Any time you have an animal infestation problem in the attic of your home or business, cleaning and sanitizing the attic is 100% necessary. The truth is, that even after the rodents, or other animals, have been removed from your attic, their urine, feces, nesting sites and pheromones are still lingering and saturated throughout your attic. This can be a pretty serious issue for a few different reasons and will impact more areas than just your attic insulation.

For starters, if the attic is not properly decontaminated following an animal infestation, then all of the urine and feces in your attic will begin to breakdown. As the breakdown begins, there is the possibility of harmful bacterial and fungal spores being released into the air. While very rare, there is the possibility of these spores potentially causing health related issues… especially if any of the ductwork was compromised during the animal infestation. The more realistic issues associated with the breakdown of animal excrement and nesting sites are: reduced indoor air quality, allergies and foul odors. So, either way it’s always imperative to have Your Insulation Specialists thoroughly sanitize your attic following any type of animal infestation.

Another main concern regarding attic decontamination following an animal infestation is the left-over pheromones, scent trails and biological markers that constantly attract animals back to your home. All animals use pheromones as a method of communication and signaling. For rats, and to a lesser degree squirrels, these pheromones are abundant in their urine and feces and are used to signal other populations that they have a nest in the area. Basically, rats use their excrement as invitation for other rats running by your home. Unless your attic is properly decontaminated, then all of those pheromones and biological markers will continually be drawing other populations towards your home, and they will relentlessly try to find their way back into your attic. Properly decontaminating the attic will eliminate those pheromones and reduce the likelihood of that happening.