Did you know there are animals living on your roof? When the weather becomes cold, animals and rodents instinctively search for warm areas to seek shelter. You may not have seen them, but they’re up there. If you’ve ever heard scratching noises coming from the ceiling or seen droppings on the floor, it could be an indication that a critter is trying to get into your house. In this blog post, we’ll talk about 5 of the most common animals that live on people’s roofs and how to get rid of them if they do make their way inside!
Squirrels
Squirrels are one of the most common animals that make their way into people’s homes. They are persistent and will find any hole they can squeeze through, whether it be a vent or an unsealed exhaust pipe. If you have squirrels in your ceiling, it’s usually because a mother wants a safe place to give birth and nurture her children.
Raccoons
Raccoons are another common animal that lives on people’s roofs. They can be very destructive, especially if they get into your attic and start to tear things apart or spread feces around the area. Raccoon droppings look like small black pellets and usually have a strong smell of ammonia.
Bats
Bats love dark places so it is rare for them to make their way into someone’s home but possible nonetheless! If you do find bats living on your roof, you’ll know because there will likely be bat guano (droppings) all over the place as well as urine stains from when they roost during the daytime hours. Bats also leave behind skin cells called dermestid beetles which resemble bed bugs.
Rats
Rats can also be culprits, especially if they get into your attic and start to tear things apart or spread feces around the area. Rats are a bit smaller than raccoons so their droppings will look more like small black pellets rather than large turd-like objects that you would find with a raccoon. Rat poop also has an extremely strong smell of ammonia!
Opossum
Opossums have a bad reputation for being “dirty” animals but there are actually very few diseases that opossums can pass onto humans. Their droppings tend to be black and tubular, with pointed ends which are especially noticeable when they exit the body quickly (like when scared). Opossum poop is also said to smell like rotting vegetables.
Snakes
Snakes are quiet intruders, and the simplest method to detect their presence is by the skins they shed. Because they may be deadly and evasive, it is typically better to leave them to the professionals.