Do you have an animal in attic situation? Here in Houston, Texas you typically will not find crawl spaces and basements, but what we do have plenty of are attics and often an animal in attic can cause lots of problems.

Is Your Attic Open To Animals?

Attics are great for storage space or for converting into an extra room. The purpose of an attic is to move around large quantities of air that is moving slowly. This helps maintain and control the temperature of the home. The downside to an attic is that critters can quickly make your attic their home and cause a lot of damage in the process.

Prevent Animal Entry Into Your Attic

Prevent animal entry into your attic because if your attic is not properly sealed or you do not have regular pest control maintenance, you may find yourself with an out of control animal in attic problem. The most common critters you will find occupying your attic are mice, rats, squirrels, bats, raccoons, and birds.

Mice In Attic

Mice are small rodents with long whiskers and triangular shaped snouts. They range from brown, white, and gray in color and they have large, floppy ears compared to their body size. Their tales are hairy, thin, and long. Mice are nocturnal, meaning they are most active at night and sleep mainly during the day. Mice can be very dangerous to humans. If mice set up their home in your attic it can cause many different hazardous conditions for you and your family. Mice will find your food and help themselves to it. They can cause severe illness to you and your family due to the fact that mice lay between 40-100 droppings per day.

Fecal Matter Piling Up Due To Animal In Attic

As above with mice and other animals in attic all this fecal matter is piling up, you and your family will eventually be inhaling the fecal particles, not to mention if the mice droppings get into your food. Mice urine and droppings contain bacteria and viruses. This includes salmonella, Hantavirus, and leptospirosis.

Do You Have Rats In Attic?

Rats are different then mice in a few different ways. Rats are larger then mice and their noses are more flat. Their ears are proportional to their size and their tails are not hairy but scaly. They only lay between 20-50 droppings per day but they are larger in size. Mice and rats are similar in color and in the damage they cause.

Rats also carry the same diseases as mice and can create great health risks to you and your family. Rats will find various materials from your home to make their nests out of. Clothing, boxes, paper, and plastic are all sources rats will choose to use. The wiring in your home is also in serious danger of getting destroyed by rats. Rats will chew through wiring, leaving you without internet, cable, and essential household electronics.

The next most common critter found in the attic is the squirrel. Squirrels are a species of rodent that includes animals like chipmunks, marmots, and prairie dogs.

There are three species of squirrels that are most common to the Houston area. These are the southern flying squirrel, eastern gray squirrel, and the eastern fox squirrel. Squirrels can cause all sorts of damage to your homes attic. If a squirrel spots a small opening in your roof then they will try to enter for comfort and shelter. These rodents can enter through just about an inch wide hole, but if the hole is not big enough to fit them they will create more damage by chewing a bigger hole to be able to fit through. Once inside squirrels will chew through the wiring in your attic and down in your walls. They do this to maintain their teeth, making sure they stay sharp and do not get overgrown.

Squirrel In Attic

Potential squirrel in attic situation? Squirrels will move on to finding their nesting materials. They love to set up their homes within chimneys due to the tree like darkness and tightness the chimney provides. These nesting materials include blankets, books, boxes, and clothing items. Whatever a squirrel thinks is comfy within your home is fair game. Squirrels can be health risks since they carry mites, ticks, fleas, and sometimes even rabies.

Bats Too Will Nest In Home Attics

Bats are another type of critter found in the attic. The most common bat found in the Houston, Texas area is the Mexican free-tailed bat. Like all bats, they are nocturnal and mainly feed off of insects but some bats will also feed off of rodents. Bats like to make their homes in attics because they are warm, dry, and cozy. Attics also tend to be dark which is perfect for the bats during the day due to their nocturnal nature.

Problem With Bats In Attic

The problem with bats in your homes attic is that they drop a lot of poop, which can get into the air and make you and your family sick. The smell of bat feces and urine can become overpowering and unlivable. Bats make a lot of noise as well so even just a few up in your attic can cause a ruckus. They can carry various diseases, especially rabies so it is wise to get them out of your home if you suspect you have a bat problem as soon as possible.

20LB Raccoon Making Your Home Their Home!

An additional animal often found in attics is the raccoon. Raccoons are typically between 3-4 feet long and can weigh up to 20 pounds. Their fur is gray and they are most recognized by the black markings around their eyes. Raccoons eat small rodents, frogs, fruits, insects, bird eggs, and human trash. This is a big reason why raccoons will make their homes in your attic; they can find an easy food source. They also like the comfort and shelter your attic can provide them.

Remove Raccoon From Home Or Attic With Wildlife Removal & Pest Control

The issue with raccoons is that they can be very destructive to your home. They will chew through the walls as well as the wiring within your home. Raccoons also carry various diseases that are dangerous to you, your family, and your pets. Canine distemper is a disease raccoon’s carry and it is the largest threat to your family’s pets. Rabies is another disease they carry which is a threat to your family and your pets. If you suspect raccoons are in your attic it is best to act quickly.

Birds Will Nest In Attics And Vent Lines

Lastly, one of the most common critters to be found in attics are birds. Birds will fond their way into your attic and will build their nests. This creates a mess in your attic, not to mention the bird poop they leave behind. Having birds living in the attic can create lots of noises and early mornings since birds love to chirp in the morning.

Depending on how thick your insulation is you may hear the birds flapping, and flying around too. Birds carry diseases that can irritate your lungs and cause some health issues. There are a few different ways you can keep birds, and all the other critters listed here out of your attic.

A Pest Control Company Can Seal Up Attic Entry Points

The most important step to take is to make sure all the cracks and holes are sealed up in your home. This includes weep holes and areas where pipes and other utilities may enter the home. You can do this by using steel wool and or caulk to seal up these cracks and holes. Get rid of any areas that have standing water as this provides critters with a water source. Add screen vents to chimney’s if not already in place and ensure they are intact and not damaged.

Make sure crawl spaces and attics are dry and properly ventilated. Keep food stored in containers that are airtight and take the trash out regularly. The best advice of all is to have a consistent pest control maintenance service scheduled. These are just some things you can implement to try and prevent critters from invading your attic. Discover & learn more from the City Of Houston.