Rodent infestations spell big problems for homeowners, which is why you should consider proactively addressing any potential rodent infestation before it becomes established. Not only can rodents nest in your insulation, which will potentially impact the energy efficiency of your home, but a rodent infestation may also lead to poor air quality throughout your entire home.
Understanding the signs that you need to rodent proof your home can help you recognize a rodent infestation early before extensive damage is caused. Rodents won’t go away on their own, so remediating an existing rodent infestation and rodent proofing your home should be a top priority if an infestation is suspected.
Top Signs of a Rodent Problem
Aren’t sure if you need orange county, ca rodent proofing? Here are our top signs that you should call the professionals at Attic Construction:
#1. Sounds
If you hear movement in your walls or attic space, it can be a pretty good sign that you might have a rodent problem. Hearing rodents moving in your walls or attic space is usually an early sign of a rodent infestation. You may hear scurrying or scratching as they move through your walls and attic building a nest and foraging for food. Often these sounds are more obvious at night when the house is quiet and background noise is minimal. If you do find yourself hearing movement in your walls or attic space, don’t hesitate to have an inspection completed. Catching a rodent infestation early will help you minimize damage and reduce the cost of repairs.
#2. Smells
As rodents begin to become established in your attic you may begin to smell their presence. Rodent nests can become saturated with urine, feces, and even the bodies of rodents that have died. Though the smell of a rodent infestation may be very unpleasant, it can also be a key indicator that there’s a problem. The smell of a rodent infestation may be more obvious in hot weather as your attic spaces heat up, but it will probably be noticeable even during the cooler winter months.
#3. Pets
Pets are a great early warning system for a rodent infestation. If you have a cat or dog who is paying very close attention to your walls or ceiling, the chances are high that they can hear or smell something that you can’t. Animals that detect rodents in your walls may appear agitated, aggressive, or concerned. Be mindful of these signs, but also don’t make the mistake of thinking your pet can deal with a rodent infestation on their own. Rodents have the potential to carry communicable diseases, so be sure to keep your pets safely in your home and let the professionals at Attic Construction deal with your rodent issue!
#4. Droppings
Rodents may be subtle but the presence of rodent droppings is a sure sign that it’s time to contact a professional to look at the issue. Rodent droppings are not only a sign that you may be dealing with an infestation. Those droppings can carry diseases, so keep pets away from them and wear protective equipment when disposing of the droppings.
#5. Damaged Boxes or Insulation
Many people that use their attic for storage may be surprised when they find damage to their boxes. Chewed or torn up boxes are a common sign of a rodent infestation because rodents love to use the cardboard for nesting material. The same is true of insulation. If your attic insulation is piled up, damaged, or disturbed, it may be a sign of a rodent infestation. If you see any of these odd signs in your attic space, be sure to schedule an inspection as soon as possible.
#6. Rising Utility Costs
It might surprise you to hear that a sign you have a rodent problem is your utility bills going up. Though this isn’t usually one of the earliest signs of a rodent infestation, a rodent problem in your attic space may impact the effectiveness of your attic insulation. Attic insulation is an ideal nesting material for rodents. As it becomes saturated in rodent feces and urine, it becomes less effective at resisting the transfer of heat. The result is a home that is less efficient than it was before. Though the early signs of insulation damage on your utility bills may be subtle, it will increase over time as more insulation becomes compromised.
Address the Issue Early
Dealing with a rodent infestation can be a pain, but it’s made worse if you don’t deal with it as soon as you notice a problem. Rodents typically won’t go away on their own, especially once a nest becomes established in your attic. Attics make an ideal location for rodents because they are warm, dry, safe from predators, and they have lots of nesting material available.
Here are the top reasons why you should consider addressing a rodent issue early:
Unhealthy Air
Rodent infestations lead to poor air quality throughout your home, not just in your attic space. Something that many people don’t realize is the role that attics and crawl spaces play in circulating air throughout your home. Because of this critical role, poor air quality in either space will affect the air throughout your home.
This is particularly problematic when the issue is a rodent infestation because rodent feces can contain potentially harmful diseases. If the feces dry and is disturbed, it can be spread through the air. This is also a reason why any materials contaminated with rodent feces or urine should only be cleaned up with proper protective equipment in place.
