It always comes late at night: a soft scratching or the pitter-pat of tiny feet above your head. Pests. In your attic. It seems so impossible that they would be able to make their way from the ground into your attic, especially without detection. You may be surprised to learn that your pest control issues aren’t coming from the ground, but from above your roof.
Trees are Pest Highways
Pests like squirrels, rats, mice, and even raccoons are very three dimensional in the way they see the world. For them, trees are simply highways that are above ground. They travel these tall trails as frequently as they do any other pathway, and when their tree route allows them to take a shortcut across your roof, they are always happy to take it. The problem is that once they’re on your roof, pests usually won’t just continue on their way. They’ll investigate, and if they like what they see, they figure out a way to stay.
Road Closed Ahead
By trimming the trees near your home in order to eliminate overhanging branches, you effectively close the wildlife highway that once ran straight across your roof. This will discourage wild animals from jumping onto your roof, which will reduce or completely eliminate the number of critters that find their way into your attic.
More Benefits
Unfortunately, the trees-as-highways aspect is just one thing that attracts pests to your roof and the attic space beyond it. The debris that falls from trees also attracts pests to your roof. Leaves, sticks, branches, and other materials act as shelters and nesting material for pests, especially if you let these items accumulate in an old-fashioned gutter system. Once they begin nesting in your gutters or the eaves of your roof, they will inevitably find their way inside your home. By trimming your trees, you can greatly reduce the amount of tree debris that falls on your home and eliminate that source of shelter for pests.
Bugs Love Trees Too
Furry, warm-blooded pests aren’t the only critters that use trees to get into your home. Bugs, such as ants and cockroaches, are as comfortable high up on a branch as they are on the ground, and they will use overhanging trees and the leaves, branches and other debris to drop in the same way as their fuzzier counterparts would. Trimming your trees helps you to decrease your home’s overall pest friendliness, which makes it friendlier for you and your family.