If you’ve made a decision to use ridge vents or the previous owner of your home did, and you’ve discovered you have a pest problem, you probably aren’t going to be surprised as to why. It’ not 100% the case all the time, but during many wildlife inspections we’ve gone out to over the years, there have been countless occasions where a home-owners’ ridge vents had been destroyed and penetrated by squirrels and raccoons, and because of the lack of security in using them, even mice.
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In this case we were called out to the border of Mississauga and Toronto. This homeowner had been hearing random but quiet thumps during the night and finally decided to see if he had a pest problem needing to get under control. When we arrived and started our inspection, we found the culprit straight away. As you can see by the picture in this post, the problem was that a squirrel had chewed it’s way through the ridge vents and left a gaping hole in the roof which allowed snow and water to get into the attic.
On a side note, for anyone seeking raccoon removal services in Mississauga, we advise you to read this first. The advice given in that article and video are enough to make any home owner understand the importance of calling an accredited removal company so you can ensure the job will be done right, the first time.
The problem with ridge vents
Ridge vents can look nice and according to their manufacturers they help ventilate the attic but when it comes to keeping out wildlife, they’re one of the easiest ways for them to enter your home. The 4 main animals that can easily rip up ridge vents are squirrels (like in this case) raccoons (very easily), bats and mice. Bats and mice don’t generally destroy parts of a home to gain entry, but if the hole is the right size, they can easily get in. Birds can and will also make their way through a hole in a ridge vent and once these creatures get in through these means, another problem arises – the problem of dealing with the damage caused in the attic by the elements.
If you watch the video below, you’ll see the gaping hope this squirrel left on the roof of this home and of course, you’ll be able to tell how easily snow, water and dirt can get in too. If the problem is left unchecked for some time, the home-owner could have expected attic repairs in the thousands of dollars.
Here’s the video:
So what happens with ridge vents is that if pests end up breaking in through them, they leave very large holes – it’s easy to because of the way ridge vents are installed on the roof. The leak you see in the video is now worth a $2500 fix, they have to remove their insulation, fix up and repair the dry -wall – all of which, if the proper screening had been installed, would have only cost approximately $600 give or take. With the right screening installed, squirrels and other pests will have met their match and most likely try went elsewhere.
Where else do wildlife and pests get in?
Wildlife and other pests tend to gain home entry through open roof joints, in and around eavestroughs, ridge vents and gable vent screens, gaps in soffits and fascia, roof vents, all of which they easily chew through and if left unchecked can cause damage to the structure of the home.
If you’ve found damage has been done to your attic or roof, you can rest assured that we’ll facilitate the repairs and ensure wildlife doesn’t enter your home again for up to ten years with our five-part pest control services.
Do you need wildlife removal services? Request a quote today!