November Wildlife: Protecting Your Ocean Pines Home from Fall Critters

The most common thing homeowners say when they finally call us in late winter is some version of: “I knew something was up there since October, but I kept putting it off.” By the time we arrive, what started as a squirrel or two has turned into a significant remediation project.

Delayed wildlife removal is one of the most avoidable home repair expenses there is. Here is what actually happens inside your home during each month you wait, and what it costs.

Why People Wait

The reasons are predictable and understandable. The sounds seem minor. The animal is not visible. The holidays are coming and it feels like a bad time to deal with it. There is a hope that the animal will leave on its own once it gets cold.

Animals that have found a warm attic or wall void do not leave voluntarily in winter. They have found exactly what they were looking for. Waiting does not reduce the problem. It compounds it.

What a Month of Delay Looks Like

Grey Squirrels

Squirrels in attics chew constantly, not out of aggression but because their teeth grow continuously and gnawing keeps them worn down. The targets in your attic include electrical wiring, PVC plumbing vents, HVAC ducts, and wood framing.

Chewed electrical wiring in an attic is a direct fire hazard. According to the National Fire Protection Association, rodents are a contributing factor in a significant percentage of house fires of unknown origin. A squirrel that has been in your attic for 30 days has had 30 days to find and chew wiring you cannot see.

Squirrels also compress and contaminate attic insulation by nesting in it, reducing its R-value and leaving behind droppings and urine that create odor and require remediation beyond simple removal.

Raccoons

Raccoons cause the most expensive attic damage of any common wildlife species. They are large, strong, and destructive by nature. A raccoon that has been in an attic for a month will have:

• Established a latrine area, repeatedly defecating in the same location. Raccoon droppings carry Baylisascaris, a roundworm that is dangerous to humans and pets and requires professional remediation to safely remove.
• Compressed and soiled large sections of insulation, often to the point where full replacement is necessary.
• Potentially torn open additional entry points from the inside, giving other animals secondary access.

Raccoon remediation, including insulation removal and replacement, sanitization, and structural repair, routinely costs several thousand dollars. The raccoon removal itself is a fraction of that total.

Mice and Rats

Rodents reproduce faster than any other common nuisance wildlife. A female mouse reaches reproductive maturity in about six weeks and can produce a litter of six to eight pups every three weeks. A pair of mice that entered your home in October can realistically become dozens of mice by December.

As the population grows, so does the contamination. Mice urinate constantly as they travel, leaving trails of bacteria through wall voids, across insulation, and into living spaces. The larger the population before treatment begins, the more extensive and expensive the remediation.

Bats

An established bat colony does not shrink on its own. If the entry points remain open through winter, additional bats may join the roost. Guano accumulation during winter months adds weight and moisture to attic insulation, and the ammonia released from large accumulations degrades air quality throughout the home.

Additionally, bat exclusion cannot legally be performed during the summer maternity season (approximately June through mid-August). A colony that is not addressed in fall may have to wait until the following September for exclusion work if pups are born in the spring, extending the damage window by nearly a full year.

The Cost Comparison

Wildlife removal performed promptly typically involves removal, entry point sealing, and minor cleanup. Wildlife removal after a prolonged delay typically involves all of the above plus insulation removal and replacement, structural repair, sanitization and odor treatment, and in some cases electrical inspection. The difference in total cost between acting in October and acting in February is rarely small.

It is also worth noting that most homeowner’s insurance policies do not cover wildlife damage, classifying it as a maintenance issue rather than a sudden loss. The full cost of delayed remediation falls to the homeowner.

November Is Still Early Enough

If you are reading this in November and have been putting off a call, now is still a good time to act. Animals are established but the damage is likely still containable. Waiting through the holiday season and into January or February significantly increases the scope of what needs to be done.

Contact Bay Area Wildlife Solutions

Bay Area Wildlife Solutions serves homeowners throughout Delaware and the Eastern Shore of Maryland, including Ocean Pines, Salisbury, Rehoboth Beach, Dover, Easton, and surrounding areas. The sooner you call, the simpler and less expensive the solution.

Call (302) 500-0181 or contact us online. We offer 24/7 emergency service and free consultations.