Roof vent destroyed by raccoon

Hamilton Wildlife Inspection Yields Damage and Raccoons in an Attic

Closeup picture of roof vent destroyed by raccoonIt’s only January and we’re already getting a lot of calls for wildlife removal in Hamilton – specifically for raccoons and squirrels.

One of the primary reasons Hamilton homeowners experience a lot of animal breakins, is because a good portion of the homes in Hamilton are older, and much more susceptible to break ins. Although newer homes are susceptible too, older homes are much easier for wildlife to infiltrate due to deteriorating materials and gaps that form over time.

To better protect older properties from intrusions, pest control experts recommend installing wildlife exclusion and annual inspections and maintenance, to seal entry points and repair any developing damage. This kind of protection will ensure your home is secure against intrusions throughout the year.

The Problem Most Homeowners Ignore

Did you hear rumbling in your walls or attic last night?

We’ve heard hundreds of customers tell us that they’ve heard wildlife making noises in their walls and attic for years but they just ignored it. A lot of people know they have wildlife in their attic but think it’s temporary and that eventually they’ll go away.

But that’s not true though. Wildlife don’t go away. Once they feel safe in your attic, they’ll stay their for as long as they can, and they’ll wreak havoc on your attic – the whole attic, from the insulation to the support beams, wires and pipes. They basically turn a quiet space into a costly nightmare.

If they have babies in your attic, the problems compound and become much more expensive to resolve.

This is why if you hear unusual noises in your walls or attic, or see signs of raccoon activity, you must act fast and have a professional team come out to your home to address the issues promptly and to prevent further damage to your home.

Roof and Attic Damage

In the following video, you can see that there was no real damage to thet roof or shingles, but that the damage occured with the roof-vent, and parts of the attic insulation. In this case the roof was fairly new, but the raccoon was still able to get in just by chewing away at the roof vent.

This is where wildlife exclusion comes in handy. If the roof vents were properly protected, it would have completely stopped the raccoon in its tracks.

For this raccoon breakin, the insulation was trampled down, and the R value of the insulation was depleted. To ensure this home’s heating and air conditioning works efficiently in the future, and to get the insulation back up to code, it will needlessly cost the customer thousands of dollars.

With a yearly inspection and wildlife prevention installed, this cost would have been completely avoided.

You Have Two Options

Damaged roof ventIn almost every major city in North America, when it comes to wildlife intrusions, you have two options.

One is you can wait until an animal like a raccoon or squirrel is wandering around your home, having babies, and then have it removed after the damage has been done.

Or, the second and best option is you can be responsible and preemptive, and have your house inspected by a professional for entry points, and have these areas sealed up before problems begin.

All urban wildlife will not break glass, chew through your front door or ring your doorbell, but they will break into your home through common entry points which should be secured and regularly inspected for vulnerabilities.

Obviously option two is the best option, and it will save you money in the long run.

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