Get rid of Rodents

One of the more common wildlife problems Urban Wildlife Control encounters in the winter months are squirrels and rats in the attic. All over Greater Atlanta from Cumming, Alpharetta and Roswell through Brookhaven, Buckhead and Midtown all the way out to Forest Park, Union City and Peachtree City. For rodent control Urban Wildlife Control technicians trap these creatures just about everywhere.

What typically prompts the call from the homeowner is the unsettling noises in the attic. The sounds of scurrying and gnawing going on, leaving you wondering what exactly is going on up there. Be assured that whatever is going on up there is not helpful! These rodents are actively destroying the attic. You might ask “what exactly is in my attic that these critters can destroy?”

Over the years we have seen some very costly repairs in critter occupied attics. Gray Squirrels like to chew on wood, structural wood or finish wood it doesn’t matter the squirrel. It is also common to observe chewed electrical wires in residential buildings (notice in the picture the bare wire and chewed framing members) commercial building codes require the electrical wires to be placed inside a metal pipe called “conduit”. Metal conduit protects the wires from those razor sharp rodent teeth.

Other damage could be chewed roof shingles and plumbing boots. This certainly will cause a roof leak. A small roof leak gone unnoticed for any length of time can cause significant amounts of damage. The water will start mold or mildew growth and wood will begin to rot, once dry rot starts it cannot be reversed. The wood will need to be removed and replaced. Leaking pipe boots will also need to be replaced.

By far, the most common and costly damage is to the attic insulation. If your house was properly insulated prior to the rodent invasion it will, without fail, be damaged causing your heating and cooling bills to skyrocket. Squirrels and rats go to the bathroom wherever they please, whenever they need to. The urine will absorb into the insulation and that odor will remain for many years if corrective measures are not taken. Removing the heavily soiled insulation and the nesting sites would be the first step. The second step would be to apply a deodorizer throughout the entire attic.

As you can see in the pictures significant damage to the insulation has occurred from the squirrels running across it. The insulation has been compressed and moved around. The type of insulation on this attic floor is known as loose-fill. It is excellent insulation for attic floors in homes around greater Atlanta. But once compressed the ability for the product to insulate has been depleted.

Squirrels and rats will also damage wall insulation, they pull it down and use if for nesting material or they attempt to nest in it directly which may cause it to fall from the wall it was installed on to insulate. The insulation needs to be removed and the area deodorized before new insulation can be installed. Urban Wildlife Control can provide soiled insulation removal and clean-up services. We will also restore your attic to, at a minimum, the original R-value. We can also increase your home’s R-value which may provide you with a more thermally efficient home, lowering your monthly utility bills.