Pests infestations are more common around the cold months as your home provides an excellent escape from the weather, and becomes a perfect place for nesting and forage for food. These little critters may be small in size, but they can cause massive problems to you and your home.
Pests and rodents are not only a nuisance, but they carry diseases that can endanger your health. They can also cause thousands of dollars’ worth of damage to your roof when they’re allowed to linger around. Your home can face a decrease in value and reduced energy efficiency.
You need to take special care to keep bugs and rodents as far away as possible since roof repairs and replacement are significant investments. Unlike storm damages, roof damage caused by pests won’t be covered by your insurance.
Here are some pests and rodents that can infest your home and damage your roof.
Birds
Most people may ignore the birds that are innocently perched on their rooftops. However, you’ll soon realize that these flying guests can wreak havoc once they’ve decided to make a home on your roof. Birds like to build nests such as gutters and drains, blocking rainwater from leaving your roof.
The water won’t be drained the same way as it would if the nest wasn’t there. Over time, this would wear down the area and cause water to pool in places where it shouldn’t be. It will lead to further damage by causing water to back up and get under your shingles.
At the same time, their droppings can also cause severe damage to your roof. A bird’s diet mainly consists of highly acidic items. Since birds don’t urinate, the only way they could get rid of their nitrogenous waste is through their poop. Not only does it emit bad odor, but this also adds to the deterioration of the roof.
The acidic content of their droppings can eat away at the shingles and sheathing on your roof. While it may not do immediate damage, your shingles and sheathing can start to disintegrate and become permanently damaged if left unchecked
Rats
Rats are eager to find a safe place where they can receive protection from extreme weather and larger predators. These creepy critters will be an incredibly huge problem during the fall and winter as they spend the cold months making a warm nest in your home through the roof.
Some species of rats will build underground burrows or nests in trees, shrubs, or dense vegetation. Some are climbers who will look for openings in the upper areas of a house since the rising heat can keep it warm. Rats will chew through eaves and overhangs to squeeze into their new home. This will harm the structure of your roof and open it up to the elements.
Rats will not only burrow through your roof but also gnaw through almost any material up there. This includes metal, plastic, or wood, and even the insulation and electrical wires. In the worst-case scenario, this can create the risk of a fire breaking out. Even if it doesn’t happen, it will likely cause problems in your electrical system or kill the rat and leave you with the smell of a dead animal.
Bees
While bees are more common during the summer, they can actually pose an issue to your roof all year round. From honey bees to carpenter bees, bees can do significant damage once they start building their nest.
Honey bees that are searching for a home will look for deep dark space with an entrance that is easy to defend. If your roof and siding already have a hole, they will start to chew the area to create a more massive hole. They will hollow out sections of your roof and stop at nothing to make room for their hive.
Carpenter bees are just as relentless. They will tunnel through your home’s structure to build their hives, which can promote mold and lead to shingle and structure damage. Pests like birds can also get attracted to the carpenter bee larvae, damaging the wood by pecking for the larvae. In turn, the bees are driven further into the infested wood, worsening the damage.
Termites
No pest is well-known for damaging the overall structural integrity of your home more than the termite. Termites consume a plant substance called cellulose to survive. As such, they would usually target the wood structure inside your roof. Wood is a rich cellulose source used for decking, framing, eaves, or fascia.
Species of termites such as Drywood termites would live and feed inside the wood. They establish their colonies inside ceiling rafters, roof beams, eaves, and other wooden structures associated with your roof. All of which can lead to costly roof repairs.
When termites nest in your roof, they will eat the timber structures holding your roof in place. A single termite won’t cause much damage. Still, a colony of thousands or even millions of feeding termites can lead to major structural problems. If not treated properly, they will eventually destroy enough to replace the timber that has been damaged.
Ants
Termites aren’t the only bug that can damage your roof. Ants are also significant pests that can weaken any wooden roof structure, causing extensive damage. Like termites, ants are social insects that form colonies of mutually dependent individuals, with separate castes that define the roles in the colony life. Both are also capable of nesting on wood.
Despite their similarities, termites are quite different from ants. Unlike termites, ants don’t eat wood. Instead, they hollow it out to use it as a place to raise their young, which may eventually become structurally unstable. As the colony continues to grow, it will continue to expand through the wood and cause further damage.
Once you start to notice your roof deteriorating and believe it’s caused by pests, make sure to call professional roofers like Fahey Roofing Contractors right away.
Fahey Roofing Contractors has the experienced and skilled contractors you need to help you with any necessary roof repairs and roof replacement. We serve various areas in West Virginia and Ohio. Visit our website today at www.faheyroofingcontractors.com or contact us at (304) 826-1323 for West Virginia or (740) 523-0380 for Ohio to learn more.