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Rodent Proofing          .....another reason for annual roof inspections!

Roof Doctor, Inc. provides the information below to you for education on rodent proofing serivces. If you have these concerns or conditions, we will eliminate the entry points properly so the rodents cannot get back in to your home. Blocking, or exclusion is placing a barrier in an animal's way. We use a variety of materials to block access points located in soffits, eaves, utility entrance points, foundations, under porches, etc. This is an essential component of complete animal control solutions; without effective blocking and exclusion methods, animal problems will likely reoccur. We will put you in touch with the proper tustworthy rodent removal service.

ROOF RATS:

A roof rat can be black or brown, can be over 40 cm long, with a long tail, large ears and eyes, and a pointed nose. Body is smaller and sleeker than the Norway rat’s. Fur is smooth. These rodents have nests inside and under buildings, or in piles of rubbish or wood. They are excellent climbers that can often be found in the upper parts of structures. Roof rats become sexually mature between two and five months, producing four to six litters per year that consist of six to eight young each. These rodents live up to one year. Roof rats are prodigious breeders. Females can breed year-round. Within a year, one female may be responsible for up to 40 new rodents. 

Signs of Roof Rat Infestation: Visual sightings of live or dead rodents can indicate rodent activity. If roof rats are seen exposed, it often indicates their hiding spaces are all filled by other rats or that they have been disturbed, such as by construction. Droppings are another good indicator of roof rat activity. Roof rat droppings are 12 to 13 mm with pointed ends, and the Norway rat droppings are 18 to 20 mm and capsule shaped. Other indicators can include grease marks along surfaces as well as nests. Grease marks are produced as the rodent travels along an edge, and the oils in their fur are deposited. Indoor nests usually are constructed in insulation such as in attics.

SQUIRRELS:

Squirrels are very urbanized animals, as you can see when you look out your window. They are members of the rodent family, and are excellent at gnawing and chewing on wood. Combine these factors, and of course it makes sense that female squirrels chew their way into attics in order to have and raise young. In fact, male squirrels or any squirrel at any time of the year may find that an attic makes a good place to safely spend the night and store nuts. Though the squirrels mostly live in the attic, they’ll also live in soffits, squirrels can travel down in walls, between floors, in the ceiling, and other areas inside the architecture. Squirrels can chew through sheet rock and find their way into your home!

BIRDS:

Pigeons on a roof crest depositing droppings that will deteriorate your roof!The average roof is vulnerable to all manner of pest birds. The reason is simple: most roofs offer birds a nice place to nest and roost. They also provide a safe perch from which to look for food, and many roofs conceal a hefty diet of insects to feed on. When birds hunt for insects burrowed in roofs, their beaks peck away at shingles and rafters, which can create ever-widening gaps where water can enter. 

To make matters worse, many birds build their nests under roofing tiles, which can cause damage and leaks. Pigeons, starlings and sparrows will often build their nests in these areas, causing water to rise and leak under tiles. Without effective bird proofing measures, roofs are at mercy of these pests.

Pest Birds Can be Costly!

Bird droppings can also cause significant damage. The acidic content of bird waste can destroy tar-based roofing materials and damage roof-mounted air conditioning equipment, attic ventilation turbines, skylights, solar panels, and solar water heaters. You probably have a pretty good idea just how expensive these items are to repair or replace. Proper bird proofing can deter pest birds and save you from these bird-related expenses.

Birds can cause you danger! Bird nests can block proper ventilation and produce offensive and dangerous odors. They are especially dangerous in chimneys because they can cause carbon monoxide buildup and become a fire hazard. Bird nests also contain mites, ticks, fleas and other parasites. Maggots, or fly larvae appear in extraordinarily large numbers on the bodies of dead animals and birds. When an animal dies, the carcass attracts flies and other insects to come and lay their eggs there. The scent of decay and the presence of insects and maggots can be very troublesome if this occurs inside a home or other buildings.

Bird mites can infect your home! Avian mites are parasites of birds, ANY bird and feed off the host much like a bed bug. They are clear or white in color until they feed where they’ll turn reddish brown. Their numbers can get up in to the tens of thousands with just a small nest of birds as hosts and can literally infest the walls, carpets and any surface. The more nests, the more mites and the more sleepless nights you may have. Birds have built on or next to air ducts in the attic and the tiny mites either enter the ducts through a hole or simply find there way down in the home through the drywall cut outs for ceiling lights such as recessed lighting. Roof Doctor, Inc. will make sure your attic is sealed and the ares of bird entry are blocked.

RACCOONS:

Raccoons are very stong rodents. They generally get into your home through soffits and eaves, areas of loose siding, as well as holes in the roof and facia. If there is a small hole, a raccon will make it bigger, for example a squirrel hole, and enter your attic or home. An attic provides a safe, warm, dry atmosphere for raccoons to nest and a perfect environment for young. The young will nest for approximately four months before leaving the nest.

