Signs Rodents Are Living In your Attic
Rodents and squirrels are often found inside people’s homes during colder months of the year. This can be cause for concern as they can leave homeowners wondering what to do. Squirrels and rats living in attics can gnaw on boards and electrics wires, leave droppings in the insulation, and even tunnel through insulation.
The first sign of a rodent living in an attic is usually the sound of scratching coming from above the ceiling or inside the wall. A homeowner can look in the attic for the common signs listed above. If you are suspecting rodents inside your home, an exclusion service is the best options to take to eliminate the issue.
Steps for Rodent Exclusion
This first step is having a service technician do an inspection in the attic and try to identify what kind of droppings there are (if any), and anything else that might be evidence of rodents. Rats and squirrels leave the same sized dropping which are small, black, and only about 1/4inch in length. If droppings are found, that is evidence that the attic has had rodent issues in the past.
The second step is having a thorough walk around of the property or structure. A tech will be looking for holes which might be possible entry points for rodents.
- Weep holes span the entire length of a brick house and are always possible areas of concern.
Next is the A/C lines running into the house which can be an easy access point. - The corners of garage doors typically leave a small space that rats can get in.
- Roof returns, which is the areas where the soffit vents run into a roof are majority of the time where squirrels can gain attic access.
- Air vents that run out of the side of a house must be sealed.
- Also, any piping that runs through the exterior wall must be checked, along which cracks in the foundation.
The third step in the exclusion process is beginning to seal these areas. This takes place during daytime hours so that hopefully any rodents that might be sealed inside a home are outside. Weep holes are stuffed with a product called Excluder (this is basically shredded up metal that will still let the walls breathe) and can be taken out if ever needed. The A/C lines will also be filled with Excluder, but then a coating of clear calking will be placed over to hold it in place. The garage doors are sealed with metal flashing that is painted to match as best as possible. Sometimes a new weather strip is required which can also be added if needed. Then the remaining roof returns are sealed. Technicians seal returns by shaping painted metal flashing to cover the hole which is kept in place by clear calking. Normally two strips are used. One piece of flashing is used where the soffit runs into the roof, the next is where the fascia board runs into the roof. Then vent covers can be used to cover vents that are exposed on the side of a house. Lastly any plumbing that runs through the side of a house, or into a house from a crawl space would be sealed with the same Excluder and clear calking technique again.
The fourth step is the placed cages, snap traps, or one-way doors to clear the attic of anything that might have been caught inside during the process. If there are rats suspected, snap traps are sufficient. If there are squirrels, then cages or a one-way door can be used to take and removed them out of the home.
Tactical Pest Services Can Help To Rid Your Home of Rodents
Pricing for these jobs vary depending on the size of the house or structure and how many areas that are recommended to be sealed. Weep holes will cost about $100 for a standard one story 1500 sqf. house with 1 weep hole every three bricks. The A/C lines are $100 to be sealed. Garage doors are $100 per door to seal if no new weather stripping is required. Then roof returns range from $100-$200 per spot to seal depending on the steepness of the roof, and how difficult it will be to gain access to them. Additional charges can be applied if traps or cages are set and technicians return to check them. Finally, all of this is warrantied for one year to date of the completion of the job. Yearly renewals can be purchased for the price of $249.99.
Contact us today at (469)-814-0299 for your free quote related to rodent exclusion.
