If you’ve had rodents or other critters make their home in your house, getting rid of them is only part of the solution.

Animals, like bats, mice, squirrels, and flying squirrels, often seek the attic as a place to live and breed. You may not notice that they’re up there until several generations of critters have moved in. Depending on the type of critter and how many there are, you may choose to remove it (them) yourself, or hire professional help. Unfortunately, even after an animal has been removed, you may still have damage to repair.

Identify the Opening

It’s great that the bats or other critters have been removed from your attic. But how did they get in in the first place? Did the squirrel get in through an opening on the roof? Did a loose flashing allow a family of mice to work their way in? If you do not find that entryway and repair it, it is only a matter of time before other animals use that same opening.

Clean Up After an Infestation

Bats, mice, squirrels and other critters are not at all fastidious about their living conditions. They use one area after another as a latrine. They leave urine and feces all over as they come in and out of the opening they’ve found. Bats, for example, pee and poop constantly. Squirrel urine contains a pheromone scent that attracts other wildlife, and that scent can be active for up to two years. What’s more, the acidic properties from pest urine can create a bigger opening that leads into your home.

Your attic will need a thorough cleaning that doesn’t just remove the excrement but also disinfects the area. If you are removing the droppings yourself, beware that excrement can contain infection-causing bacteria when inhaled.

Repair the Damage

In addition to the damage critters create when getting into your home, the animals often cause more damage once they are inside. They chew on wood, electrical cords, and anything they can get their teeth on. They make their way inside attic insulation, ripping it and leaving trails of droppings throughout.

At Critter Control, we often get the call when a homeowner realizes that squirrels, bats, raccoons or other wildlife have taken up residence in the attic. Once we remove the pests, our job is only partially done. The next step is to determine how they got in, then assess and repair the destruction, whether it is replacing insulation or other remediation to return your home to its undamaged state.

For more information on removing animals from your home and repairing the damage they’ve caused, call Critter Control of the Triangle at 1-800-CRITTER or 919-382-0651 in Raleigh, Durham, Apex, Cary and Morrisville, NC.