Since they are dry and warm, roofs are often very popular places for pests to hunker down and make themselves at home. If you’ve been hearing the telltale scurrying and pitter-patters of small animal feet overhead, then there’s a very good chance that you have a problem in your roof. Even if the noises don’t bother you all that much, ignoring the problem is the last thing that you should do.
Why You Must Act Now
Beyond the irritating noises that they can make above your head, pests can cause many nasty problems when they make your roof their home. For one thing, their droppings and nests can attract a huge range of different insects. Suddenly, you don’t just have a mouse or rat problem – you have a raging insect infestation up there, too. Those nests and droppings also pose very serious fire hazards, increasing the risks of your home being consumed in a fire.
Inspect Your Roof
Whether you hear strange noises above or not, you should get into the habit of inspecting your roof for the signs of pests from time to time. The best way to tell whether or not any pests are living up in your roof and attic is by looking for their droppings. Dried up droppings are probably rather old, but shiny ones are most likely relatively fresh. You can glean a lot of information from any droppings you find, including what type of animal left them. Different pests leave different droppings; for instance:
Brown Rat Droppings – Averaging between ¼ and ½ inch in length, brown rat droppings are also blunt and spindle shaped.
Black Rat Droppings – At ½ to ¾ of an inch in length, black rat droppings are a bit larger than brown rat droppings. They are usually shaped a bit like sausages and are pointed.
Mouse Droppings – Measuring less than ¼ of an inch in length, mouse droppings are usually quite thing. They are also spindle shaped and have pointed ends.
Bat Droppings – At approximately ¼ of an inch in length, bat droppings are typically dark brown or black and look a lot like mouse droppings. However, they are very dry and crumble away into dust when crushed.
What To Do
Although there are traps and other things available commercially, it is always best to bring in a pest control professional whenever you find evidence of pests in your roof. Having a pest inspection team handle things ensures that the problem is completely resolved and that you don’t have to expose yourself to any risks or dangers. It is well worth the money to have the professionals do this job, and you’ll be glad that you did.
