Have These 3 Attic Critters? Call Pest Control
You may not think of your attic except simply as a storage area, but other living creatures may enjoy the warmth and shelter an attic provides. If you have noticed telltale signs of potential attic invaders, pest control can be the right solution. Discover three attic pests to watch out for.
- Raccoons
You might think of raccoons as cuddly and cute creatures. However, these rascally creatures will make your attic their permanent home if you aren’t aware of them or remove them.
How Do They Get In?
Often, the roof or home has holes they can access. Roof vents are a popular entry point. Some raccoons simply rip through shingles to get in. To get to the roof, they might use nearby trees, downspouts, or even porches to climb up.
What Damage Can They Do?
Besides any initial damage they cause by entering the attic, they can do damage to the attic itself. They can use wallpaper and insulation for bedding. They might damage ducts, vents, fans, wood beams, wires, and HVAC components by scratching, clawing, tearing, or chewing.
Additionally, their droppings can cause health issues, such as raccoon roundworm and rabies.
What Are the Signs of Raccoons in the Attic?
You may hear them walking around, or you may hear scratching or thumping. Adult raccoons might growl or chirp, while baby raccoons may often cry or whine. And, of course, the most obvious sign of a raccoon is raccoons themselves, as well as the damage they do.
How Can You Remove Them?
The method of removal for raccoons depends on your pest control professional. Various methods include repellants, poisons, and traps. But one way that many people use that is also humane is to trap the raccoon and relocate it. If the raccoons in your attic include a litter of babies, pest control professionals can usually entice the mother raccoon outside after removing the babies and placing them in a safe box.
Once all raccoons are removed, pest control professionals can block off entry and exit points to ensure against reentry.
- Bats
You might think that bats only like to dwell in caves. Unfortunately, bats can also find their way inside your attic.
Why Do They Like Attics?
Bats likely enjoy attic spaces because most are warm, dry, and comfortable. Some bat species will spend all year there. Bats also likely want to use attics when they are ready to mate, have offspring, and raise the baby bats.
What Dangers Do Bats Pose?
If you have bats in your attic, they can do harm to your home and your health. Bat droppings, also known as bat guano, can cause histoplasmosis. This disease starts in the lungs and can cause death. Additionally, they can spread rabies through their fur, droppings, blood, or urine. If a bat dies inside your home, this can invite pests that might cause additional health issues.
Bats also can cause structures to corrode because of their droppings. Their droppings contain acid that impacts metal, clay, and wood. Bats can stain walls and make your home smell terrible.
How Do You Remove Bats?
Bat removal is the most common way to get rid of bats in your attic. Pest control professionals can seal off entry points, making sure that bats can only exit the home.
- Birds
While you might enjoy the sound of birdsong in nearby trees, you likely won’t appreciate birds in your attic.
How Do Birds Damage an Attic?
When birds build a nest in your home, they might help themselves to your attic materials, such as insulation or wiring. This can impact your home’s temperature and increase the risk of a fire. Their droppings, like bat droppings, can be corrosive to your home.
How Can You Remove Birds?
If possible, open any attic windows to encourage the birds to fly outside. If you can’t get birds to go, then pest control professionals can safely and effectively relocate birds by removing nests, catching birds in a cage and moving it outside, and building birdhouses in nearby trees.
Get Your Attic Back
Protect your attic from wildlife with PermaTreat Pest and Termite Control. Contact us today for effective attic pest control.
