Avoid feeling like a cat on a hot tin roof with these animal control tips
Animals on top of your rooftop can be a nightmare. They can chew through wood, find their way into your attic, cause leaks, leave messes, and even spread disease through their feces and urine. It's challenging to keep them all away, but here are seven tips to keep your roof free of pests.
You can find a lot of animal repellents sold online. They often come in spray bottles and are made of or mimic substances such as pepper, tarragon, garlic, essential oils, and other things that animals find distasteful. Sometimes, repellents contain the urine of predators, which will promote a fear response in the rooftop pest.
Trees are essentially ladders for animals, so if you've got them near your home with branches extending toward your roof, that's an all-access pass for critters. Keep your trees trimmed so it's not so easy to simply scurry up the tree, down a branch, and hop onto your roof. Doing so can prevent squirrels from invading your home. Overgrown vegetation can also attract animals, so keep that trimmed as well.
By constantly monitoring and maintaining your roof, you can spot the signs of animals on your roof early and take the necessary steps to handle the issue before it becomes a major problem. Check for dislodged shingles, cracks, new holes, boards that have been pried open, and so on. It might be a good idea to contact a roofer near you to conduct a regular inspection.
Prevention is preferable to dealing with pest control after furry intruders have invaded, like removing rats from your home. You should block all possible entry points that critters could use as soon as you find them. Patch up any cracks, repair loose boards and shingles, and put mesh over openings like gutters.
Unwanted guests often find their way onto your roof because they're attracted by something on your property, like trash. The best way to keep them off your roof is to keep them off your property, so seal up garbage and promptly dispose of it to keep them from following their nose to your home (and roof).
Birds often build nests in gutters. By cleaning your gutters regularly, you clear any of those nests and therefore prompt them to make their home elsewhere that’s not yours.
If you've done all you can, it might be time to contact a pest control service near you to deal with the problem once and for all. The cost of pest control is about $200 to $600, which may be a small price to pay to ensure the problem is dealt with properly. Another option is hiring an expert who deals with wildlife, like a wildlife removal pro near you, to free your home of rooftop animals.
If you notice these telltale signs, consider it an alarm for uninvited furry or feathery guests on your roof. Don't delay taking action—the faster you address your animal problems, the less damage to your home.
Strange noises: Unusual sounds like scratching, scurrying, or thumping from the roof or attic can indicate the presence of animals.
Droppings: Animal droppings or urine stains in your attic or on your roof are clear signs of infestation.
Chewed or damaged roof materials: Look for damage to shingles or soffits caused by animals trying to access your vents or other entry points.
Nesting materials: Twigs, leaves, or shredded insulation in your attic or around your roof area can indicate animal activity.
Foul odors: The stench of urine, feces, or dead and decaying animals are clear-cut signs of wildlife.
Visible entry points: Look for gaps, holes, or openings due to weather or chewing—they are doorways for animals to enter your home.
Tracks: Look for tracks or footprints in dusty or dirty areas of your attic or roof that can indicate the type of animal involved.
D.P. Taylor contributed to this article.
To keep animals out, you must prevent them from entering. As long as they can get in, the problem will persist. That said, consider making your attic less inviting using deterrents like motion-activated lights or ultrasonic devices. Additionally, keeping a well-maintained, clean, and uncluttered attic that you regularly inspect for activity may make the space less attractive to critters.
Identifying the specific animal running on your roof at night can be challenging without direct observation. Common nocturnal roof visitors include raccoons, squirrels, opossums, and rats. Raccoons are bigger and can create heavy thumping sounds. Squirrels are agile and may produce rapid scurrying noises. Opossums tend to move stealthily with less noise. Rats can make scratching or gnawing sounds. To determine the culprit, look for signs like footprints, droppings, or damaged areas near the roof. For accurate identification, consult a pest control professional or set up wildlife cameras near potential entry points.