Rodent droppings can lead to a number of diseases, including:
- Toxoplasmosis
- Salmonella
- Murine Typhus and Leptospirosis
- Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome
- Meningitis
- Histoplasmosis
- Encephalitis.
Because of this, always leave the cleanup to the professionals at Attic Construction!
Compromised Insulation
The insulation in your attic is critical for maintaining the energy efficiency of your home. Attic insulation helps separate the conditioned spaces of your home from the unconditioned parts of your home. In doing so, it helps minimize the transfer of heat between conditioned and unconditioned spaces. In a properly insulated home, this translates to great energy efficiency and temperature stability. Properly insulated homes will stay cooler on hot days, and warmer on cold days because the insulation is preventing heat from being transferred.
Rodents love attic insulation because it makes a great nesting material. But, as insulation is disturbed, damaged, or compromised it becomes less effective at reducing the transfer of heat. The result is a home that is less energy efficient than it was before. So if you notice certain rooms that are warmer or colder than before, rising utility costs, or strong temperature fluctuations throughout the day in the conditioned spaces of your home, be sure to have your attic insulation inspected for damage.
Costly Repairs
Remediating a rodent infestation is less expensive if it is addressed early. If a rodent infestation is allowed to become established, the damage caused by the rodents will be higher. Rodent infestations can lead to all kinds of problems, including:
- Damaged insulation
- Chewed wiring
- Urine soaked drywall, wood, or other building materials.
To clean up a rodent infestation you can’t simply soak everything in bleach. Once compromised some building materials must be replaced. This is often the case with drywall under nesting material or insulation that has been used as nesting material.
In order to avoid costly and extensive repairs, be sure to be proactive if you suspect a rodent problem. Rodent infestations won’t go away on their own, so if you have any of the signs of rodents that we’ve described above don’t hesitate to contact Attic Construction for an inspection. Dealing with your rodent problem early will save you money down the road!
Why Rodent Proof?
If you have a rodent infestation two things must be completed to effectively deal with the problem. The first is that the route the rodents are using to get into your home needs to be closed up, which is referred to as rodent proofing. The second task is to remediate any damage caused by the existing rodent infestation.
Rodent proofing is critical if you want to permanently deal with a rodent problem. While removing nesting materials and clearing out contaminants from an existing rodent infestation can help improve the quality of the air in your home, if you don’t rodent proof then you’ll just have another infestation to deal with a short time later. The good news is that the experts at Attic Construction can help you with your rodent proofing in orange county!
Rodents are persistent and tenacious pests, which is why rodent proofing in orange county is so crucial. Effectively rodent proofing a home is no easy task, but it can be done with the right equipment and experience. Even the smallest gap can be exploited by rodents and lead to a full-blown infestation, so it’s important that any rodent proofing is comprehensive. Our teams at Attic Construction have decades of experience rodent proofing homes in the Orange County area, so we know exactly what it takes to effectively rodent proof an attic space.
Closing Thoughts
Be mindful of the key signs that you may need rodent proofing in your home that we’ve outlined above. Rodent proofing is a necessary component of dealing with any rodent infestation, otherwise, you’re setting yourself up for repeated repairs and headaches.
If you suspect a rodent infestation in your attic, walls, or crawl spaces, don’t hesitate to call us to find the nearest Attic Construction location near you. No need to search “search for “insulation removal near me”! Rodent infestations won’t go away on their own, and they can lead to costly repairs and poor air quality. We also provide Orange County insulation installation and removal services to replace old rodent damaged insulation!
To learn about our rodent proofing services in the Orange County area, please contact us today.
Sources:
- “Understanding Attic Venting”, https://www.buildingscience.com/documents/digests/bsd-102-understanding-attic-ventilation
- “Measurement of Attic Temperatures and Cooling Energy Use in Vented and Sealed Attics in Las Vegas, Nevada”, https://www.buildingscience.com/documents/reports/rr-9701-measurement-of-attic-temperatures-and-cooling-energy-use-in-vented-and-sealed-attics-in-las-vegas-nevada/view
- “Keeping The Heat In – Chapter 5: Roofs and attics”, https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy-efficiency/energy-efficiency-homes/how-can-i-make-my-home-more-ener/keeping-heat/keeping-heat-chapter-5-roofs-and-attics/15637