It’s an adorable sight to see birds or squirrels on your roof. If a tree is near your roof, you’ll see some small animals perching and observing everything from above. However, these are indicators that your roof is in trouble. Squirrels and birds can shorten your roof’s lifespan by making your roof and attic their natural habitat.
Nesting
Squirrels and raccoons are known to nest inside attics. They like dark and cluttered attics with plenty of area to hide and nesting materials. For instance, an attic filled with scrap paper and blown-in leaves and twigs will attract squirrels and raccoons. If left unattended, they may start scraping and eating away the attic material to create their nests.
Attic Damage
The attic’s wooden structure is the backbone of the entire roofing system. Without it, the roof can collapse under the weight of your asphalt shingles, and it would be costly to repair. Small animals will continue eating away at your attic material and lay their waste inside, encouraging mold and bacterial growth.
Roof Leaks
Small animals will access your attic through small openings. They may also lift or chew through your asphalt shingles to get inside. This is dangerous because rainfall can enter through the openings they create. You can repair roof leaks by having regular maintenance services address it during their inspections.
Angi has an excellent guide to discourage and prevent small animals from accessing your roof. Read more about their tips here.
1. Use Animal Repellent
You can find a lot of animal repellents sold online. They often come in spray bottles and are made of or mimic substances such as pepper, tarragon, garlic, essential oils, and other things that animals find distasteful. Sometimes, repellents contain the urine of predators, which will promote a fear response in the rooftop pest.
2. Trim Your Trees and Vegetation
Trees are essentially ladders for animals, so if you’ve got them near your home with branches extending toward your roof, that’s an all-access pass for critters. Keep your trees trimmed so it’s not so easy to simply scurry up the tree, down a branch, and hop onto your roof. Doing so can prevent squirrels from invading your home. Overgrown vegetation can also attract animals, so keep that trimmed as well.
3. Don’t Neglect Roof Maintenance
By constantly monitoring and maintaining your roof, you can spot the signs of animals on your roof early and take the necessary steps to handle the issue before it becomes a major problem. Check for dislodged shingles, cracks, new holes, boards that have been pried open, and so on. It might be a good idea to contact a roofer near you to conduct a regular inspection.
4. Block All Entry Points
Prevention is preferable to dealing with pest control after furry intruders have invaded, like removing rats from your home. You should block all possible entry points that critters could use as soon as you find them. Patch up any cracks, repair loose boards and shingles, and put mesh over openings like gutters.
5. Make Your Entire Property Unattractive to Critters
Unwanted guests often find their way onto your roof because they’re attracted by something on your property, like trash. The best way to keep them off your roof is to keep them off your property, so seal up garbage and promptly dispose of it to keep them from following their nose to your home (and roof). (Continue reading here to learn more)
At Roper Roofing & Solar, we provide only quality repair and inspections. We’re a roofer with decades of experience and knowledge taking care of roofs in our local neighborhood. Call us today to learn more about our roofing services.
