Do you hear noises in your attic? Do you hear scurrying, scratching and just plane weird noises? You’re not crazy, you probably have squirrels in your attic. Although they are cute little fluffy tailed creatures having them in your attic is anything but cute. They can wreak havoc on your home.
The dangers they pose:
· Exterior: Squirrels must get into your house one way or another. This means that they probably did some exterior damage to your home in order to get inside. Gnawing on your siding or chewing multiple holes around the outside of the roof. The longer that squirrels have access to your attic the more holes they will chew. With the outside of your home exposed and damaged, you are much more vulnerable to damages from water leaks.
· Wiring: So many of your homes essential wires are in your attic and squirrels love to chew on them. Like any other rodents, their front teeth are constantly growing. This drives them to look for objects to grind them down. This is bad news for your wiring, siding, and wood. Squirrels chewing on your wires could even cause an electrical fire in your attic.
· Insulation: You know all that fluffy pink or white stuff in your attic? It's important! The insulation in your attic is crucial for the temperature regulation in your home. It helps block heat from entering during the warmer months and holds heat in during the colder months. This saves you money on your heating and cooling bills and keeps you feeling comfortable in your home. If squirrels get in your attic, they will run on it packing it down and depleting your R value (the capacity of an insulating material to resist heat flow. The higher the R-value, the greater the insulating power). They will also urinate and defecate on your insulation ruining it and possible requiring it to be replaced.
· Odors: It will come as no surprise to you but copious urination and defecation building up in your attic and being absorbed by your insulation does not smell good! Your house will smell like squirrel excrement, and they will leave stains all over your attic floor which can be very expensive to clean. Squirrels can also get trapped or fall into your walls and die, which will also cause an awful smell in your home.
· Health risks: Decomposing squirrel bodies, or rotting excrement can cause lots of health risks to your family. Squirrel excrements can cause salmonella, and decomposing animals can spread disease and encourage infestation of more repulsive pests.
Why do squirrels want to get into your attic?
Your attic is a great place for them to reproduce. Squirrels have two litters a year producing on average three to five babies per litter. Their young are usually born between March and April, with a second litter arriving around July or August. Your attic not only protects you from the elements but the squirrels as well.
Most common places squirrels enter your attic.
Although there many possible ways a squirrel can enter your attic or home the most common places are:
· Construction gaps
· Gutters
· Roof vents
· Roof edges
· Chewing through week areas or rotten wood on your roof
· Pluming mats
· Chimneys
· A/C vertical encasements
So, you think you have squirrels in your attic? What do you do now?
The best course of action is to contact a local wildlife control company that specializes in humane trapping and removal of the squirrels. If you are in Sarasota Florida and suspect you have squirrels in your attic give Miller’s wildlife a call at 941-302-6009. We will come out, do a free inspection and tell you exactly what it will take to rid your home of squirrels and what needs to be done to seal up your house so you don’t have the problem again.
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