Have you been hearing gnawing, scurrying, or buzzing in your home? Or maybe you searched your attic and discovered droppings or damage? If this sounds familiar, it’s possible that you are dealing with attic or roof pests. This guide delves into ten common attic pests and how to identify them based on smell, damages, and sound!
1. Rats
Rats are some of the most common pests that you will find invading your attic. Most commonly, the rats in your attic are roof rats seeking refuge during the cold or wet months. You may hear gnawing, but the best way to identify a rat problem is by their droppings, which are typically rounded and curved. They stay active all day, but may be more active and audible during the night. They are also excellent hiders and can easily crawl or gnaw their way through very small places.
2. Mice
Similar to rats, mice are much smaller with a thinner tail, but still a pesky pest. Mice may sound like scurrying or gnawing on your roof or in your attic, though they have smaller dropping than rats. Their small size makes crawling in small spaces even easier for them to hide and harder for you to find. Locating and sealing possible entry holes makes it more difficult for them to invade your home.
3. Squirrels
Though they have similarities to mice and rats, squirrels are known to cause more severe damage. They can chew through walls or electrical wires, posing a potential fire hazard. Unlike rats and mice, these pests tend to be most active during the day, particularly in the morning where you may hear them scurrying, scratching, or gnawing.
4. Bats
Bats may be more difficult to identify because they make very little sound. They don’t gnaw or scratch, but they leave an abundant amount of pellet-like droppings, which not only smell strongly, but can also carry diseases. Bats are nocturnal, so if you do happen to hear them stirring, it is more than likely that it will be during the night. Because of the health hazard that bat droppings post to your home, it is critical that you take pest control action as soon as you discover them.
5. Birds
Birds in the attic are a sign of an entry point of your roof. By the time they reach your attic, they have already created nests on your roof. You may hear scratching, shuffling, and wing flapping throughout the day. Depending on the kind of bird, you may hear cooing, screeching, or even singing. Luckily, by leaving them space to leave, most will leave on their own. It’s important to seal roof and attic access areas so they don’t reenter.
6. Opposums
Opossums are some of the largest pests that may enter your attic. They are nocturnal, so you may hear them being active during the night. They pose a large threat to the drywall and insulation in the attic and leave behind a pungent and distinct odor from their droppings. These droppings will resemble those of a dog and can carry harmful diseases. Opossums also play dead when they feel threatened, so if you find a seemingly dead one in your attic, it’s best to call a professional to inspect the area.
7. Cockroaches
Cockroaches love stillness, along with damp and dark areas. What better place for them to call home than an attic? Roaches are some of the fastest reproducing and difficult to get rid of pests, so it may be daunting if you suspect an infestation. Cockroaches will hide in cracks and small holes, since they prefer to abide in small crevices. They are experts at crawling through walls and may spread into living areas of your home. To identify roaches in your home, search for live roaches, their pepper-like droppings, or a musty odor that all cockroaches omit.
8. Termites
Termites are perhaps some of the most damaging home invaders because of the structural damage they are capable of causing. They love to feast on wood, and if left untreated, will eat away your attic in time. Early signs of a termite infestation could be mud tubes or tunnels, hollowing wood, or peeling paint. What makes them even trickier to detect is their slow but steady pace and ability to crawl in and hide in walls. If you suspect you have termites, it’s best to get it checked out before you’re left with thousands of dollars in damages.
9. Snakes
Because snakes don’t produce their own body heat, they may seek out your roof or attic to stay warm. Determining a snake problem in your attic may be difficult to do based off of noise, since they are generally very quiet animals. The best way to determine if you have a snake problem is by searching for nests, eggs, or snake skins. If you aren’t sure, sprinkle flour in your attic. If you revisit the flour and notice snake tracks in it, you may be dealing with a snake infestation.
10. Wasps
While wasps cannot easily be identified through sound, they leave behind notorious porous nests. While going in and out of your attic, the wasps can escape and fly into your home. If the problem becomes an infestation, it can become unsafe for you to be in your attic. Wasps in your attic are also likely to be a sign of wasp nests in other areas around your home, so if you discover them, check the outside perimeter to make sure you eliminate all of the breeding grounds and prevent the infestation from recurring.
Schedule A Roof Inspection with Craig Roofing
If you suspect one or multiple of these pests are invading your home, it’s important to reach out for professional help before the problem worsens. Although Craig Roofing is not a pest control service, we are here to help you find a solution and seal up possible entry ways within your roof and attic. Contact Craig Roofing today to get your roof back in tip-top shape!