Birds in the Attic

One of our most common calls for help is to remove birds from an attic at an Burke home or business. Like other living creatures, birds seek shelter and your attic is an inviting place for them to nest. All they need is a small opening to turn your attic into their home.

Our team of professionals is well trained to remove and control nuisance birds. We will inspect your property including all of the areas we commonly find them. This can include the attic, roof, vents, gutters, siding, and eaves. We will figure out what kind we are dealing with and assess any damages and then we can clean and repair any areas affected by droppings. If you have an out-of-control bird situation, we can help you regain control.

You can look throughout any neighborhood and find countless residents with bird feeders in their yards. Like other animals, they want to eat so they are drawn to these feeders which creates the perfect introduction to your attic. Once in the area of your home in Fairfax County, they will look for any possible way in. This could be a small space between two boards. They will keep pushing through that opening, sometimes making it bigger and causing damage in the process. Locating and removing them early on is the best idea.

Birds tend to stay in the attic space for approximately 3 to 4 months. The time varies depending on the time the bird lay her eggs and for her hatchlings to leave her nest. Depending on the type of bird this process will take anywhere from 18 to 26 days to hatch. Then it will take another 3 to 4 weeks for the baby birds to learn to fly. This process will take longer if the nesting process fails, and the bird will need to start over.

Birds in your attic is a serious issue. For instance, there are health issues with their fecal matter, predators such as snakes getting in, and insects and parasites that will get in. Of those, the most concern is the lice and mites which can completely contaminate the attic area of your home.

There have been situations where the home had to be vacated to fumigate the home for bird mite infestations. These bugs are extremely small, and hard to see, however they will bite and leave red marks all over your body. Once they get into your home you should change your mattresses and other bedding in which these bugs can hide

Don’t be fooled, small creatures can cause large amounts of damage to your attic. In addition to the holes created at the places they enter the attic there are a few other trouble spots. Damages to the shutters they hide behind or window dormers can be a problem. You may also end up needing to replace siding that has been destroyed as they push behind it or vents that may need to be cleaned out because nests have been built in them. Birds will bring whatever materials they want to create nests into your attic. These materials can really build up quickly and will need to be disposed of.

The worst damage is usually related to droppings that accumulate on the attic floor and insulation or other surfaces in the attic. The waste contains bacteria and fungus that, if allowed to get into your HVAC ducts, can cause respiratory infections or other breathing issues for your family. In addition, birds carry parasites that you do not want in your home. Remember, the longer they are allowed to dwell in your attic, the worse these problems and damages will get. Please contact us early to prevent many of these issues. If you do need us, you can feel confident that we will remove the birds, keep them from getting back in and clean up and repair the affected areas of your attic.