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Even the smallest mice or rats can cause a tremendous amount of noise as they scurry about at night. But, more importantly, rodent-proofing your attic prevents critters from damaging insulation, HVAC ductwork, and any exposure.
Equally important, eliminating existing rodents and professional-quality rodent prevention reduces the toxic fumes and irritants caused by their fur, dander, waste products, or decaying bodies.
Rodents pose several risks to your home and its occupants, including:
Once you’ve eliminated any existing rodent or pest infestations, it’s time to take action. Following these five rodent-proofing steps prevent future rodents from gaining access to your attic - and home.
Dealing with traps and poisons is cumbersome and only provides a temporary solution. If you know your attic is infested with rodents, you’re best off contacting a professional pest and rodent control company. In addition to getting rid of current attic inhabitants, we’ll clean and sanitize your attic space, providing a fresh and clean slate.
We’re also happy to perform all of the rodent-proofing steps required to keep your attic free in the future. Or, if you’d rather do that work yourself, we’ll provide all the information you need.
Rodents are amazing in their ability to access even the smallest of holes. Never assume any crack or hole is “too small.” Rodents are happy to chew right through caulk, so you are better off using a combination of small chicken wire, wire mesh, and steel wool. Rodents don’t like the feeling of metal on their teeth and will leave these metal barriers alone.
You’ll need to seal all the cracks and holes you find anywhere in the home's exterior perimeter. Perform a thorough inspection of the following:
Even a single hole the size of a quarter anywhere in and around the home’s perimeter is enough to allow a new stream of rodents into your home and attic.
Rodents love to find dark, safe, cozy corners to build their nests. If you use your attic for storage, make sure you use rodent-proof containers with snap lids. In some cases, determined rodents will chew through the plastic. However, they are far better than using cardboard boxes that make perfect nesting material when shredded.
Perform an attic inspection at least twice per year, inspecting stored items to ensure the attic remains rodent-free.
Any perishable items should be stored in the kitchen or a frequently-accessed location. That way, any evidence of rodent activity (staining, chewed packaging, crumbs, droppings, etc.) is immediately noticed and can be dealt with. Rodents are willing to work for food, so hiding anything perishable in the attic makes it that much more compelling.
Make your landscape as undesirable as possible, and rodents are less likely to spend time there. This includes:
Pruning trees, shrubs, and other greenery providing rodent access. In addition to their miraculous ability to squeeze into tiny spaces, rodents are also gymnasts. They can scurry along the smallest branches and launch themselves onto the roof, accessing the attic from their favorite hidey-holes or open windows. They can also scurry from power lines to trees to your home. It could be that your property’s landscaping creates a rodent highway leading right to your attic.
Keeping trees and high shrubs pruned to at least 48-inches from the perimeter of your home is ideal. The added bonus is that annual pruning of trees and shrubs also helps to fireproof your home and property.
Keeping composts far away from the home. If rodents are an issue, we recommend using a sturdy, sealed compost bin or barrel that keeps rodents from gaining access. If you keep compost in a corner of the yard, odds are it’s a rodent magnet in the evening and nighttime hours, and your home is the safest place to retreat after they’ve had their meal.
Grow lots of pest-repelling plants. Planting pest-repelling plants is another way to keep rats and mice away from the garden. Certain plants are less appealing to rodents due to their strong smell, such as peppermint, onions, lavender, bay (you can sprinkle bay leaves around rodent-proof raised beds), camphor, hyacinth, lavender, etc.
Are you having a hard time keeping rodents out of the attic? That’s what we’re here for. Contact Attic Solutions, at (510) 500-5007, and we’ll perform a thorough inspection, after which we’ll discuss all of the access points we see. Then, after getting rid of the rodents in your attic and performing a rigorous attic cleaning, we’ll seal all access points and create a rodent-free attic permanently.