Scratching, scurrying, thudding, and walking sounds are telltale signs of a rodent or other animal in your home. If you’ve heard these noises coming from your attic and gone to take a look, you’ve probably found several pieces of evidence. From animal feces and nests to gnawed wires and support beams, these creatures can cause a significant amount of destruction.

When you find damaged and contaminated insulation in your attic, you need a professional team to perform repairs and prevent more animals from entering. Fortunately, Urban Jungle Wildlife Removal LLC’s team is ready to help with thorough and dependable solutions.

Why Do Rodents and Wildlife Like Insulation?

Even if you rarely use it, your attic is likely a sheltered place that offers more warmth than the winter temperatures outside. Often, your attic goes undisturbed for months before you need it, making it an attractive place for rodents and other animals to nest, live and eat. In addition, your attic is dry and filled with insulation and possessions that make excellent materials for building their nests.

Insulation is generally a fluffy, warm material that rodents and wildlife can manipulate easily using their teeth or claws. These qualities make your attic the perfect place for rats, mice and other animals to shelter from the weather and predators, in order to raise their young in a safe, quiet and cozy environment each year.

How Do Animals Damage Attic Insulation?

Pests affect your home’s structure and safety beyond causing cosmetic damage and leaving odors behind. When rodents and other animals find their way into your attic, they walk on and dig through the insulation, compacting it and creating holes that significantly decrease the material’s ability to insulate your home from extreme temperatures.

What’s more, rats, mice, and other wildlife carry various diseases. Contaminated insulation can cause illness, and animal feces and urine can also prevent your insulation from functioning properly. These pathogens may not be restricted to your attic, either. If your heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) is not properly sealed, contaminants can enter your HVAC system, spreading them throughout your home, potentially causing several health risks for your family.

Raccon in attic

Do Rats or Other Animals Eat Insulation?

Mice, rats, and other animals are drawn to insulation because they can gnaw or chew on it and break it into pieces, making it perfect for dragging across your attic and building their nests.  While they are not actually eating it for food, these activities leave gaps in your home’s thermal barrier that allow more air to pass through, making it more challenging to keep your house at a consistent temperature.

Insulation Replacement Services➔

What Insulation Is Rodent-Proof?

Though a rodent-proof insulation material would be the ideal solution for any home, all options are susceptible to damage and infestation. Some types, such as rock or Palco wool and fiberglass batting or loose blown material, are more attractive to various creatures. Other options, like cellulose insulation, are rodent-resistant. However, no solution that is not fully solid will be an entirely rodent-proof material.

The best way to prevent animals from damaging your insulation is to keep them from entering your home. Doing a thorough inspection and sealing any entry points as small as a quarter-inch wide with tough and impenetrable options may decrease your chances of finding unexpected guests in your attic.

Does Repairing Damaged Insulation Affect Energy Efficiency?

 

Certain building codes, such as the International Residential Code (IRC) and the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), set guidelines for your insulation’s depth based on your climate zone and other factors. These codes establish a minimum thickness that insulates your home thoroughly. If professionals installed your insulation to-code, compaction from rodent and other wildlife damage could result in the material no longer meeting those standards.

Heating and cooling can be costly, even with your thermal barrier working properly. When animals eat, compact and contaminate your insulation, your HVAC will run more often to maintain a consistent temperature, and your energy bills will rise.

If animals have damaged your attic’s installation, repairing it can make your home more energy-efficient. When your insulation has no holes and meets or exceeds depth requirements, you can keep your home comfortable without your HVAC system cycling as often, reducing your energy usage. Replacing your old insulation also lets you opt for a more energy-efficient material. Combined, these factors may reduce your energy costs when repairs are finished. Adding additional insulation or replacing damaged insulation can even pay for itself over time.

When Do You Need Insulation Replacement After Animal Damage?

While the services you’ll need to restore your attic after rodent and wildlife damage depend on the infestation’s severity, you should generally replace or more often add insulation after mice, rats, and other wildlife make a home in it. This process is also an excellent opportunity to seal entry points and choose a new type of insulation less attractive to animals.

Homeowners should not attempt to remove damaged and contaminated insulation themselves. Beyond the risk of various diseases associated with pests, your insulation may have toxic or harmful substances. Old materials may contain asbestos, and some insulation contains glass fibers and formaldehyde. A professional team like Urban Jungle has the training, experience and personal protective equipment (PPE) necessary to remove your insulation safely. What’s more, our experts can recommend new materials and preventive measures.

We’ll remove all animals and seal entry points gradually to ensure pests stay out of your space. If we run into an issue we can’t fix while performing the insulation replacement — such as damaged electrical wires or problems with your ductwork and HVAC — we’ll make you aware of the issue so you can contact another professional specializing in those repairs.

Why Choose Urban Jungle

At Urban Jungle, we know repairing and preventing damage from wildlife requires a thorough process. Our highly educated and trained team will inspect your home and perform wildlife exclusion while finding and fixing their entry points. When finished, we’ll address any destruction the animals left behind. We’ll also clean and sanitize affected spaces to ensure your property is safe.

Since damaged insulation increases energy costs and can cause other issues, a professional replacement can save you money. Our services are long-term solutions, and we back our work with a one-year guarantee on sealed spaces. Our team is fully insured, so we’re prepared to go anywhere animals do, including hard-to-reach areas of your attic. Each employee holds a biology degree or a similar certification in this field, helping us truly understand animals and the most effective ways to keep them out of your home.

If mice, rats or other animals have damaged your attic insulation, Urban Jungle can help. Our dependable team will communicate with you throughout the sanitation and repair process. We serve several cities in multiple southern states and are familiar with the unique challenges and wildlife these areas experience.

 

Contact Urban Jungle to Repair Damaged Insulation

Are rodents or other wildlife and animals damaging your attic insulation? Contact us online to receive a response from a technician within 12 hours, or call our general number for faster service. If you want more information from your local branch, call them at the number listed on our contact page.