It’s that time of year again! The cool nights of winter have your attic and wall voids looking mighty nice for a “long winters nap” for mice, roof rats, norway rats and squirrels! Who wants their shenanigans keeping you up at all hours of the night? With a few preventative measures, you can attempt to keep them outside where they belong.
A leisurely stroll around your house can put you in the perfect spot for an inspection. Rodents are like many other pests; they’re opportunistic. This means they like the path of least resistance. The more difficult your house is to access the better. Tree limbs can act as city streets, funneling rodents onto your rooftop. Make certain all tree limbs are trimmed far from house contact. Dense shrubbery can have the same effect when its grown into the structure. You should be able to comfortably walk against your house foundation without the shrubs leaving nasty claw marks down your arms and legs. Low- crawling vegetation such as English Ivy can be very inviting. Rodents are notorious for having a network of tunnels throughout this type of ground cover. When it’s adjacent to your home, the temptations are often more than any rodent can handle.
Continuing on your leisurely stroll, a quick glance at the outer most areas of your roofline (the soffit) can be very beneficial. This is often the area moisture damage becomes visible first. Discolored areas of wood or a “wrinkled” appearance are common. If you were asked to open a cardboard, you would most likely reach for the lid on the top. It just makes sense, it requires the least amount of effort to get inside the box. A wooden soffit that has been exposed to prolonged moisture can act just as the lid of your box. It’s the easiest way inside. The compromised wood is soft and chewing through it can be effortless for rodents. Have those areas repaired before rodents invite themselves in!
Unfortunately, even the best of preventative measures are sometimes not enough. There are numerous cracks, crevices and seams available for rodents to capitalize on if they so wish. Roof connections, builder’s gaps, gable vents, roof peaks and ridge vents just to name a few, and that’s just at the roofline! It’s imperative to address issues as soon as they arise. A rodent infestation is no laughing matter. Norway Rats can have as many as 12 young in a litter and often over a half dozen litters in a year! Huge sanitation issues can surface if a problem is not handled in a timely fashion. Not to mention their tendencies to chew on electrical wiring causing extreme fire hazards.
Healthy Home can assist you with a wildlife exclusion service to stop these issues from arising. Or if the threat is ongoing, we can rid you of the pests and guarantee your problem will not reoccur. Get used to a restful, uninterrupted nights sleep. Get used to a rodent-free home with a service from Healthy Home. Contact us today!