How to Keep Pests Out of the Attic

Attic pests (bats, rats, and squirrels, for example) can wreak havoc in your attic and expose your family to a number of health risks. You should, therefore, avoid resigning to the fact that those pests share your home with you. Experts at AAI Pest Control explain how to keep pests out of the attic.

First, Identify the Pest

The first step to the successful removal of attic pests is the correct identification of the specific pests you are dealing with. It may not be easy for you to spot the pests, so it’s important to get a crash course on pest identification using their droppings.

Modesto pest control professionals reveal that mice leave pellet-shaped droppings which are about an eighth of an inch long. Conversely, rats have sausage-shaped droppings which are about quarter an inch long. Squirrels also have sausage-shaped droppings, but they are twice as long (half an inch to an inch long) as those of rats. The droppings of bats can be found in heaps or piles, and they are shaped like a sausage (half an inch long).

Precautions When Cleaning Up Attic Pest Droppings

Always wear the right PPE (gloves and a face mask, for example) so that you don’t expose any part of your body to contact with the pest droppings. Additionally, AAI Pest Control recommends that you disinfect the attic before removing the droppings. Prepare a mixture of water and bleach, with bleach forming a tenth of that solution. Spray this mixture in the attic and wait for at least half an hour before cleaning up the pest mess. It is also wise to aerate the attic for a minimum of half an hour before going in there to start cleaning. The toxic fumes from the urine and droppings can harm you if inhaled.

Thereafter, follow the recommendation below on how to get rid of the specific pests that you identified by observing the scat.

Mice

Mice reproduce at a high rate, so prompt action should be taken as soon as their presence is observed. Buy several mousetraps and place them in different locations within the attic. Use peanut butter as bait if you want to register any success with these pests. Cheese will remain unconsumed if you use it to bait the traps. Check back frequently so that any trap that has a mouse in it is removed immediately. Otherwise, other mice will see their dying or dead kin and avoid those traps altogether.

Rats

Rats are much bigger than mice and will not be caught by mousetraps. Buy rat traps and, again, spread them out throughout the attic. AAI Pest Control experts caution that homeowners should not be quick to bait the rattraps since the pests will avoid those new objects in their living areas. Instead, the traps should remain lying in the attic for several days so that the rats can get used to their existence. Only then can a homeowner bait and set the traps to catch the rats. It may also be necessary for you to screw the rattraps into the floor to prevent the rats from dragging those traps away.

Squirrels

Desist from removing squirrels from your attic until you have ascertained the applicable laws in your area. If the law permits it, buy cage traps and use them to catch and relocate the squirrels outdoors. These traps are more expensive than mousetraps or rattraps due to the sturdier construction needed to keep the larger pest caged in.

Bats and Raccoons

Homeowners are advised to call a pest control company in Modesto for help in removing bats and raccoons from the attic. Raccoons are very aggressive if cornered or when distanced from their young, and bats can’t be herded out of the attic. Professionals are trained in how to deal with these difficult pests.

Now you know how to keep pests out of the attic. However, it is harder to remove attic pests than it is to prevent them from getting in. It is therefore advisable for you to seal an opening through which these pests may enter your attic. AAI Pest Control is at your service in case your attic is already playing host to attic pests. Our inspectors will identify how the pests go in and recommend the best corrective measures after the resident attic pest population is evicted.