Cleaning Your Attic From Animal Droppings

Droppings: yuck. No one ever wants to discover these in the attic. Not only does it mean a critter of some kind has been there, it means they could STILL BE THERE! Despite the gross factor, you must get rid of them to prevent the offensive odor from getting worse and to prevent the spread of bacteria and disease.

When cleaning up after pests, you’ll find all manner of debris, including food bits, urine, body hairs, droppings, nesting materials, and even parasites that clung to their bodies such as mites and fleas. Not only can these things cause disease and illness, they can also render your insulation ineffective, thus causing you to lose heating and cooling. They may even attract other pests, as the scent they emit encourages other pests to follow them in their search for shelter and food.

These are all good reasons to get this problem under control as quickly as possible. You’ll likely be alerted to the problem first by your sense of smell. The unpleasant odor that comes with animal droppings is usually smelled before it’s seen. That will be your first alert. Once you’ve inspected the situation, you’ll notice the physical evidence of critters making a home of YOUR home. Quick action is key.

Cleaning Tips

Here are some tips to tackle this task:

• Don a full-body haz-mat suit or other type of protective covering. Wear a face mask and put on latex gloves.
• Vacuum up small droppings, such as those from a rat or squirrel, with a vacuum. Discard the bag afterwards and insert a new bag.
• Donning gloves, hand pick larger droppings, such as those from a raccoon or opossum. Place in a bag, tie tightly, and discard.
• Remove nesting material and food debris. Get every little piece!
• Remove old insulation that the critters have used as nesting material and replace with new insulation.
• Once all clean-up has been completed and you’re satisfied there’s nothing left, fog and sanitize the attic with an antimicrobial spray. This will kill any fungi or bacteria that remain.
• Deodorize the attic to keep odors form infiltrating the rest of the home.
• If any of these tasks makes you want to dry heave, call in the professionals at Cavanaugh’s. We have the equipment and experience to get it done right.

Now that you have removed the animal droppings, you can’t just go on your merry way. You must call a pest control expert to come in and remove the offending pests. If not, you’ll be in the same position next week cleaning up even more droppings. End the cycle. Call Cavanaugh’s Professional Termite and Pest Services at one of our three locations or fill out our online form.