920s and post-war homes. Olmsted wanted residents surrounded by nature, and he succeeded: the canopy is enormous, the commons are everywhere, and the river woods run along the village's edge. For squirrels, raccoons and bats, that design is an open invitation.

Riverside's commons, canopy and wildlife

Olmsted's plan set aside a large share of Riverside as shared green space, including the Longcommon and dozens of small triangular parks at street intersections. These spaces are filled with mature oaks, elms and hickories that sustain large squirrel and raccoon populations. Because homes are closely surrounded by trees, a squirrel can often reach a roofline without touching the ground. Raccoons use the same canopy and are drawn to attics in late winter when females look for nesting sites. Wildlife specialists here spend as much time on prevention, trimming and sealing as on removal.

The Des Plaines River at Riverside's door

The Des Plaines River curves along Riverside's western edge, bordered by parkland and forest preserve woods, with Swan Pond Park sitting in the low ground near downtown. The river corridor supports bats that feed on insects over the water at dusk, and big brown bats frequently roost in the attics of nearby older homes. The floodplain also means moist soil, which encourages millipedes, earwigs and carpenter ants near foundations. Homes in the lowest areas may also see mice and rats move up after flood events. Elevated sump pumps, sealed floor drains and prompt drying after high water limit how long those conditions last.

Protecting historic Riverside homes from pests

Many Riverside houses are more than a century old, with wood porches, deep eaves, slate or cedar roofs and complicated trim. These features are beautiful but full of gaps. Carpenter ants excavate softened wood around porches and window frames, and subterranean termites can reach sill plates where soil sits close. Exclusion materials should match the home's character, so ask a provider about paintable mesh, copper or custom-cut flashing. Regular inspections catch problems before they turn into costly repairs. Wood shake roofs and older cedar siding, still found on some Riverside homes, deserve extra attention because they hold moisture and offer squirrels an easy surface to chew through.

Areas served in Riverside: Longcommon, Swan Pond Park, Downtown near the water tower, Riverside Metra station area, Homes along the Des Plaines River, Riverside Landscape Architecture District.