The 5 Most Common Attic Pests
Out of sight, out of mind isn’t always the best policy when it comes to household pests for New York homeowners.
When was the last time you went into your attic? If you cannot recall, unwanted pests may have already made your attic their new home! Luckily, pest infestations pests in attics can be easily solved by calling an exterminator who knows how to treat them properly.
These are some of the 5 most common pests that could be living in your attic.
Rats
Attics are typically filled with insulation. Unfortunately, this makes your attic a very cozy place for rats to settle down. Because of this, rats are one of the most common attic pests.
Rats will chew through wires and put potentially cause fires and other electrical problems that may be difficult or expensive to repair. They also carry diseases like rat-bite fever, leptospirosis, and salmonella. Rats will even eat insulation if it’s available to them, which can affect your energy bill; with gnawed-up insulation no longer doing its job, your home will be colder in the winter and hotter in the summer.
Your best defense against these rodents includes sealing up any holes, gaps, and cracks in and around your attic.
Birds
A bird can easily swoop into your attic and use it as their new nest. Attics are warm, dry, and dark—all desirable features to birds. In addition to leaving feathers behind and chirping, birds can also cause damage to insulation and wiring, which can lead to electrical problems in your home. Bird droppings can also damage your roof if left unchecked for too long.
To prevent more birds from joining this flock, be sure to do regular inspections of your home’s exterior, and identify and repair any vulnerabilities.
Carpenter Ants
It is no secret that carpenter ants love chomping on wood. Since attics are usually full of wood, it makes perfect sense why carpenter ants would want to stick around.
Carpenter ants eat wood and cause serious damage to your home, including weakening the structure of your house. Carpenter ant infestations are hard to detect, so you may not know if you have them until it’s too late.
If you suspect that carpenter ants have invaded your attic or are seeing sawdust-like droppings all around your attic, contact a pest control professional immediately before they do any further damage.
Cockroaches
Cockroaches are one of the most common pests to find in an attic. It’s true that cockroaches can live just about anywhere, but their preferred habitat is warm, dark, and moist. The attic of your home is the perfect place for a cockroach infestation because it provides all three of these things.
Cockroaches are hard to spot in the attic. They hide in dark places, and their bodies are small enough that they can be difficult to see with the naked eye. If you suspect that a cockroach infestation is taking place, use a flashlight to inspect your attic’s insulation and crevices for signs of activity (like fecal matter).
Squirrels
If you hear noises in your attic, such as scratching or scurrying, you may have a squirrel infestation. You may even see droppings or gnawing marks in your attic, which could be signs of squirrels (or another rodent infestation).
Squirrels often enter homes through small openings like vents or cracks in the siding. They also take advantage of weak roofs and damaged soffits by chewing holes through them so they can get inside your home. If left untreated, squirrels can cause serious damage to your home’s structure as well as their nests within it—and you might not even realize they’re there until it’s too late!
In Need of Attic Pest Control?
Have you noticed a pest infestation of any kind in your attic? If so, turn to the professionals here at Knockout Pest Control for assistance. We can knock out pests in your New York home and keep them down for the count!
Call 1-800-244-PEST to schedule an appointment.