In this blog, we will review the most common pests in messy gutters.
Some very strange things can end up in your gutters—everything from leaves, debris, trash, and animal nests. Pests especially love to hide in dirty or clogged gutters. In this blog, we will review the most common pests in messy gutters. In addition, we’ll review signs that pests are living in your gutters, how to get rid of them, and what steps you can take to prevent them.
Squirrels and Other Rodents
Squirrels and other rodents always seek a better and safer place to live. Gutters provide a safe haven for them to escape, especially if your gutter has lots of debris, like leaves and twigs. Rodents use this material to build nests. Being up in the air also keeps them safe from their normal predators, like cats or foxes.
Rodent nests in your gutters disrupt the flow and sometimes clog the gutter completely. This causes the water to overflow wherever it wants and many other issues. Most rodents climb the downspouts to get up to the gutter system. They’ll often build their nest in the downspout because it is more secluded. Obstructions in the downspout always lead to gutters backing up and overflowing. Sometimes, they’ll even get stuck in the downspout and die. Once this happens, they attract bugs and other things that feast on the carcass. In addition, the presence of rodents will attract other pests that eat them, like snakes.
You can take some steps to ensure that rodents don’t nest in your gutters. First, the gutters must be kept clean. Regular gutter maintenance will prevent leaves and other debris from piling up. If there’s no nest-building material, it won’t look like a nice place for the rodents to set up camp.
Another step that people take is to put some type of mesh screen over the downspout hole so nothing can crawl up there. You can do this yourself pretty easily with any screen or mesh.
Birds
Bird nests will clog your gutters and cause other damage. If the nest gets big enough, it can even split your gutter open at the seam. Letting any obstructions in the gutters or downspouts is a recipe for disaster. Once the water can no longer flow properly, it pools up. The excess weight pulls the gutters loose from the home. Loose gutters cause many issues and costly repairs.
If there are signs that the nest is still active, you’ll want to take a few extra steps, especially if there are babies or eggs. If you tamper with the eggs, the mother bird could abandon them. Those eggs and babies won’t be able to survive in a new nest. You’ll have to transfer the whole nest to a safer location.
Bees and Wasps
Bees and hornets love to build their nest in damp and moist areas, like your gutters. Use extreme caution if you think you have bees, hornets, or wasps building a nest around your home. The last place you want to be during a bee, wasp, or hornet attack, is up in the air clinging to a ladder. That’s why it is recommended to call a pest removal to remove any type of nest.
Any type of nest left unchecked for an extended period of time can lead to them getting into your walls and home, eventually chewing their way through the walls.
Bees, wasps, and hornets are all attracted to different smells, and they each have different scented repellents. You can use different essential oils, moth balls, smoke, and even different plants around your property to deter these pests.
Professional Gutter Repair and Installation
Thank you for considering Gutter Freedom as your preferred choice for gutter installation, protection, and repair. With over ten years of proven excellence, we bring our expertise to your doorstep and ensuring that your home is equipped with a gutter system that stands the test of time. Contact us today to experience the Gutter Freedom and Home difference – where quality, experience, and customer satisfaction converge. Please reach out to us at 727-266-0355 for the fastest service. For other inquiries, please contact us via email at [email protected].