It’s that time of year again… The leaves have already changed and begun to fall. With the warmer days of summer behind us, bushy-tailed friends may seek out your attic for a cozy winter home.
Tree squirrels with their agility and aptitude for climbing are the most likely to enter your attic space. Grounds squirrels or chipmunks may climb up and enter, but it is less likely. Since squirrels are diurnal, most activity in the attic space occurs during the morning hours following sunrise and the evening hours around sunset. Scratching chewing or scampering noises may alert you to the unwanted presence.
Here are a few tips to help prevent squirrel intrusions:
- Keep foliage trimmed on the exterior perimeter of your home and avoid letting vines climb up the side of your home.
- Avoid stacking objects (such as firewood) directly against the structure of your home or garage.
- Keep tree branches trimmed away from the roof line of your home.
- Repair hail or water damaged boards promptly.
- If your roof has been replaced, have a pest control professional inspect the flashing and vent work for animal concerns.
If squirrels do enter your attic space, they may cause damage by chewing wiring or other items stored in your attic. Running and nesting inside the attic space may compress the insulation causing it to lose R-Value. Squirrels may also tear or shred batted insulation to use as nesting material. This can leave an area of your attic without insulation. In additional, squirrels can carry several disease and transmit others indirectly. Visit www.cdc.gov to learn more about the diseases transmitted by squirrels.
To gain access into your attic space, squirrels may take advantage of water damaged wood along roof lines and soffits. Areas where two roof lines intersect are especially vulnerable. They are also know to enter through roof vents or damaged gable vents. In some situations, they even create access points underneath of clay tiles. The pictures below depict squirrel damage to a tile roof (picture 1), a squirrel entry point in a soffit (picture 2) and wiring damaged by squirrels (picture 3).
Wildlife professionals can assist in the removal and repair process. They can identify the squirrel’s access points, remove the squirrels and offer services to repair the damage. Most squirrel removal/repair projects can be complete in as little as 1-2 weeks.
Here are a few questions to ask the wildlife professional that you contact:
- What type of material is used in the repair? (Spray foam or other chew-able materials are not advised)
- Can you restore my insulation and attic damage?
- Will you check for other vulnerable areas along the exterior of my home?
Article Provided By Wilson Christner at Whitmore Pest & Wildlife Control, Inc.