What Type of Animal is in Your Attic?

Bats in the attic in Georgia home - Active Pest Control, formerly ActiveNo matter where you are—in the living room with your family or in bed at night—hearing noises and movement in your attic is frightening. While some may believe they are living the plot of a horror movie, the reality is that their home is being infested by nuisance wildlife. An attic is a popular place for wild animals to shelter, as they gain access to our homes through the roof. It goes without saying that no one wants animals taking up residence in their attic.

Our wildlife control experts understand the stress that wildlife problems can cause, especially if wild animals get into your home. Active Pest Control is here to provide all the information you need about potential infestations in your attic.

Common Animals That Infest Attics

Georgians are no strangers to wild animals roaming around their neighborhoods. But how do these animals get in? Animals that can gain access to your roof are likely to make their way into your attic if given a chance. These five pests are most likely to be found infesting your attic:

  1. Bats: Possibly the most dangerous attic dweller is the bat. Bat waste is toxic and can cause health risks.
  2. Birds: Hearing chirping noises or fluttering indicates you could have a nest of birds in your attic. They have a harder time leaving once they’re inside.
  3. Rats & mice: These rodents can make some of the loudest noises with their scratching, chewing, squeaking, and running. The roof rat is the most common rodent in attics.
  4. Squirrels: All types of squirrels can squeeze in through tiny openings and are feared for their ability to chew through wires.
  5. Raccoons: Female raccoons are known to nest in attics, and can come and go during the day and night. Chattering noises may indicate a nest of baby raccoons.

How Do I Get Rid of Animals in the Attic?

In the event that you think an animal lives in your attic, you shouldn’t go hunting for it on your own. When you try to get rid of the animal, bat, or bird on your own, you put yourself and your family at risk. If wild animals feel threatened, they may bite. This alone makes it important to hire a professional. When you work with a humane wildlife removal company, such as Active Pest Control, you can rest assured that the safest traps will be used to capture and relocate wild animals.

Certified Wildlife Removal Experts

At Active Pest Control, we understand how stressful it is to discover wildlife in your attic. Furthermore, wildlife poses a threat to your safety. Our animal removal experts will not only inspect your home thoroughly but will also put preventative measures in place to prevent wild animals from entering your attic in the future. Contact our wildlife experts today to learn more.

What Are Overwintering Pests?

Raccoons are overwintering pests in Atlanta GA - Active Pest ControlOverwintering pests are insects or other pests that enter homes in the fall for warmth and shelter throughout the colder months of the year. These pests will make themselves at home right in your residence, often in your attic, basement, or crawl space. Some of the most common overwintering pests in Atlanta include mice, rats, squirrels, and bats, along with fall invader pests such as boxelder bugs and stink bugs.

No one wants any pests hunkering down for the winter in their home, which is why it’s so important to learn how to prevent overwintering pests.

Which Pests Overwinter In My House?

The lack of activity in certain areas of your home, such as the attic, makes for the perfect shelter for pests and rodents. The following pests are known to be the most common to overwinter in your attic:

  • House mice: These mice prefer secluded areas and will look to nest in your attic using insulation and other stored items.
  • Roof rats: Just as their name suggests, roof rats can squeeze their way indoors and up to the attic in your home.
  • Bats: Big brown bats will roost in an attic and use it as their cave. Their presence causes a lot of mess to clean up.
  • Raccoons: Raccoons are strong climbers and can make their way into your attic to escape dropping temperatures.
  • Squirrels: The attic is the perfect place for squirrels to burrow and hide out the colder months of the year.

How to Prevent Overwintering Pests

To prepare for the cold months ahead, there are several things you can do to make your property less attractive to pests looking to stay inside this time of year:

  1. Trim overhanging tree branches, overgrown bushes, and vines away from your home to limit access to pests.
  2. Secure your chimney with a chimney cap, and install wire mesh over any vents or roof openings.
  3. Make sure your trash cans are securely stored in your hard with tight-fitting lids to keep pests out.
  4. In your attic, organize all items and eliminate any clutter. Use plastic bins instead of cardboard boxes for storage.
  5. Inspect both inside out outside the attic, and seal any cracks or crevices with caulk or steel wool. 

How to Get Rid of Pests in the Attic

Whether you suspect there are bats or squirrels in your attic, it’s important to always enlist the help of a professional pest control company. Active Pest Control is your local leader in wildlife cleanup and exclusion services, and can help protect your home from pests not just in the winter but all year long. Contact us today to learn more!

Are Bats Really Dangerous?

Many people have a fear of bats, thanks to Hollywood’s portrayal of the creepy, night-time birds. Are they as dangerous as the movies make them out to be? While the bats in and around your home in Marietta, Georgia probably aren’t quite the bloodsucking creatures you see in horror movies, bats are dangerous – particularly if you’re trying to get them out of a home or building.

The fear of bats is mostly associated with the idea that they carry rabies. Rabid bats are rare but the potential for this is why these creatures should be approached with much caution. If you have bats in your Georgia home, attic, garage, or any other structure, you should call the wildlife professionals at Active Pest Control right away. Getting bit by a bat or any other animal that is rabid can be fatal, if you do not seek medical treatment immediately.

The reality is bats are elusive and actually look for habitats that are not going to put them in contact with humans. But when a bat finds itself in a living space or is cornered when found nesting in your attic, it can become threatened and more likely to attack.

The other, more commonly experienced reason bats are dangerous to humans is something many people aren’t even aware of. If you are exposed to bat guano (bat droppings), you can contract a disease called histoplasmosis. The symptoms of histoplasmosis primarily affect the lungs, but can sometimes cause problems for other organs. If untreated, histoplasmosis is fatal.
 
Why do Bats go into Structures?

Bats go into homes, attics, garages, sheds, and other structures to avoid predators and to get out of the weather. They gain access through improperly flashed roof valleys, through vents, chimneys, gable ends, siding, and gable ends. Once inside, the bat colonies cause damage to the structures with their nests and feces. Sometimes bats will take up residence in sewers, water wells, utility, or power sheds and can cause interference with the operation of utilities or contaminate water.

Bat proofing is best done during the fall or winter when the pests are most likely to be out of the home and hibernating. Bat proofing in the summer may trap the bats inside. You can help prevent bats from getting into your home with some do-it-yourself bat proofing.:

  • Caulk any openings to your home larger than a quarter-inch
  • Use draft-guards beneath doors to attics
  • Use chimney caps
  • Use window screens
  • Fill any plumbing or electrical holes with stainless steel wool or caulking

If you already have bats on your property, don’t hesitate to contact Active Pest Control today! Our experts can help eliminate these pests safely and help protect your GA property from future infestations.