Finding a dead animal isn’t always cause for concern, but it’s best to take some precautions. Use gloves or a plastic bag to pick up the animal, avoiding contact with your skin. Double bag it and place it in the trash outside. Be alert for signs of disease or pollution or deaths due to outdoor cats or collisions with windows. If you find multiple dead animals, take photos and contact the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to report your sightings.

Striped skunks in your yard can be annoying when they dig in lawns for grubs, but they are docile animals and generally avoid people. If you or a pet gets too close and startles a skunk, it will raise its tail to warn and then spray a foul-smelling spray that can carry 8–10 feet. Skunks can carry rabies and other diseases, so avoiding contact is crucial. To prevent skunk encounters, do not leave unsecured food or garbage outside, and seal access to the area under your sheds and decks.

Though rare, foxes can be carriers of rabies and other diseases. Some foxes use a den under a porch or deck to rear their kits. Prevention is the best strategy here – use wire fencing and mesh to keep foxes from squeezing under your deck. 

Coyotes are now frequent neighbors in urban and suburban areas in Illinois. Even though they’re relatively small animals, their predatory habits raise concerns about attacks on pets and children. If you know coyotes are around, monitor small children, and don’t leave small pets alone outside at night. You can scare a coyote off by yelling and waving your arms, but more aggressive hazing will be needed to keep them away for good. Never feed a coyote, as this encourages bad behavior. 

Mice and rats are a serious nuisance. Field mice sometimes come into houses to take shelter for the winter but do not always pose a major health risk when they occur in low numbers. However, the house mouse (Mus musculus) and brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) are both non-native species that are carriers of disease and cause for concern. Sanitation, sealing entry holes, and trapping are the best options for handling rodent infestations. Simple wooden snap traps baited with peanut butter and oats are the best way to reduce rodent populations on your own. Poison baits are less desirable as they are dangerous to other animals, including birds of prey and pets. 

Unless you are allergic, one sting is usually nothing to worry about. It will be a little painful and the sting site will get a little swollen, but the inconvenience will pass. However, it is important to monitor those who have been stung; some people may be allergic to bee or wasp venom without realizing it. Monitor for swelling in the face, lips, tongue, and throat, difficult breathing or swallowing, nausea, dizziness, fainting, rapid pulse, hives, and rashes. These symptoms signal a severe allergic reaction, which can be dangerous. For examples of ordinary reactions to a single sting, check out the Division of Research Safety’s guide on bee stings and the CDC's guide on administering basic single-sting first aid. In contrast to single stings, multiple stings can be very dangerous and may merit immediate medical attention. 

Men die from insect stings at disproportionate rates. Scientists speculate this may be because men disproportionately take jobs that put them in contact with stinging insects, like farming, forestry, and electrical line work. Men also have higher risk for certain allergic reactions. To the men of Illinois and beyond; when in doubt, please seek medical attention! 

What We Know about Sting-Related Deaths?

While a wasp nest high in a tree should not be a concern, one on your porch or eaves could be a serious problem if there’s a chance you might disturb the nest. Wasps are notorious for being aggressive and will swarm an intruder, which can result in many stings. Removing a nest may be the safest strategy, but doing so can also be risky. Approach the nest at night when wasps are less active and all in the nest, and wear protective clothing. If it is a very small nest, you may be able to smoke out the adults and then destroy the nest. If a large nest, use a registered insecticide spray from a safe distance, then remove the nest. 

The trend that began on social media of using a cup of gasoline to kill small wasp nests is highly dangerous and should not be attempted. Besides the obvious that an open cup of gasoline poses a substantial hazard from explosion and fire, the method also requires standing close to the nest and results in a cup of fouled gasoline that cannot be disposed of in an environmentally sound manner. 

The Canada Goose is now a common resident of urban areas, as they find the free food and warm temperatures attractive. If you have large expanses of neatly mowed grass and a stormwater or fishing pond, chances are geese will hang out in your neighborhood, and some may even breed there. Don’t throw your breadcrumbs to geese and other waterfowl, as this encourages them to hang out and causes health problems for them. Keeping high native vegetation around the edges of ponds will also deter geese from nesting there. 

When a gaggle of geese nests alongside your pond, you may find yourself at odds with these unfriendly and messy neighbors. Geese can be quite territorial and even bite and chase people who come too close. Geese also foul waterways and walkways, causing algae to build up and nutrient overloading, as well as potential health risks to swimmers, anglers, and children from exposure to feces and associated pathogens. A humane approach to keeping geese from overpopulating an area is to “addle” or disable the eggs before they hatch. U.S. Fish and Wildlife permits are available to allow residents to apply oil to goose eggs, which prevents them from hatching and keeps geese from having a successful reproductive season.   

While a meandering ladybug that snuck through an open window is harmless, some insects do pose health risks and treatment issues when they occupy our homes. Cockroaches are a common pest and human health threat. Their frass, or poop, can trigger asthma attacks and transmit pathogens. Bed bugs, while not known to be responsible for any diseases, nonetheless feed on the blood of sleeping humans and are increasingly difficult to treat due to their resistance to insecticides. Insects like beetles and moths that eat their way into pantry items, especially grains, not only spoil it by chewing through packaging, but they also leave frass, secretions, and exoskeletons in food, which can give it unpleasant odors and flavors and encourage the growth of mold. Explore how to manage common pantry pests. 

If you find cockroaches, bed bugs, or insects infesting your home, it is important to address the problem quickly. See Extension’s insect pest website and the Illinois Department of Health’s structural pest website for more information on identifying and managing common household pests.