Have you been hearing strange noises in your attic at night? Worried that something is living inside your attic? This can be a scary and worrying experience for homeowners, especially when they don’t know what the noise is or where it’s coming from. If you’ve been hearing strange noises in your attic or in the walls, especially at night, these are signs of a wildlife or rodent infestation.
Wild animals, such as squirrels, raccoons, opossums, rodents, and even bats, can move into the attic or basement of your home. While you’re terrified in your bed, trying to rest; These animals are throwing a party in your attic! They quickly make your home their own; they will nest, mate, have young, poop, pee, eat and then go to sleep in peace. All while pulling your hair out trying to figure out what to do.
The types of noises you may hear can range from chewing vibrations, loud banging, scratching, or even worse; moans, screams and growls. Bats do not make that much noise, however you may hear very light but high pitched chirps. If you’re hearing these kinds of noises and think you have a wildlife infestation, here are some tips to help you out, so you know exactly what to do from here.
First things first, you should inspect your entire property and look for points of entry. This includes the top of the roof, soffit openings, attic vents, and even under the house. If there are animals nesting in your attic, they got in there somehow, somehow. With larger animals these points will be easy to pinpoint and you will clearly see the damage where they were entering and exiting. However, with smaller animals like rats and bats, it can be more difficult to locate these entry points. You will need to search for any and all holes that are larger than a quarter. Also with rats and bats you will see black markings around the entry points. Once you have located the entry points, you will need to make any necessary repairs. Every homeowner’s situation will be different; repairs can range from simply patching a hole to replacing an entire roof.
After repairing any damage or hotspots, now is the time to trap and eliminate the animals. You can buy live traps for larger animals and you can buy rat traps for rats. However, when it comes to bats, it is highly recommended that you hire a professional licensed wildlife hunter to remove bats, as strict laws and regulations are in place to protect this important species. If you remove the bats incorrectly or at the wrong time of the year, you can be hit with hefty fines. So when it comes to bats, make sure you hire a professional animal removal company.
Wildlife trapping companies and most attic restoration companies provide exclusion services, where they seal all holes and repair damage that allows wild animals access to your home. These are all things that you can do yourself, if you are a handy person; however, when it comes to the final and most important, yet widely overlooked step, which is decontaminating the attic and home, you may want to drop this dirty job. for professionals.
Feces, feces, urine, and nesting materials are left in the attic after a rodent or raccoon infestation. These animals leave behind bacteria, viruses, and odors from their feces and urine that clutter the insulation in your attic. Not only must the attic be cleaned, but all insulation must be removed, the attic disinfected, and then new insulation installed because rats and wildlife do not use the bathroom in one place. Unfortunately, they leave their dirt in all the nooks and crannies of your attic. Make sure the attic has been sealed as well (most attic refinishing companies offer this imperative service).
Once you’ve got the wildlife problem under control, cleaned up feces, disinfected the attic, and replaced your contaminated attic insulation, it’s important to do follow-up work to prevent the problem from reoccurring. Here are some tips: Trim all tree limbs and shrubs near your home. The animals can follow the branches to the roof. Remove all outside dog and cat food after the animals have finished eating; as this is one of the biggest culprits for bringing wildlife into your home. Another culprit is the bird feeder, since rats and squirrels love bird seed. Make sure professionals properly clean contaminated areas, like your attic, as the smell of feces, urine, and nesting materials will attract other animals back. If you have been hearing things in your attic, I hope you find this information helpful and I wish you luck in getting rid of your rodent or wildlife problem.