Rodents in your attic? Here’s how to keep them out.
Attics are an out of the way spot many of us like to store belongings we don’t use frequently. Because we don’t access our attic often, it is nice and quiet up there. It’s also cozy, insulated, and has many nooks and crannies. This makes for the ideal home for the rodents in your house!
Once rodents have found their way into your home, it’s hard to get them to leave! They multiply quickly and the problem can get out of hand fast.
How to know you have rodents in the attic
Often the first sign of rodents in the attic is the sound of scurrying in your ceiling during the night. If you hear scurrying during the day, you likely have a squirel problem, but those quiet nighttime noises are usually rodents!
Additional signs you have rodents in the attic include:
Foul Smell
When rodents are in the attic, they use your ductwork to travel through the house. They will often die in the ducts or in your walls, leaving behind a foul odor. rodents also leave droppings around your attic and home, and that odor adds up as well.
Electrical Issues
When rodents live in the attic, they take their toll on your home with their teeth. Rodent teeth never stop growing, so they’re always looking for things to chew. Unfortunately, one of their targets includes the electrical wires in your home. If rodents are chewing your wires, you may notice electrical shortages or wiring issues pop up.
Ripped Insulation
Last time you were in the attic, did your insulation look a little funky? This could be the work of rodents! Rodents love to rip insulation and use it for their bedding. Unfortunately, they also create paths in the insulation leaving their urine and droppings along the way. This renders your insulation as ineffective.
Droppings Around the House
When you have rodents in the attic, they don’t stay in that area. They like to explore the rest of your home! Along the way, they leave behind droppings in your pantry, dresser drawers, and kitchen. If you find these droppings, this means you have a rodent infestation.
How to keep rodents out of the attic
If you haven’t noticed these signs yet, then you may not have a rodent issue! To keep it that way, it’s important to implement rodent prevention methods.
Seal entry points
The first step to preventing rodents is to seal the entry points of your home. Go along the exterior of your house with some caulk and seal any holes in the siding, holes around windows, and damaged trim around doors. These are the most common rodent entry points.
Put Food Away
Be sure there is nothing in or around your home that is attracting rodents. Keep food sealed shut in a tight container, don’t leave open water laying around, and if you’re feeding the birds, don’t use seed that has a husk. The birds leave this behind and it’s a great treat for rodents.
Eliminate other rodent attractants
Rodents will use tree branches, trash cans, and anything leaning against your house as a pathway to your home. If you can’t reach the top of your home to caulk and seal as rodent prevention, be sure there is nothing the rodents can use to access your roof. While rodents can climb siding and brick, you can do your part to eliminate the options.
If you have rodentsice in the attic, call Critter Control of Ann Arbor today for professional rodent control! We will remove the rodents from your home, then install professional prevention methods to ensure the rodents don’t return.
Give us a call today and we will provide you a fast and free phone estimate! 734.449.5858