As the world comes alive again in spring, so do all the creepers and crawlers that can wreak havoc on your home’s roof. Beyond the obvious culprits, the destructive termites, insects like bees and small mammals like bats can also cause cause serious harm to your home if left unchecked.
Points of Entry
Vanguard has posted before about basic examinations you can do to spot potential roof issues. Any of those points of damage could also become a point of entry for one of these many annoying and destructive pests that can cause further animal damage.
Honey Bees
Bees build hives and they like those honey factories protected. If your roof protects you, it’ll protect a colony of bees just as well. The problems begin when the bees need more space for the growing hive. They can destroy your roof’s wood to make way for new honeycomb.
Weight also becomes an issue. A single bee weighs next to nothing, but hundreds of thousands of bees plus the weight of the honeycomb wax plus the weight of the honey itself can put a significant strain on your roof structure and your walls.
All that honey can also lead to other hungry creatures attempting to invade your home, leading to more animal damage.
Bats
As long as they stay out of your home, bats are some of the most helpful little mammals. They control the insect population like no other animal can. When they take up residence in your home’s attic, however, they wear out their welcome.
These flying fluff balls can squeeze into spaces that you might not even notice.
Bats bring two serious dangers into your home. The first is related to their droppings. Bat guano acts as a breeding ground for a particular type of fungus that, if it becomes airborne and finds its way into your living areas, can cause a deadly lung condition.
The second medically scary danger is rabies. Bats carry the disease and so can pass it on if you or your pets get close enough to be bitten.
Rats
Even a large rat can fit through remarkably small holes. Once inside your attic space, they can use their sharp teeth and strong bite to chew through insulation and pipes. They might even attempt to gnaw through electrical lines, exposing your home to a fire hazard. At best, your electricity will go out and you’ll have a rat corpse to deal with later.
Squirrels
They might look friendly and cute with their fluffy tails, but remember that they are rodents just like rats and with many of the same destructive tendencies. Once they find an entry point, they can quickly colonize an attic space. The constant sounds of scratching and scurrying is nothing compared to the particular odor of their urine and feces. This material can build up quickly and can become a much more serious animal damage problem to the structure of your ceilings and walls.
What to Do
As with most issues in your home, you’re best off letting a professional handle the problem. For mammal-related issues, call an expert in wildlife management. For bees, contact a local beekeeper who will be more than happy to safely remove the colony.
Let Vanguard Inspect Your Roof
If you think you might have some roof issues that could lead to an animal damage problem, contact us at Vanguard. We can inspect your roof and recommend the best solutions for your home.