Why Attic Cleanup Matters After Wildlife Infestation

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Wildlife infestations are more common than you might think. If you’ve got animals coming into your home, you may have noticed them making a home in your attic. They might’ve built a nest in your attic, and it may be warm and quiet enough for them to have their babies. Think the problem is solved once you’ve evicted the animals? Think again. What they’ve left behind is what you should be worried about. It is essential to keep your home, your health, and your comfort safe by doing a proper cleanup.

Common Wildlife That Invades Attics

Attics are warm and safe, making them a prime target for an invasion from animals.

The most common animals include:

  • Raccoons
  • Squirrels
  • Rats and mice
  • Bats

Bats and rodents are always looking for new places to find shelter, and infestations of new places are due to the shelter space they are offered by the vents, soffits, and gaps in the roof. Then they build their little nests, and they might stay for weeks or months. They leave behind a lot of problems. Just because they’re gone doesn’t mean the attic is clean. Waste, dead body fur, and other materials are left behind.

When working with wildlife experts at All City Animal Trapping, homeowners understand the importance of attic cleaning after animal removal. Doing an attic cleanup is a necessary step to restore your attic and the safe and healthy environment it once possessed. Without cleaning, the contamination and damage will be above your ceiling.

Hidden Damage Left After Wildlife Infestation

Wildlife infestation causes more than noise and mess. The damage can grow silently over time.

Common hidden problems include:

  1. Contaminated insulation that needs replacing.
  2. Risk of fire due to damaged wiring.
  3. Broken ductwork can additionally ruin your heating and cooling system.
  4. Weakened structure due to wildlife waste that soaks into wood and insulation.

These things can worsen over time.

Health Risks of a Contaminated Attic

A dirty attic can affect the air you breathe every day. Waste and nesting materials break down and release harmful particles into the air.

Health risks include:

  1. Airborne bacteria and allergens
  2. Infestations and vectors (fleas, mites, and ticks)
  3. Dangerous indoor air quality

These risks are higher for children, older adults, and people with asthma or allergies. The attic cleanup needs to happen.

Why Attic Cleanup Is Essential After Animal Removal

An example of a thorough attic cleanup involves:

  • Safe cleaning/disposal of contaminated insulation
  • Disinfection of surfaces
  • Deodorizing affected areas
  • Restoration of insulation

Sanitation of the attic reduces risk to health and stops lingering smells. Clean insulation is more energy efficient and also makes the living space more comfortable. Sanitation of the attic also eliminates scent trails for critters, which is likely to attract new animals. Without cleanup, however, another infestation is more likely.

Attic cleanup also lets the experts identify any concealed damage. During cleanup, minor repairs are made, which avoid larger and more expensive repairs later.

Professional Attic Cleaning vs DIY Cleanup

Some homeowners attempt to clean the attic and consider it their own. That can be dangerous and not very efficient.

DIY cleaning challenges:

  • Exposure to harmful bacteria and parasites
  • No proper protection
  • Partial cleaning of the space
  • No waste removal

Professional cleaning provides:

  • Safety equipment
  • Thorough deep cleaning and sanitation
  • Damage assessments
  • Total insulation removal and replacement

Professionals understand where to look to find contamination and how to contain it. That protects the house and the people living in it.

Long-Term Benefits of Proper Attic Cleanup

The perks of a thorough attic cleanup last for a long time. A clean attic is also visually better and smells better.

The list of long-term benefits comprises the following: 

  • Improved air quality in the interior of the property
  • New insulation lowers energy costs
  • Fewer future pest problems
  • The value of the property is protected

A house with an organized and clean attic is a more comfortable and healthier home. It even simplifies the selling and insuring. Cleanup transforms a problem space into a safe one. 

Final Thoughts

Wildlife removal is only the first of many steps. Without a thorough cleanup, the health risks and damage remain. In the attic, a clean space is a restored comfort, and with a secure space, the home is protected. Discover more about attic cleaning to understand the importance of keeping your space clean, secure, and free of wildlife.