Last month, I wrote a blog
post about the different types of summer insects that could invade your home
and harm you, your family and your furry friends, Fluffy and Scruffy. This post
is a continuation of sorts, letting you know about other pests that can invade
your home and cause you headaches.
The first pest is one of the most admired creatures
on the planet. There is a whole hobby devoted to watching them – wild birds.
Now, birds are indeed beautiful animals, but as many city dwellers know, birds
can carry diseases. Most often we think of “dirty” birds, like pigeons and
crows, as being the ones perpetuating diseases. However, any common bird can
carry a disease that can cause everything from respiratory illness, to viral
infections, even food poisoning. Not only can they make you ill, but they are
responsible for millions of dollars of property damage each year. Anyone who
has ever freshly washed a car or window knows that that is a bird’s favorite
target for droppings. While this is ugly and gross, the high uric acid content
in their droppings causes ongoing damage as it eats through metal, paint,
fabric, and other structural materials. The droppings are responsible for
clogging thousands of gutters each year, keeping water from properly draining
and causing roof damage. They also build nests anywhere they can, pulling
whatever they can use for nesting materials, including insulation, wood chips,
and leaves. These can also be unsightly to look at, but some species actually
create holes to nest in, causing untold damage to roofs, vents, and awnings. In
order to ease the issues caused by birds, you first need to clear the flock
from its place before being able to clean or repair the area. Use light and
sound to scare them away without harming them. Be careful, as some birds are
very protective of their nests. Then clean and disinfect the area, removing any
nesting materials and droppings and then sanitizing the area. To bird-proof
your home, you can call a pest control service who can use the best materials based
on the size of your site. The products should be permanent and made from
quality and lasting materials that are non-lethal and non-injurious to birds,
other animals and humans, like UV protected plastics, stainless steel, and
polyethylene netting.
Similar damage can be done by bats and they are a lot
less attractive to look at. In New York, we think of bats as carriers of rabies
often. However, we need to be aware of bat droppings, as they are toxic to
humans. The gasses given off by the droppings may be harmful to you and your
family, and need to be cleaned up as soon as possible and the home needs to be
decontaminated. The Big Brown Bat and the Little Brown Bat are the most common
bats in Western New York. They can squeeze into surprisingly narrows spaces.
The big brown bat needs only a 1-1/4 x 1/2 inch space, the little brown bat
even smaller, 7/8 by 1/2 inch. Like the birds, you need to contact a pest
removal service to safely remove the trapped bat and install some netting and
tubing to keep the bats from re-entering the home.
The
most common non-insect pests we think of are rodents. Finding
rodents of any type (mice or rats) inside your home is not a pleasant
experience. They love to chew on things, such as wiring, insulation, as well as
share your food. This can result in structural damage to your home and its
contents. They leave droppings all over
the home and can also carry disease. Mice breed quickly too, so there is no
time to waste in removing them. October through December is when the weather
turns colder and rats and mice seek warm harbor. They begin food storage and
reproduce during this time. Finding unwanted animals inside your home or on
your property can be stressful, not to mention dangerous. Besides mice and
rats, squirrels, chipmunks, skunks, and raccoons all love to use your home when
they can. Call pest control immediately if one of these critters enters your
home. In more rural areas, be aware that snakes can be an issue as well.
