Rodents in the Attic

One of the most popular places in your home for different types of animals to live is your attic. The most common attic pests are raccoons, bats, rats, mice, squirrels, opossums, and birds. Attics are excellent nesting locations for many types of pests. They’re warm, unfrequented by humans, and safe from natural predators. Therefore, homeowners often find rodents in attics.It can be hard to detect a rodent infestation in your attic if you don’t frequent it often. And since rodents can be quite small, the noises they make will be minimal and hard to detect.

The Most Common Rodents in the Attic

• Norway Rat
• Roof Rat
• House Mouse
• Grey Squirrel

Squirrels, mice, and rats are the most common rodents that live in attics. The Norway rat and the roof rat are the most common rats. The Eastern Gray Squirrel is the most common squirrel species. The house mouse is the most common rodent.

Rodent Removal from the Attic

The type of rodent infestation you have will determine the type of rodent traps to use.

Cage Traps or One-way Doors

One-way doors and live traps are the most effective ways to get rid of squirrels.

Rodent Traps

Rats and mice reproduce at an astounding rate. Rat trapping and mice trapping take between five to fourteen days. Rats can reproduce up to 14 times per year with around seven offspring per litter. That means that a single female rat could produce nearly 100 babies within a single year.

Exclusions

Some rodents can fit through openings as small as 15mm in diameter, which means that small holes, gaps in doorways, and wall vents often serve as common entry points. If a rodent cannot find a large enough entry point, it can gnaw through materials like shingles and plywood to gain access to your attic.

Signs of Rodent Infestation in Attic

Attics are excellent nesting locations for many types of pests. They’re warm, unfrequented by humans, and safe from natural predators. Therefore, homeowners often find rodents in attics.It can be hard to detect a rodent infestation in your attic if you don’t frequent it often. And since rodents can be quite small, the noises they make will be minimal and hard to detect.

Typical Signs of Rodent Infestation

• Squeaking noises
• Scurrying Sounds
• Gnawing Sounds
• Gnawing on wood, pipes, electrical wires
• Nests in insulation
• Droppings and urine

Pictures of Rodent Activity in Attic

Dangers of a Rodent Infestation in Attic

Though they’re all different pests, rodents in the attic cause similar issues. The defining feature of rodents is the constant gnawing. To keep their teeth at a practical length, mice, rats, and squirrels all have to gnaw constantly. This leads them to damage support beams, stored items, HVAC, and wires. Frayed electrical wiring can cause shorts or even fires.

Additionally, having any rodents in the attic comes with health risks. All three of the common offenders carry parasites in their fur. These pests easily move around homes and contribute to the spread of Lyme disease. Rats and mice also transmit Hantavirus, plague, and salmonellosis. Though the risk is low, squirrels are capable of spreading rabies.

Rodent Control in Your Attic

There are a few ways to rodent-proof your attic, and most of them start before the rodents reach the attic.

Rats are also proficient swimmers, capable of traveling through sewer lines and entering buildings by emerging from toilets and open drains.

Check your roof and soffits for any small holes. Any rodent can take a pre-existing hole and gnaw it to make it bigger. Sealing up any kind of hole will cut the chances of a rodent invasion down.

Another way rodents can get into your home is through your vents. There are a few ways you can keep rodents out of your vents:

1. Place traps near the entrances of vents. This can work well if rodents have already gained access to your vents.
2. Protect your vent with stainless steel mesh. This will prevent the rodents from getting into your vents. Cloth works well with bugs, but rodents can chew through it.
3. Install a vent guard on your roof. Caging the area around the vents on your roof will keep any curious critters away from your outside vents.

Even if you successfully remove every rat in your home, other rats will likely return to the same comfortable spot. Unlike some pest control services that only exterminate rodents, Critter Control prevents future rodent infestations. It is essential to seal all entry points of a quarter-inch or larger.

