Rats! Getting Rid of Rodents in your Attic

As you can imagine, our blog and magazine are often pitched ideas for editorial content. We get a lot of ideas thrown our way, some kooky, some irrelevant and some just plain odd.

But the other day we were contacted by the smart folks at the Attic Guys because they wanted us to share some tips about at topic that plagues a lot of Atlanta homeowners. But it's one that few people want to think – let alone talk – about. It's a dirty little secret, it's unpleasant, it's rodent infestation in our homes! Here are some tips and advice from the experts at the Attic Guys themselves…

************

If you have an attic, a rodent infestation is something that you are very likely to need to contend with at some point. But there is help out there to ensure that your family is not put at risk from the diseases that pests (like rats!) can carry into your home.

Regular Sniff Checks

It could be that you don’t have much need to go up in the attic very often, but you should definitely make it a habit to carry out regular checks to see if there are any signs of a problem related to a rodent infestation. Look for evidence like droppings or a smell of urine in the air.

Signs of Infestation

The big problem with rodent infestation is that they carry loads of different diseases which can affect the health of a family member or a pet. So carefully check the attic for any signs of the insulation being torn up and chewed and any other items like pipes and cables, to see if they have been chewed on.

A rat cleanup is the only sure way of eliminating the problem and it is important to do this as soon as you realize you have a problem. This is because all the urine and droppings along with pheromones help to attract more rats to take up residence in your home!

Simplify, Simplify, Simplify

If your attic has become a bit of a dumping ground for items that you don’t really need or use anymore, you could be providing the materials and environment that would encourage a family of rats or maybe squirrels, to take up residence in your attic.

Insulation Removal

It could be that your insulation has either become outdated and needs replacing or it has been contaminated by rodents and therefore needs to be removed safely.

Insulation contractors can perform insulation removal by using a high-powered vacuum attached to a large volume filter bag for a super-efficient removal that allows you to tackle the pest contamination and replace the old insulation with new insulation that has an R-Value as prescribed by the EPA for the area of your particular home.

Time to Start Over!

An exterminating company like The Attic Guys can help you to professionally clear the clutter from your attic and they also provide a dead animal debris removal service if it is needed. (Shiver.)

Wouldn’t it be great to start over again and clear the space of all the dust, debris and contamination that has built up over time? 

Complete Elimination

You may be able to tackle some of the removal work yourself by cleaning up any rodent infested areas, but if you do attempt to clear away animal feces in particular, you will have to be very vigilant to protect yourself during the insulation removal process and ensure that your hands and clothes are thoroughly cleaned after the removal, to avoid transporting any contamination to other parts of your home.

(This is why hiring a professional is pretty much the only way to go when you are tackling a rodent infestation! They have the professional skills and equipment necessary to safely remove all the debris and replace the insulation.)

An insulation contractor takes on the dirty work of eliminating problems and pests in your attic, leaving you with a healthier and clean attic. A healthier home helps to avoid any potential health issues for your family and give you back your attic space from the intrusive rodents.

This blog post brought to you by the Attic Guys.