Hello, pest control companies in Illinois.
Chicago area, since 2014: 8,632 new owners on average in August
new owners on average in August
Each commercial pest control location in Illinois needs its own license
Each licensed location must keep a certified technician. Without one, that location has 7 days to notify IDPH and 45 days to hire a replacement, with all structural pest control at that location stopped until it does.
The list includes Illinois home purchases where the principal residence box on the state real estate transfer declaration was checked by the buyer's side. Each purchase fills one row. The mailing name, address, sale price and deed date come with each row, which can list several buyers.
What pest control licensing does Illinois require?
The Illinois Department of Public Health licenses structural pest control businesses and certifies technicians by exam.
About 750 business locations hold a license, and about 2,600 individuals are certified. These are IDPH's own approximate figures, undated.
A business must employ at least one certified technician to get a license and renew it each year.
Any business that does, advertises or contracts to do structural pest control on property another person owns or controls needs a license. The act's pests include insects, spiders, rats, mice, nuisance birds and wood-infesting organisms. Each business location needs its own license. A site used only to take calls and messages isn't a business location.
Certification takes a minimum age of 18, a high school diploma and IDPH's General Standards exam, which covers general-use pesticides and requires 70% to pass. Restricted-use certification adds 6 months of structural pest control experience, 16 semester hours in entomology or related coursework, or an IDPH-approved course, plus a sub-category exam for each kind of restricted work. One sub-category covers termites and other wood-destroying organisms, while companies using only general-use products need no sub-category. The certificate lasts 3 years and renewal requires 9 classroom hours over that period.
Violating the act or its rules is a Class A misdemeanor with a fine up to $2,500, jail of up to a day less than a year, or both, with each day counting separately.
What IDPH requires to hold the license
- Primary, first-dollar public liability insurance: at least $100,000 per person or $300,000 per occurrence for personal injury, plus $50,000 per occurrence for property damage. The insurer must be authorized in Illinois or be a federal risk retention group. The policy must stay in force all license year, and the insurer sends IDPH the certificate.
- Application with the license fee: $250 for an original license, $150 for each renewal
- Renewal postmarked by December 1. After that deadline, a $75 late charge applies through December 31, and after that date the license cannot be renewed.
What a home inspection and the seller disclosure leave open
In Illinois, the seller disclosure form asks two termite questions: whether the seller is aware of a current infestation of termites or other wood-boring insects, and whether a prior infestation left structural damage.
The seller answers from actual knowledge, without any specific investigation. Problems the seller reasonably believes were corrected need not be listed, and the form is not a substitute for inspections.
Seasonal pest calendar
University of Illinois Extension seasons; summer is NPMA's
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Spring
In Illinois, spring commonly sees termite swarms, and they can occur during most warm months of the year.
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Summer
NPMA calls summer peak pest season.
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Late summer
By late summer, yellowjacket nests may hold thousands of workers and encounters rise as fall approaches.
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Fall
When temperatures drop in fall, boxelder bugs, multicolored Asian lady beetles and brown marmorated stink bugs gather on Illinois buildings, and crickets, pillbugs, earwigs and millipedes may find their way indoors.
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Fall into winter
Rodents also begin moving indoors in fall; mice seek shelter especially during Illinois winters.
New owners by month
Chicago area, Illinois, average by month since 2014
February is the quietest month in the Chicago area, Illinois, with 4,584 new owners on average.
20In Cook County, the Monday list arrives a median of about 20 days after each deed date.
Monthly averages
| Month | Average new owners |
|---|---|
| January | 5,556 |
| February | 4,584 |
| March | 5,991 |
| April | 6,900 |
| May | 7,470 |
| June | 8,492 |
| July | 8,506 |
| August | 8,632 |
| September | 7,809 |
| October | 7,715 |
| November | 6,486 |
| December | 6,139 |
Cost per month: mailing new owners in ten Chicago ZIPs
The table uses the Local plan at $49 a month, ten typical Chicago ZIP codes and Lob's smallest First-Class postcard on the free plan.
| Local plan, per month | $49 |
|---|---|
| New owners a month, ten typical Chicago ZIPs | 251 |
| List cost per new owner | $0.20 |
| Lob's smallest First-Class postcard, per piece | $0.905 |
| List plus postcard, per new owner | $1.10 |
| Monthly total, list and postcards | $276 |
Biggest cities and Chicago ZIPs
The cities and Chicago ZIPs with the most new owners over the last 12 months.
| City | New owners, last 90 days90 d | New owners, last 12 months12 mo |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Cook County | 5,147 | 20,538 |
| Naperville DuPage County | 451 | 1,631 |
| Aurora Kane County | 433 | 1,603 |
| Plainfield Will County | 397 | 1,472 |
| Elgin Kane County | 323 | 1,247 |
| Joliet Will County | 334 | 1,237 |
| Schaumburg Cook County | 236 | 858 |
| Arlington Heights Cook County | 201 | 846 |
| Orland Park Cook County | 222 | 841 |
| Des Plaines Cook County | 222 | 834 |
| Palatine Cook County | 216 | 812 |
| Tinley Park Cook County | 194 | 800 |