Your roof is what protects your family from the elements and other dangers outside your home. However, your roof is susceptible to damage, especially from different critters. Here are some of the animals and other pests that can quickly ruin your roof:
Birds
It can be nice to hear birds singing out in your yard, but you don’t want to hear them singing on your roof. Though birds aren’t very heavy, they do have some talons that can tear up the roof, and some will peck at the roof looking for insects to eat. Their droppings are also acidic, which can cause corrosion. The issues can get even worse if the birds decide to build a nest on your roof. Most likely, the nest will be in your gutters. These nests, however, can block the gutters and create pools of water that can leak through the roof or into your home’s foundation.
Rodents
Mice and rats like to live in the walls of homes for warmth, and they’ll often reach the roof if the infestation isn’t discovered and eradicated. Once in or on your roof, they may eat the building material or insulation in the walls or attic. Additionally, rodents that aren’t exterminated will likely have babies that will also live in your walls and roof. If you notice a biting sound in the walls or ceilings of your home, you likely have rodents. Another sign to look for is bitten or gnawed on walls, wires or other materials around your home.
Termites
Although your roof may not have wood shingles, it likely has wood underneath, so it’s important to get protection from these wood-eating pests regularly. If you have termites, the wood in the infested area will start to get thinner and thinner until holes start to appear. It will be harder to control the temperature and your home won’t be protected from the rain and water damage. While termites prefer wood, they’ll also snack on other materials too, like paper, cardboard, cotton and anything else that contains cellulose. Termites will even chew through plastic to get to their meal of choice.
Bees
It’s important to protect bees, but that doesn’t mean we want them living in or on our roofs. If bees do decide to build a hive on your roof, they’ll eat at it to provide room. Bees will also add a lot of weight to your roof, potentially weighing it down to the point of structural damage. That isn’t to mention the possibility of getting stung if you open an upstairs window.
If you’ve noticed damage to your roof caused by any of these creatures, you’ll need to get your roof inspected after having the pests cleared out. A residential roofing contractor can tell you whether the damage is serious enough to require a whole roof replacement or if you just need some repairs.
These pests aren’t necessarily a nuisance in the wild, however, they will be in your home. There are a number of natural ways to prevent creatures from getting too comfortable on your property. If those tactics don’t work, call pest control!
Anita Ginsburg is a freelance writer from Denver, Colorado. She studied at Colorado State University and now enjoys writing about health, business, and family. A mother of two wonderful children, she loves traveling with her family whenever she isn’t writing. If you have roof damage from pests, she recommends contacting a residential roofing company. You can find her on Twitter @anitaginsburg.
This article first appeared on RISMedia’s blog, Housecall.