Six Tips to Avoid Animals in the Attic this Spring
Spring is here! We can all be happy about that – but the one part of Spring that is unwelcome are the pesky animals in the attic! Our phones here at Masters Services have been very busy with wildlife in the attic phone calls. We are happy to get those animals out of your attic – but what if the problem could be prevented in the first place? This blog will cover six tips from experts that will help to prevent those animals from coming into your attic in the first place. Usually, if you can take preventative measures to keep the animals away – you will save money in the long run. The problem with Spring animals in the attic is that they often breed this time of year – meaning they will be having babies in your insulation, attic walls, and more. This is double the trouble when baby animals are born in your attic!!
Tip #1 for Avoiding Animals in the Attic
The first step you want to do before you start any other steps, is to make sure you don’t have any animals in your attic that you are not aware of. You can do this in a number of ways:
1) At a quiet time of night, carefully listen for sounds coming from the attic. It may sound like a light tapping or scratching, or something louder like thumping noises. Animals are usually the most active at dawn and dusk, so try listening during those times.
2) If you don’t hear any noises, it is a good idea to inspect your attic. Go up there with a flash light (be careful) and check and see if there are any signs of droppings, nesting, or new scratches on wood or walls that weren’t there before.
3) Here is a really cool trick you can try if you’d like to determine if there are any animals in your attic – if you find any holes in the attic where they may be getting in, loosely stuff that hole with a paper towel. If the paper towel has been moved the next day, you can be pretty sure you have animals in the attic!
So, if you have determined that there are no animals in your attic, you can begin by following these next 9 steps to help keep the animals in the attic away this spring.
Tip #2 for Avoiding Animals in the Attic
If you see holes in your attic, it is just a matter of time that some kind of animal will find a way in and make your attic their home. Squirrels, for example can squeeze into a hole the size of a quarter. So the next step is to seal the holes in your attic. You can contact Masters Services to seal up these holes and animal proof your home and attic!
Tip #3 for Avoiding Animals in the Attic
Check to see if you have a chimney cap. If you do, inspect the mesh wiring surrounding it to make sure there are no holes in it. If you do not have a chimney cap, we highly suggest getting a chimney cap. This will animal proof your home and depending where your attic is located, your attic as well!!
Tip #4 for Avoiding Animals in the Attic
Do not make your yard a place where animals want to be. Make sure your garbage cans are sealed tightly every evening, and do not leave pet food (like dog and cat food) outside at night. This will attract any variety of wild animals (such as raccoons, squirrels, and rats). Raccoons in particular love cat food. So if you are leaving out cat food out doors for neighborhood cats, you will be basically telling those raccoons – “hey guys! Over here, this is a perfect place to live, there is free and easy to find food!” Also, if you have compost, you want to make sure to make or purchase a heavy lid to cover the compost at night. Wildlife love fresh compost. If your garbage cans look like they have been gotten into at night, you might want to try putting a weight or a large rock of sometime on top of the can to keep wildlife from being able to open the lids.
Tip #5 for Avoiding Animals in the Attic
Do you have tree limbs in close proximity to your roof? These are the perfect access way for critters to get into your attic. If you have overhanging tree limbs that are directly near the roof, we recommend trimming them up a bit. This will help discourage critters from getting onto your roof and looking for a place to live.
Tip #6 for Avoiding Animals in the Attic
Don’t just seal the holes in your attic, inspect the outside of your home. This includes the roof and other soffit vents that may have holes in them. If you see any entry points were wildlife can get in, seal these up or contact a professional Masters Services to animal proof the outside of your home.
If you do suspect there are animals in your attic, we recommend calling a professional. Wild animals can be aggressive when approached by humans. They can also carry bacteria and diseases that are harmful to you, your children and pets. Our technicians are specially trained in the area of wildlife removal, so they will not only be able to remove the animals humanely, but after all the wildlife is gone, they will animal proof your home (so the problem can’t happen again) and they will sanitize and deodorize your attic as well. This means they will not only make sure all of the foul smells from the droppings and nesting are gone, but the attic will safely be sanitized removing harmful bacteria and pathogens the animals may have been carrying.
You can contact Masters Services for all of your wildlife removal needs. We offer free consultations if you suspect animals in the attic. We are family owned and operated, and have been open for over 16 years. We have an A plus rating on the better business bureau! So you know you can trust our company. Don’t hesitate of you suspect animals in the attic.
