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What To Do About The Animal In Your Attic

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When Animals Get Inside The Attic

We love our homes because they provide us with a warm, dry, covered shelter to protect us from the elements — which is exactly why pests love them as well. While some animals are more than welcome in our homes, there are many that we could definitely do without.  How do pests get into your attic, you may ask? Our homes are built with vents and construction gaps that make for the perfect entryways for pests to get inside, which is usually unavoidable because smaller rodents can squeeze through holes and cracks as narrow as half an inch wide.  Not only is their presence annoying, they can also cause severe damage to the infrastructure of your home. The attic often contains important electrical wiring, parts of heating and cooling systems, and piping that can be affected by pests. Animals like mice, rats, and squirrels have teeth that continue to grow, meaning they have to gnaw on things to literally file their teeth down — and you don’t want your wires and pipes to fall victim to this chewing!  They can also disturb your insulation, allowing heat to escape which leads to an increased energy bill, so they can end up being a pretty costly problem. On top of physical damage, wild animals can also carry diseases, fleas, and parasites that could potentially affect anyone in the home. Moral of the story: it’s important to stay on top of your pest control methods and regularly monitor what’s going on in the attic.  Continue reading to learn more about identifying what animals are in your attic and what to do to remove them.

Signs There are Pests in Your Attic       

Not sure if you have pests or not? Sometimes it can be hard to tell. Here are a few signs you have unwanted guests setting up camp inside:  

  • Urine and droppings
  • Nests
  • Damage to ducts
  • Damage to insulation
  • Gnawing, squeaking, or scurrying sounds

Tips for Removing Animals in the Attic

If you encounter wild animals or pests in the attic, the most important thing is to remain calm — they can sense distress and will react defensively if they feel threatened. Second, contact a local wildlife agency to determine the laws in your state about removing animals, as some are illegal to trap yourself.  With each pest comes different solutions, so take a look at these tips for each type of animal:

Rats or Mice

Rats and mice tend to stay where water is, so maintaining a dry attic is a great way to keep them out. If you find yourself already infested with them, your easiest bet is to set snap or bait traps. While these traps are often the cheapest and most convenient option, they won’t actually prevent the presence of rodents, so consider looking for a professional service to provide a comprehensive pest management approach. 

Raccoons

Raccoons are very strong climbers and notoriously curious creatures, so it’s not uncommon to find them seeking shelter in attics. They can do a lot more damage than rats and mice from their sheer size difference (full grown adults can weigh up to 35 pounds!), and are capable of chewing holes in your walls and ripping shingles off of the roof. Turning on very bright lights and loud music will drive the raccoons out themselves, as they like darker, quieter environments. 

Bats

Bats are usually driven inside because they are looking for a place to comfortably give birth to and nurse their babies, and often form colonies made up of other pregnant bats. Because they like to stick together, it’s rare that you’d only find one bat in your attic without several others. Play it safe and do not try to remove bats yourself, as they sometimes carry rabies and most species are federally protected. 

Squirrels

Similarly to bats, squirrels may nest in your attic to raise their babies until they’re old enough to survive on their own. Check for nests and make sure there are no babies present before you try to remove squirrels, as it’s inhumane to get rid of them while they are still completely dependent on their mother. Once the squirrels are capable of fending for themselves, they’ll most likely find their own way out — so you just have to be patient. If it’s just a lone adult squirrel, they can be scared out by bright lights and loud music or driven out by placing vinegar soaked rags around the attic, as they don’t like the smell. 

How to Keep Animals out of Your Attic

Take measures to prevent animals from getting into your attic in the first place and avoid this problem altogether. There are a number of things you can do to protect your home from unwanted invaders. 

1.Regularly inspect the exterior of your home

Many homeowners report never going to certain sides of their homes or ever seeing the roof. By keeping tabs on the condition of the house you can catch problems before they escalate. 

2. Trim branches on tall trees

Animals like squirrels and raccoons are excellent climbers and will use tall trees to get onto your roof and into your attic, so be mindful of branches that may lean toward your home and trim them regularly.

3. Fix holes in the roof

Most attic-dwelling pests make their way in through entryways on the roofs, so patch up any spaces ASAP to block their access inside. 

