Rodents are no strangers to your attic. Because they can use their large incisors to gnaw through tough material, it’s easy for them to gain access to your attic through small holes in your roof and soffits. And the environment your attic creates for them is one they won’t want to leave. Warmth, shelter, and a dry place to sleep with access to food and water is the perfect places for rodents to call their home. If the rodents aren’t removed quickly by a professional removal service like Critter Control®, hundreds of dollars in damages can be done.

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.

The most common rodents in attics are squirrels, rats, and mice.  The best way to protect your family and home from damage is to catch the infestation before it grows out of control. And the sooner you locate them, the easier it will be to remove them. If you can catch the signs early on, you’ll have less of a headache to deal with.

• If your drywall is destroyed and attic insulation ripped, it is a good sign rodents are trying to make a nest in your attic.
• You can tell rodents are filing down their teeth if you find frayed electrical wiring around your home. Address this immediately, as it could lead to a fire.
• As rodents search for food and water, they’ll leave trails of feces and wet spots in their wake. Be sure to steer clear of them, as they could lead to the spread of disease.

Problems & Dangers of Rodents in the 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.

Urine and feces can be a host to health hazards. Some pathogens can infect you via airborne transmission. When rat droppings are disturbed, the airborne particles can cause hantavirus or histoplasmosis. Leptospirosis spreads when you come into contact with rat urine. You can catch rat-bite fever by coming in contact with surfaces contaminated with the bacteria. An ignored rodent problem can be a serious health risk to homeowners.

Rodent Removal from the Attic

You can attempt DIY traps to get rodents out, but they are often very finicky and difficult to get to work properly. Additionally, if any of your traps do work, you will have to hire a professional to remove the dead rodents, or else risk spreading fatal diseases.

One-way doors and live traps are the most effective way to get rid of squirrels. Rats and mice reproduce at an astounding rate. Rat trapping or mice trapping takes 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.

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.

Leave it to the professionals at Critter Control® serving Ft. Lauderdale to help you get rid of the rodents in your attic. For questions, or to schedule your free consultation, call us today at 954-504-6467.