Roof damage from animals is a real threat here in Hillsboro. Our rainy and wooded landscape is the perfect environment for pesky rodents and bugs to make their home. If you’re not careful, these pests will invade your property and cause some seriously freaky damage to your roof.
Keep reading for some of the scariest ways pests and rodents can cause problems for your roof!
Acidic Bird Droppings Rot Your Roof
From pigeons, crows, and woodpeckers to sparrows and finches– Oregon is home to hundreds of bird species. Though birds may seem innocent enough, once they’ve decided to make a home on your roof, you’re in for quite the frustrating ordeal.
Birds eat a regular diet of highly acidic items. As a result, bird droppings are also highly acidic. Over time, these dropping will eat away at the shingles and sheathing on your roof. Failing to conduct regular roof inspections and cleanings can result in roof disintegration, leading to
leaking and structural issues.
Bats Carry Diseases
Bats are known for squeezing through small places (as small as a ⅜ inch opening!) on your roof and making their home in your attic. In small numbers, bats aren’t hugely frightening for your roof, but as a colony grows, so do your problems.
The biggest problem with bats are their droppings. Bat waste (also known as bat guano) is the carrier of a fungus called histoplasma capsulatum. This microscopic fungus can become airborne and travel into the living areas of your home. If inhaled, this fungus can cause a life-threatening infection in the lungs called histoplasmosis.
Additionally, some bats carry rabies and can transmit this disease to pets and humans from a bite. Keeping your roof well maintained will help prevent bats from trying to get into your attic and causing problems.
Roof Rats Chew Through Electrical Insulation and Start Fires
Roof rats are problematic for more than one reason, so it’s safe to say you don’t want them hanging around. These creepy critters are known for burrowing into your home through your roof, creating holes and leaving your house susceptible to the elements.
Not only do roof rats burrow through your roof, they will also gnaw through insulation and pipes.
Even more dangerously, they can chew through electrical wires which can cause a house fire. Even if it doesn’t start a fire, chewing through the wire will likely:
- Cause problems for your electrical system
- Kill the rat, leaving you with the smell of a dead animal
Ensuring there aren’t any cracks or holes in your roof will prevent rats from making their home in your attic and house.
Squirrels Build Nests in Your Attic and Stink Up Your Home
Squirrels may have a sweet, bright eyed and bushy-tailed look, but don’t be fooled. These critters love to destroy your roof and home. They’ll gnaw on your roof shingles and lead sheathing. Then once they create holes in your roof, they’ll scamper into your attic and set up shop.
Squirrels are also really smelly. Their urine is particularly pungent. If you have a squirrel infestation in your attic, this urine will settle on your ceiling and cause your house to smell. Left unchecked, this urine can even cause your ceiling to leak and break apart.
There’s also the problem of a squirrel getting stuck and dying somewhere in your attic or roof. When this happens, get ready for the unpleasant stench of the decaying squirrel.
Honey Bees Destroy Your Shingles
There’s nothing sweeter than fresh honey from Oregon bees. Still, no one wants these insects making a home in their roof. A honey bee infestation in your roof is more than just an annoyance, it also has damaging implications.
Honey bees will stop at nothing to make room for their hive. If these black and yellow insects find a hole in your roof, they’ll start chewing through and remove anything in their way. They can even hollow out sections of your roof.
Not only that, but a honey bee colony is very heavy. The weight of a honeycomb and the honey itself can cause structural damage to your home. Honey and honeycomb will also ruin (or at the very least, stain) your shingles and the tar underneath them.
If you see a swarm, contact the local beekeeper hotline. A beekeeper will be happy to relocate your swarm!
Raccoons Rip Holes in Your Roof
A poorly maintained roof is a magnet for raccoons. Raccoons are stubborn creatures and can tear massive holes in your eaves and shingles if they really want to. These masked critters love finding ways to break into your attic and raise their young, and even a small opening will look like an express lane into your home.
Make sure you get your roof regularly inspected by a trusted roofing company to prevent raccoon access points. You’ll also need to keep your trash cans secure and avoid leaving food out where they could find it.
Termites Damage Structural Integrity
There’s no insect that will undermine the structural integrity of your home more than the termite. Termites love to eat wood and can cause major damage to your roof decking, rafters, and trusses.
Homes that are infested with termites can typically be repaired fairly easily. However, left unchecked, it’s possible that your roof will require a complete roof replacement to stop the problem.
Periodic inspections by a licensed roofing contractor will help you detect any infestations and stop termites in their nasty little tracks.
Fivecoat Roofing
Here in the Pacific Northwest, it would be impossible to stop every pest from getting near your roof. However, you can make sure the occasional rodent or insect intrusion doesn’t become an extreme roof problem.
At Fivecoat Roofing, we can keep your roof in top shape and help you avoid scary roof damage from pesky critters. We offer quality service and stand behind all our work. We even offer a 10-year workmanship warranty on every roof and roof repair project.
If you are freaked out about the thought of potential pest and rodent damage to your roof, give us a call at (503) 537-0158 to schedule a roof inspection. Or contact us online to request a free quote.
