Of all the spaces in your home, your attic is likely one of the most underused. Attics tend to be forgotten about in many houses, leaving them largely vacant and unkempt—and while this may not bother you as a homeowner when it comes to maintaining your living space, it could pose a problem if something else has taken up residence there without your knowledge! Indeed, one of the first places that a wild animal will try to nest in is your attic, where they’ll be undisturbed and left to roam freely.
Rodents are perhaps the most common type of pest that will find their way into your attic and even if you suspect that they’re up there, it can be hard to be certain about it. Take a look at a few of the easiest ways to identify a rodent problem in your attic and if you can confirm these simple tips, it’s a good idea to call for wild rodent removal in Greenville, SC:
Strange noises: Houses creak and groan all of the time, especially older models—it’s just a natural part of the home. What’s not natural, however, is the sound of scurrying paws, squeaks and gnawing—all of which suggest a rodent problem in the space above your head. Mice, rats and other rodents may be small, but when they’re active, they make noises that are easily heard. If you’re lying in bed at night and hear the soft pitter-patter of tiny paws streaking overhead, you’ll want to schedule an appointment for wild rodent removal in Greenville, SC.
Heat loss: In more extreme cases of attic rodent infestations, you may actually experience a downshift in your home’s ability to retain heat. Heat rises and it’s the job of your attic’s insulation to trap some of that heat within your home—if the insulation is destroyed by nesting rodents, however, you’ll surely see a drop in your home’s insulation performance. Rodents love to nest in warm insulation and in doing so, they tear it to shreds, leaving it useless when it comes to trapping rising heat. Keep in mind, a loss of heat isn’t always due to rodents in the attic, but if your infestation is significant enough, this may indeed be the cause.
Strange smells: Rodents do three main things after they invade a home: eat, reproduce and leave droppings. Over time, even just a couple of rodents can become a whole colony and while that colony lives in your attic, they’ll start to give off a telltale smell that something is afoot. Between the dirtiness of the rodents themselves and the accumulation of droppings, you’ll know that they’re there sooner or later based on the smell…
Damage in your home: Just because rodents are nesting in your attic doesn’t mean that they’ll stay there! Eventually, your unwanted houseguests will venture lower in your home, to your usual living space, in order to eat and spread their domain. If you notice claw marks on your floors, damage to your pantry or droppings on the floor, it’s a good bet that there’s a nest somewhere out of sight—usually in an undisturbed space like the attic.