Do you hear scratches or movements in your attic? These are signs that there are pests in your attic. Attics provide an ideal environment for many pests to build their homes. It is comfortable and cozy as it is humid, with plenty of wood to provide all that pets need to feel comfortable.

Attic pests can become your worst nightmare, especially when they start to chew your stored items or electrical cables. They also leave droppings that can turn your attic into a disease breeding ground.

However, here is how to keep pests out of your attic.

The Most Common Attic Pets

1. Rats

Rats are one of the most common pests you are likely to encounter in your attic. Rats love warm places where they can find shelter, especially during the cold seasons, and your attic is the ideal place. Rats can squeeze through small holes to find their way into the attic.

To know if there are rats in your attic, you can check their droppings. They are usually brown, curved, and sausage-shaped. They are active day and night, and you will most likely hear them scurrying at night.

2. Squirrels

Squirrels might look cute, but they are one of the pets you will likely find gnawing into your attic. They look similar to rats. Unfortunately, they can cause more damage to your attic. They love chewing and will chew through the walls to find their way into the attic.

They can chew wood and electrical cables, which can cause a fire in the attic. They are most active during the day, and you will likely hear them in the evening and early morning.

3. Cockroaches

If you have cardboard boxes, magazines, or newspapers in your attic, you will likely find cockroaches. They like dark and warm spots to hide and nest; hence your attic is a perfect spot. They breed very quickly, and so if you spot their activity in your attic, the earlier you control them, the better.

4. Snakes

Snakes love warm places, and the best spot to seek warmth around your house is the attic. They are ectothermic, meaning they don’t produce much heat from their body and rely on external sources to keep warm.

It can be very hard to spot snake activity in your attic as they are great at hiding and make little noise. However, if you notice shed skin or eggs, you might have a snake inside your attic.

5. Mice

Mice are similar to rats but are smaller with thinner tails. You can identify their activity in your attic by their feces, which are usually like tiny grains of brown rice. Due to their small size, they are likely to squeeze through small spaces to access your attic.

6. Ants

Ants are very little pests and can cause a nuisance. One of the common ants in the attic is the carpenter ant. They can cause very expensive structural damage, especially to the wood in the attic. Because they are very tiny, they can crawl through any small space.

7. Spiders

Spiders love quiet places, and your attic is the best spot to build webs and breed. The best thing about spiders is that they hunt and eat other pests, so this might reduce the number of pests inside the attic.

How to Keep Pests Out of Your Attic

1. Seal Off All Potential Entry Points

Seal off all holes that pets might use to get inside your house or attic. If there are gaps or cracks in your home’s doors or windows, ensure you seal them well, as pests might use them as passageways to get inside your attic and start nesting.

Also, look for holes in your roof. If your roof shingles are damaged, replace them with new ones and secure everything well, as small pets can fit through small holes and gaps.

2. Keep Your Floors and Other Surfaces Clean and Decluttered

Cleanliness is very important in keeping pests out of your attic. Keep your floors, carpets, and other surfaces clean and free from moisture to prevent pest populations in your home and attic. This will help reduce larvae, eggs, and pupae that might be already inside your house from developing into adults, which will later nest in the attic.

3. Trim Your Tree Branches

If you have trees around your home whose branches extend to your roof, trim them to restrict pest access to your attic. You can remove larger branches with a chainsaw and trim branches that are 8 feet within our home to prevent squirrels from jumping into your roof. Wipe your floors, and other surfaces regularly a

4. Mow Your Lawn Regularly

Mow your landscape regularly and trim the foliage from the side of your home to give pests fewer harborage areas around your house. You can also keep mulch and firewood at least 20 feet away from your house.

5. Remove Food and Water Sources in your Attic

You can make your attic less inviting by removing all sources of food and water from the exterior of your home or attic. Moisture bugs like cockroaches are attracted by moisture. Eliminate all standing water either inside or outside, or install a dehumidifier.

Also, keep your pet food unaccessible and secure your trash well to prevent them from attracting these pests.

6. Keep Your Items Secure

Any type of item that you store inside your attic might become food for the pests. So, store your items safe and secure in plastic bins and not in cardboard boxes, and ensure you cover your furniture well.

7. Organize Your Storage Space

Plan on how to arrange and store your items in the attic well. Ensure you keep your items together and well-spaced to improve ventilation and reduce moisture. This will greatly help to reduce pests in your attic.

8. Put Squirrel Nesting Boxes in Your Home

You can provide squirrels with a much better and comfy alternative to the attic by putting squirrel nesting boxes in a tree in your compound. This will help them choose a nest that is easier to choose and hope they will not prefer your attic.

How to Get Rid of Pests in Your Attic

1. Use Pest Control Dust

Using a good insecticide dust is an effective way to control a variety of pests in your attic. However, for the insecticide to be effective, you need to apply it thoroughly. Apply it around the outer edges of the attic, and once the crawling pests come into contact with the insecticide, they will die due to dehydration.

2. Yard Bug Spray

Treat your yard regularly with a plant oil-based spray during the spring season, summer, and fall seasons. This will help to reduce the population of pests around your home hence reducing the chances of them getting inside your attic.

3. Ant Bait Stations

If there are ants crawling in your attic, you can use an ant bait product to get rid of them. You can place them where there are ant nests or colonies. Fortunately, this has a long-term effect of eliminating ants from your attic.

4. Insect Baits

If you want to deal with silverfish, cockroaches, and ants, try using insect baits. You can apply small dabs of baits where these pets are plenty. They will eat the bait and die.

What is Scratching My Attic at Night?

Some of the most common pests that might be scratching your attic at night include rats, cockroaches, squirrels, mice, and snakes. However, if you are familiar with the noises, it might help you identify which pest it is. This will also help you choose the appropriate method to eliminate them.

Will keeping Lights on Keep Mice Away?

Unfortunately, the light that is inside your house is not effective enough to keep mice away. Once they are inside your house, they can always look for darker spots like the attic or under furniture to keep away from the light until the lights are off.

Do the Rats Leave the Attic During the Day?

Rats do not crawl around the house during the day because they might be at risk of getting noticed, and besides, most of the time, they are always asleep. However, they might crawl around the house to look for food and water.

What Home Remedies are Best to Get Rid of Rats?

Killing rats using poison involves a lot of effort as this poses a potential danger to other pets or children at home. However, you can use natural rat repellent to eliminate them, like placing mothballs in your attic.

Final Words

Having rats and other pests scratching and making noise in your attic all day and night can be irritating. Furthermore, they can cause damage to the plumbing and wiring of your home and also spread diseases. Luckily, we have researched the most effective ways to keep pests out of your attic and how to eliminate them if you have any.