4. Cover any vents 

Vents on the roof are another way pests gain access to your attic, so covering them can be an easy solution. Roof vent covers are a simple solution to blocking any entryways and are built to resist erosion so they’ll be a lasting investment. 

5. Install a chimney cap

If your home has a chimney, installing a chimney cap is a great way to keep animals out. The wiring design allows smoke to escape but prevents anything from getting in. 

Stay on the Safe Side

While there are DIY methods to removing wild animals and pests from your attic, we always recommend leaving it to the professionals. As stated previously, animals will become defensive when they feel like they’re being backed into a corner, which can cause them to bite and scratch to protect themselves. Because many of these creatures have the potential to carry diseases like rabies, you’re at risk of infection when you come into contact with them. 

Schedule a service for a free consultation with us today!

What To Do About The Animal In Your Attic

Bedbug inspection

How to Know if Your Hotel Has Bedbugs

Upon entering a hotel room, do you typically reach for the tiny toiletries, take a leap onto the bed, or perhaps start by inspecting for bed bugs? Knowing what to look for is essential. Anticimex Carolinas Service Manager Christian Tweed has shared valuable insights on identifying bed bugs in your hotel room and preventing them from hitching a ride back home with you. And if bed bugs do become an unexpected part of your vacation, remember that Clark’s Pest Control is here to assist!



Q&A with a Pest Professional


How do bed bugs get inside hotels?


Bed bugs are primarily hitchhiking insects as opposed to foraging ones, meaning that they get carried around on people’s clothes and belongings. Someone with an active infestation in their home can easily bring bed bugs to their hotel, but they can also be picked up during travel (airplanes, taxis, and rideshare services) and brought to a hotel room.


What do people misunderstand about bed bugs in hotels?


From a probability standpoint, all hotels will deal with bed bugs at some point in time. If you think about a bed bug’s method of travel, there’s literally nothing a hotel can do to stop them from being carried in. What I have realized is that luxury hotels are more likely to have an aggressive response to dealing with a bed bug case once it’s identified as they tend to have a higher quality of service and a reputation to protect. While this isn’t always the case, it has been my experience more often than not.

Got bedbugs? Call Clark’s at 866-781-4991 today!

What do you recommend travelers do when they get to their room to check for bed bugs?


Most hotel headboards hang directly on the wall. I start my inspection here before even looking at the bed itself. I have found bed bugs, their exoskeletons, and the telltale black stains they leave behind around the edges of or in the crevices of headboards. If the headboard looks clean, move on to looking over the pillowcases and comforter for any signs or stains. You can dig into the bedding as deep as you want here, but I encourage people to look over the top layer of things at the very least.


What are some lesser-known signs of bed bugs in your hotel room?


The specifics of the black stains they leave behind, which as gross as it sounds, are just digested blood as that’s all that bed bugs feed on. If the stains are on a hard surface, they will be small dots as if left behind by an ink pen and will smear into a brownish gray when moisture is applied. If they’re on fabric, they will usually bleed along the fibers making a small diamond, square or X shape.


If there are bed bugs in your hotel room, can they travel home with you?


They absolutely can, however this is easy to prevent. While staying in a hotel, keep as much of your clothing and luggage off the beds as possible. Storing suitcases in the bathroom might sound odd, but it’s an effective method of prevention.

Don’t tackle bedbugs yourself, call Clark’s at 866-781-4991!

What should you do with your suitcase if you suspect your hotel has bed bugs?


When arriving home from a trip, leave your luggage in the garage or on a porch and bring your clothes in one load of laundry at a time. If the clothes are dirty, wash them like you normally would, if they’re clean then run them through the dryer for at least forty-five minutes. Once your suitcase is empty, vacuum over it meticulously (don’t forget to empty the vacuum when you’re done), or if you’re in the right climate, expose it to heat for a few days by placing it in your vehicle (parked in the sun) or for a few weeks in your attic.


The Clark’s Solution


If you brought bed bugs back to you home, Clark’s is here to help. Our Bedbug Control service is designed to eliminate bedbugs and create a safe, comfortable environment.


A Clark’s Pest Professional will do an inspection and recommend a plan of attack to get rid of bed bugs now and prevent them from hatching in the future. Call Clark’s at 866-781-4991 today for more information.



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