Why Attic Remediation Is Important

Rodents in attics are a serious problem and often leave major damage behind in their wake. After ridding your attic of their presence, it’s important to complete proper attic remediation because of the potential:

• Health risks: Rodents carry various disease-inducing organisms, such as hantavirus, leptospirosis, and salmonella, which can be transmitted through their droppings to your pets and loved ones. Additionally, their feces and urine can cause respiratory ailments and allergies for you and your family.
• Structural damage: To gain entry to your attic and build cozy nests for their young, rodents will chew on wood, wiring, and insulation. They’ll gnaw through nearly anything in their way, causing fire hazards and compromising the structure of your attic.
• Re-infestations: Leftover nests and droppings may attract other pests, including insects and new rodents, opening the door to recurring infestations.

How Critter Control Performs Attic Remediation

Our experienced team at Critter Control provides professional attic remediation services after rodent infestations to restore your attic to its clean, rodent-free state. This process includes:

Inspection

First, we thoroughly check your attic to determine:

• Rodent activity.
• The extent of damage from animals to insulation, wiring, or wood.
• Potential entry points rodents may use to enter the attic.

This gives our team a better idea of what we’re dealing with, ensuring we can effectively address all problems before beginning remediation.

Clean Up

Rodent infestations leave behind contaminated materials that must be carefully removed. Our cleanup process includes:

• Safely disposing of nesting materials and rodent droppings.
• Using specialized sanitizers, such as industrial-grade disinfectants, to disinfect the area.
• Eliminating harmful bacteria and odors to make your attic a safe environment once more.

Remove and Replace Insulation

Your uninvited attic guests may damage insulation during their stay, nesting in it and contaminating it with urine and droppings. During our inspection, we’ll evaluate the insulation and replace it if necessary. Generally, we recommend replacement when:

• Areas are heavily contaminated with rodent waste.
• Insulation has suffered significant water damage.
• Insulation is old and no longer effective.
• There are signs of mold or mildew growth.

We can help prepare insurance bids for insulation replacement to ensure a seamless transition. We work with most major insurance companies to ease the financial burden.

TAP Pest Control Insulation

As part of the remediation process, we offer Thermal Acoustical Pest (TAP) Control Insulation. This is a specialized insulation that offers multiple advantages over run-of-the-mill insulation, including:

• Pest resistance: TAP insulation is infused with boric acid, which deters insects and other pests.
• Energy efficiency: It helps with temperature regulation, adding a layer of insulating protection that reduces heating and cooling costs.
• Noise reduction: TAP insulation offers superior soundproofing compared to traditional insulation, helping keep your home quieter and more comfortable.

We install TAP insulation to provide long-term protection against future infestations while improving energy efficiency and reducing noise.

Seal Entry Points

Preventing future rodent infestations requires sealing all entry points. Since rodents can squeeze through incredibly small spaces, we use various materials depending on the size of the opening:

• For small gaps: Steel wool, mesh, or caulk
• For larger holes: Cement, metal, or hardware cloth

These materials serve as rodent deterrents, effectively preventing the critters from squeezing through. We choose the most appropriate material based on the location and size of the gap to ensure long-term protection against uninvited creatures.

Contact Critter Control Today

If you suspect you have a rodent infestation or need help getting rid of one, our experienced team at Critter Control is here to help. We’re experts in safely and humanely eliminating pest infestations, including rodent infestations, in attics. After eliminating the problem, we won’t leave your attic in shambles—we’re experts in attic remediation, too.

We will clean and re-insulate your attic to restore it to its former safe, clean, and insulated state, sealing entry points to prevent the problem from recurring. So, if you’re wondering how to get rid of rodents in the attic or need attic remediation after an infestation, you can trust us to get the job done right the first time.

Call Critter Control today to schedule an appointment with the best rodent control service near you, and restore your attic to its best state. Start with a personalized quote for your rodent removal and attic remediation services.

DIY Rodent Proofing Your Attic

Homeowners can make it harder for rodents to get into attics with the following simple prevention measures:

• Trimming tree branches that hang over roofs
• Installing gutter guards to stop climbing rodents
• Capping chimneys
• Replacing broken window screens
• Making sure vents are properly fitted

The best way to get rid of rodents in the attic is to contact the professionals at Critter Control for safe and effective removal.