How to Tell if You've Got Animals in Your Attic
It's one of the biggest dreads of homeowners everywhere: critters moving into their home and creating mess, stink, and other hazards. The most likely invaders are small mammals and rodents such as squirrels, raccoons, and rats but other animals that may invade your space include snakes and bats.
Signs of an infestation
The most common signs of an infestation include scratching, scampering, and digging noises as well as occasional vocal cries. The types of noises you hear as well as when you hear them can help to identify what type of pest has moved in. If you want to be sure and have access to the attic from inside your home; it is worth it to go investigate so you can find the best possible solution or contact the correct authorities. As the most common culprits are squirrels and raccoons, it is usually possible to assume with some accuracy that night time noises are caused by raccoons and day time noises are caused by squirrels.
It is worth noting that uninvited company during the months of March-October likely means that it is a female animal with dependent young. If possible, it is recommended to give the mother a short grace period of a few months to allow the babies to mature enough to leave. This may not always be possible due to hygiene and other concerns but it is necessary to handle the situation delicately in cases involving young animals, as much for your sake as theirs.
Mother squirrels in particular will often exhibit a great amount of determination in protecting and recovering their young and can cause damage to your home if they become separated from their babies during removal attempts. Likewise, babies may wander off looking for their mother if she does not return and they may get lost or trapped in inaccessible areas of your home. If you thought having a few baby squirrels living in your attic was bad, consider the problems associated with a dead one in your walls!
Encouraging them to leave
Sometimes all that it will take to get rid of your uninvited guests is to make their cozy hiding spot less comfortable. If there are other options nearby, they will soon find a new place to make their home. To discourage them from thinking of your home as their home too, turn on all of the lights and place a blaring radio in the space. Rags sprinkled with a strong smelling chemical can help to encourage resistant animals to move on but sometimes they will prove immune to these tactics. In these cases it is often best to call the experts from squirrel removal services and let them work their magic on the frightened beasts. Relocating an animal can be traumatic and dangerous especially when they are mothers with young babies in tow. Intervention with young families can also sometimes cause the mother to abandon her young altogether so it is best to leave them to their own devices until the babies have matured if at all possible.
Signs of an infestation
The most common signs of an infestation include scratching, scampering, and digging noises as well as occasional vocal cries. The types of noises you hear as well as when you hear them can help to identify what type of pest has moved in. If you want to be sure and have access to the attic from inside your home; it is worth it to go investigate so you can find the best possible solution or contact the correct authorities. As the most common culprits are squirrels and raccoons, it is usually possible to assume with some accuracy that night time noises are caused by raccoons and day time noises are caused by squirrels.
It is worth noting that uninvited company during the months of March-October likely means that it is a female animal with dependent young. If possible, it is recommended to give the mother a short grace period of a few months to allow the babies to mature enough to leave. This may not always be possible due to hygiene and other concerns but it is necessary to handle the situation delicately in cases involving young animals, as much for your sake as theirs.
Mother squirrels in particular will often exhibit a great amount of determination in protecting and recovering their young and can cause damage to your home if they become separated from their babies during removal attempts. Likewise, babies may wander off looking for their mother if she does not return and they may get lost or trapped in inaccessible areas of your home. If you thought having a few baby squirrels living in your attic was bad, consider the problems associated with a dead one in your walls!
Encouraging them to leave
Sometimes all that it will take to get rid of your uninvited guests is to make their cozy hiding spot less comfortable. If there are other options nearby, they will soon find a new place to make their home. To discourage them from thinking of your home as their home too, turn on all of the lights and place a blaring radio in the space. Rags sprinkled with a strong smelling chemical can help to encourage resistant animals to move on but sometimes they will prove immune to these tactics. In these cases it is often best to call the experts from squirrel removal services and let them work their magic on the frightened beasts. Relocating an animal can be traumatic and dangerous especially when they are mothers with young babies in tow. Intervention with young families can also sometimes cause the mother to abandon her young altogether so it is best to leave them to their own devices until the babies have matured if at all possible.
