As the rain falls, you crack open a good book and settle in with a nice cup of tea. As time passes and the wind whips up, two problems unfold, the scurrying of feet from your attic and water dripping from the ceiling. After getting some towels and buckets, the water slows, and you are thankful for your homeowner’s insurance. Unfortunately, standard homeowner’s insurance usually doesn’t cover damage to attic and roofs caused by squirrels, rats, mice, and insects. It may cover some costs caused by larger animals like raccoons but typically doesn’t cover damage to personal property or that caused by animal droppings.
That being the case, you now have a threefold problem. How do you get the critters out, fix the damage, and ensure they don’t return? Fortunately, in Northern Illinois, Wildlife Services is a one-stop-shop for nuisance wildlife needs. After an inspection for entry points on the house’s perimeter, we’ll use the latest techniques to prevent more animals from entering and those leaving from getting back in. Due to our many years in the business, we can assess the animals we are dealing with by the type of damage and where it is on your structure. After prioritizing what needs fixing, we go to work.
Whether they know it or not, some of the animals help each other to get in. Nuisance birds like pigeons, grackles, and starlings drop their caustic feces on roof tiles, and unfortunately, the droppings can eat through most roofing substrates. This exposes the wood framing and can also cause it to deteriorate. The vulnerable wood becomes easy pickings for the razor-sharp teeth of rats, raccoons, and opossums. Once inside, the pests go on a seek and destroy mission for food and water. If enough of them get in, you may get a shocking surprise like a New York woman who had several raccoons fall through the ceiling and into her bedroom.
Squirrels are notorious for chewing through the underside of eaves and fascia board, but that is just half the damage. Inside your home with no place to go, they may be one of the most destructive critters. In Atlanta, a single squirrel inside caused about 15,000 dollars damage (insurance company claimed no responsibility) as it chewed through wood, damaged baseboards, scratched floors, and tore up furniture. If that’s not bad enough, bats love to use the squirrel openings to find a place to roost. Once a colony of bats is established, the amount of droppings and urine builds up quickly and contaminates whatever it touches. Bats can also carry rabies, parasites, and their droppings may harbor the histoplasmosis fungus.
Other common outdoor sites for wildlife damage include soffits, siding, chimneys, and roof vents, and inside, drywall, ceilings, PVC pipes, electrical boxes and more. Finding an animal in your home is bad enough for residents of Boone, Cook, Lake, and the surrounding counties. To remove the nuisances and make sure they don’t come back,
contact Wildlife Services. Our professionals can patch up your property and get it looking as good as new.
