Wildlife Remediation Repair

Aged soffits, eaves, and fascias on your home are like an “Open 24/7” sign for squirrels, raccoons, and other creatures. It’s easy to let gutter maintenance fall by the wayside. After all, how many problems can leaves or twigs in your gutters really cause? The debris itself may not lead to extensive gutter damage, though you may deal with buildup that causes clogs or heavy standing water. However, it can make some animals believe your gutters are the ideal place to make a home.

The best solution for keeping critters out of your gutters is often to perform regular maintenance. Critters often make their way into gutters overflowing with leaves or debris that cause standing water or provide materials needed for nesting. Many times wildlife will enter through the gutter system due to the gutters being clogged which causes water to rot the fascia behind them. Rotted fascia makes it easy for squirrels to penetrate and create a hole into the soffit and ultimately gain access to the attic. Keeping gutters clean helps prevent invasive wildlife.

Animals can create havoc on a home or business structure, especially if it goes unnoticed for a lengthy amount of time. While it’s not an animal’s intent to cause damage to your property, the destruction in their wake can be both costly and detrimental to your home’s integrity. If you have one of these critters living in your gutters, soffits, or fascia, there are different approaches to remedy that problem. Many approaches will call for intervention from a pest control and removal expert:

• Mosquitos: Mosquitos thrive in standing water, primarily during the warm spring and summer months. If your gutters have drainage issues, you may have unintentionally created a prime breeding ground.
• Birds: Getting rid of birds in your gutters will depend on whether they have an active nest you’ll need to transport to a new location. While birds aren’t nearly as dangerous or destructive as other pests, their droppings can stain your home’s exterior and clog your gutters. Plus, even when you get rid of a bird’s nest, another may take its place.
• Rodents: Like birds, rodents rely on the debris in gutters to craft their nests. However, squirrels, chipmunks, and mice present more of a hazard than birds because they have a way of finding their way indoors, especially during the colder months.
• Bees and Wasps: Bees and wasps may choose gutters to create their nests because gutters are high off of the ground and relatively safe. While stings are an obvious risk of these nests, another potential issue is the weight of their hives, which could pull down gutters or even compromise your roof.
• Snakes: Snakes are one of the most potentially dangerous pests you can encounter living in your gutters. They may crawl up your gutter’s downspout or into your gutter from a nearby tree. Snakes find everything they need to live in a clogged gutter, including a wet environment, warmth, shade, and easy access to food.
• Ants and Termites: Gutter debris can provide shelter for ants, and once they’re in, it’s quite a challenge to get rid of them. It’s also common for carpenter ants and termites to find their way into a home via its gutters. These pests eat wood and it’s often difficult to know they’re there until you start noticing damage to the wood around your gutters.