As temperatures drop and pests begin looking for shelter against the cold winter days and nights, homeowners should be aware of any noises coming from their attic.
Time of Day May Indicate The Type of Pest
Depending on the time of day, those noises might even help identify the pests that are living rent-free in your attic. Rats and mice will scurry across the rafters in your attic at nighttime. If possums or raccoons have taken up residence in your attic, they will typically leave during the night so you might only hear them during the day.
You might also have a problem with birds or bats. Many bird species will make use of your attic for shelter over the winter months.
Risk of Disease
With all mammals or birds, one of the biggest concerns with them taking up occupancy is the disease they carry.
Rats, mice, possums, and raccoons will all leave urine and feces in your home that could pose a serious health risk to your family. Rats and mice, particularly, will gnaw on wood and wires and can create dangerous fire hazards.
In the case of possums, especially, they will re-inhabit a home once they’ve been removed, so doing it the right way the first time and following that with securing the entry points to your house are both critical for the removal of possums. Further, there are legal requirements dealing with the removal of possums, and homeowners should be certain they are trapping and removing possums according to the law.
Birds and bats also leave droppings inside your attic or walls and those droppings also spread disease. Part of successfully removing birds and bats from a home is also determining how they got into the home and sealing off those entry points.
Other pests that may be gaining entry to your home are insects. Wasps and ants are especially resourceful when it comes to gaining entry to your attic or walls, and while store-bought insecticides might be successful in temporarily removing them, they will not stop the life-cycle of insects that have taken up residence in your home.
Hire a Professional
In all situations, if you believe you have an infestation of pests, it is important to quickly get professional help to not only remove the pests but also prevent them from coming back.