Animals In My Attic! Help!

What To Do If You Have Animal In Your Attic

   Strange sounds emanating from the walls, the patter of little feet on the ceiling, the occasional whine or yip in the middle of the night: these all signal that you've got wildlife in your attic or chimney. It happens to the best of us, regardless of whether or not we've got chimney caps. Critters like Raccoons, Squirrels, and birds can get into your house and set up shop. 

   Out of them all, Raccoons are the most destructive. I recently got a call from a homeowner who told me that the raccoon decided to make a nest of the fiberglass insulation in her ceiling, so it pulled up most of it, relocated it in a corner, and promptly slept on part of it and defecated on the rest. Ugh!

After animal control caged the animal, they had to have the shredded insulation removed and the new insulation re installed. Fortunately something like this can be covered by insurance, depending upon your homeowner's policy. 

  Raccoons can also eat holes in roofs. Yes, holes! They either pull back your facia covers and get in at the soffits or eves, crawl down your chimney, or they just get downright insistent and eat a hole right through your roof. See the photo below, where a raccoon nibbled around a vent pipe. 

  We recently got a call from a customer who had birds in his attic. They were starlings, who literally bent back the facia-covers and snuck into the attic. There they had a noisy brood, and once again, defecated all over the attic. Other birds who are even more destructive are pigeons, who very rapidly build up nesting materials and feces which are toxic. You will want to contact a pest control professional, who will come out, capture the birds, and recommend a proper cleaning procedure that they will perform to make the area safe for your family again. 

  Squirrels are destructive too, but they present an even more annoying habit - crawling up and down in your chimney. I met a family that put up with this for years. In the winter the squirrel family decided that their chimney was the warmest place to be, and proceeded to torture the family by climbing up and down in the chimney all day and all night. The scratching noises frightened the children and woke the owners up every morning.

1.   Call your local pest control professional and get an estimate and recommendations for capture, cleanup, and prevention for the future of your home. This can include trapping, caging, and transport of the animals. Next comes the cleanup, which can involve toxic materials - and treatment of all surfaces. Finally, a remedy can be introduced, such as a permanent cage for the attic that will trap any more beasties, sticky glue, which will trap creatures like mice and keep birds from roosting, and proper repairs, such as raccoon and squirrel-proof chimney caps. 
2.   Next please call me or a roofer in your area. We can repair the holes, reinforce the area, and install animal-proof chimney caps. You would be absolutely surprised at how quickly an all-steel chimney cap will stop squirrels from getting into your house. 
3.   After that, you might consider calling a tree trimmer, who will cut back all the tree limbs that overhang your roof. This will prevent the critters from hopping up there in the first place! 

  If you have any questions or need advice on your particular animal problem, don't hesitate to call or email me. I'd be glad to help! 

Nick @ Best Quality Roofing and Chimney  - 855-626-9100 - bestquality626@gmail.com