The droppings of raccoons can contain raccoon roundworm (Baylisascaris procyonis & B. columnaris). This parasitic worm can and does infect humans. The egg spores in the raccoon droppings are light and can become airborne, and people can breathe them in and become infected. Infection of humans can lead to larval parasite migration to the central nervous system. These egg spores can live for years as dry pods. This is a very dangerous to humans, especially children, and a much more important and more realistic threat than rabies.

OPPOSSUMS:

Opossums are usually classified as a pest species due to their habits of scavenging and living in attics and under houses. When possums live in the attic, they cause the following problems:

  • Noise while crawling around in the attic
  • Large droppings throughout the attic
  • Spread of pathogens and parasites in house
  • Baby opossums fall down walls from attic
  • Adult or baby possums die in attic and cause huge odor
  • Opossums cause damage to ducts and insulation in attic

For these reasons, it's very important to have opossums properly removed if you have them living in your attic. Opossums are great climbers, with their opposable thumbs, and they like to live in a warm, dry, safe attic as much as the next critter. It is crucial that you have these rodent removed and have your roof inspected in order to seal up entry & nesting areas.

WASPS / BEES / HORNETS:

You find it or them in the house by a light or on the inside windows. Most often these are polistes wasps or queen yellow jackets that found a way into the attic area to hibernate in. With the heat of the house they stay warm and start to crawl around finding a way into the house. Often they will enter through light fixtures in the ceiling or through cracks in wall voids.

It is wise to prevent wasps from entering the house by sealing cracks, gable vents, and other points of entry, or openings, to attics where pests can enter. The average sized nest is about the size of a football, but can get many times larger. The hornets are fast fliers and can quickly swarm any potential threat. They are most aggressive when protecting the nest. Although frustrating, damage from wasps is usually cosmetic and limited to a small area. Major structural damage from wasps is rare. Small holes in wood studs and slightly larger holes in drywall are the most common types of damage. Such destruction can occur just about anywhere in the home -- wood floors, linoleum, carpet, ceilings, wood beams and any other surface that is not stone or ceramic.

SKUNKS:

Skunks (also called polecats in America) are mammals known for their ability to spray a liquid with a strong odor. Different species of skunk vary in appearance from black-and-white to brown or cream colored, but all have warning coloration. Skunks dig dens but are also commonly found in attics. An attic is an ideal shelter for a skunk. Its is possible that a skunk could make a hole in the a/c duct work. Skunks enter your attic for perfect dens to nest inSkunks will do significant damage in your attic and can be very expensive if they are not removed. They will destroy your air conditioning duct work and ruin the dry wall.

Skunks leave their feces and urine all over the insulation and if startled will spray a horrific stench from two glands next to the anus. This produces a strong and unbearable smell that is extremely difficult to get rid of.

Skunk removal is essential to prevent costly damage in the attic.

Skunks can be very dangerous. Skunks are the number one carrier of the rabies virus on the east coast. Rabies is 100% fatal if untreated. If a skunk bites or scratches someone the skunk must be trapped, have its head cut off and sent to be tested. If the skunk cannot be trapped then the person who was bitten or scratched must go through a series of expensive rabies shots. Skunks will often spray pets like cats and dogs and the smell can induce uncontrollable vomiting.

BATS:

Bats create large roosting colonies inside the roofs of exposed buildings. The bats leave mass amounts of droppings which are unpleasant in odor and appearance, but more importantly are a major source of the respiratory disease histoplamosis.

Bats shown in an attic under the sheating between raftersClean up of the the bat waste is very important, as bat guano can cause mold problems and lung diseases from the mold that grows on them.

The way to remove bats is to exclude them - let them fly out, but not fly back in. So this next step is to seal off all possible entry points except for the areas where bats get in and out most commonly. This step is done to prevent bats from getting back in the home when you exclude them. It's best to use caulk, and seal any gap larger than a quarter inch. Bats can fit in amazingly small areas, as small as 3/8 inches. Bat activity is more prominent at night, as they are nocutnal, so Roof Doctor, Inc.'s serivces will be best utilized in the evening hours.

SNAKES:

Snakes come into houses for food or shelter. The house is providing their basic needs and they aren’t going to abandon it without a reason. Sudden changes such as cool weather can bring snakes indoors as their cold blood seeks a warm place—like behind your refrigerator. Snakes will come into houses and find small covered spaces to reside. Snakes have a bad odor and the smell is hard to get rid of—whether the animal is dead or alive. Snakes are usually in an area or structure because there is food there. If you have a snake problem you probably also have an insect or rodent problem to go along with it.

Snakes usually enter at ground level through gaps or cracks. These openings can be remarkably small and are created by careless construction, settling of the structure, or by other animals. If you can see daylight through a gap, it is possible that a snake could use that space to access your building.

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