Are you imprisoned in your own home with pests in your attic?

There’s nothing enjoyable about having rodents and pests in your house, even if they’re confined to your attic. After a while, it can feel like you’re losing your home to them. It’s not their fault they’ve found safe haven in your attic, but that doesn’t mean you should let them stay.

In this post, we’re going to tell you how to get rid of rodents in the attic so you can get your home back. Read on and put an end to the commotion above your head once and for all.

Figure Out What You’re Dealing With

Before you act, you need to do some reconnaissance. Go up to the attic and see what you’re dealing with.

If you find small, pellet-like scat, then you’re likely dealing with mice or rats. When the pellets are in a pile, then you might be dealing with bats. Anything bigger could be raccoons or squirrels and, along with bats, should be left to professionals.

Learn more about pest control before you start taking action. If the infestation is severe, pest control professionals will have the tools to get rid of rodents once and for all.

Take Out Insulation

Once you’ve identified the culprit – mice or rats – and decided to take them on yourself, remove the insulation from your attic. This is the only way you’ll get all of the toxic waste (and it is toxic to humans) out of the attic. 

Removing the insulation will also give you a chance to look at the extent of the damage done by the rodents. This is important if you’re going to prevent them from coming back in again.

Decontaminate

As we said, mice and rat scat is toxic to inhale, so the longer you leave it, the more danger you’re exposed to. The scat can also attract other rodents. If you can, open the window and air out the attic for 30 minutes before you start cleaning.

Put on some protective wear and clean up all of the waste. Using a bleach-based solution, spray and disinfect all of the surfaces, wiping everything down with paper towels. Dispose of everything in a sealed bag.

Seal Entry Points

Next, go around and identify all of the points of entry in the attic. Use foam to completely air seal the attic. Not only will this work as pest control, but it’ll help your energy bills out too. 

Around pipes, air ducts, and wires are all potential culprits, in addition to any obvious holes in the attic walls. 

Look At the Roof

Once you’ve sealed every hole, it’s time to look up. If there are any areas that show signs of rotting or water leakage, there’ll eventually be areas big enough for rodents to squeeze in again.

If you need to repair or replace your roof, that’s a whole other issue. That said, it could benefit your rodent problem to fix this as well.

Know How to Get Rid of Rodents In the Attic

Now that you know how to get rid of rodents in the attic, you can start to win your home back. It’s not easy to get rid of rodents and even harder to deter them from coming back, but these tips should be a good start. 

If you found this post helpful, come back again for more real estate and home tips.