Photo Album: Active squirrel infestation in Middlesex, NJ home
Rotted roof infested with squirrels in Middlesex, NJ
During my inspection, I set out to determine the entry points. I immediately noticed that the home had an old roof, at least 20 years old, and gutters that were likely the same age. There was minimal upkeep to the home. probably the same age. Gutter systems are designed to perform a simple, but critical function: channel water off the roof and discharge it away from the home's foundation.Clogged gutters can lead to expensive repairs. Gutter blockage causes water to pour over the sides of the gutter and pool around the foundation, and over time, weaken it. Also, when water spills over the gutters' sides, the surplus pooling water can cause landscape damage. Clogged gutters are also a winter problem because they increase the likelihood of ice dam formation on the lower edge of the roof. Ice dams are a homeowner's nightmare. They can cause extensive roof damage and allow water to seep into the home. Pooling water can also trigger mold growth and is an attractant for insects, especially summer-ruining mosquitoes that seek out standing water to breed.
Rotted roof over gutters lets in squirrels to Middlesex, NJ home
This home's gutters hadn't been cleaned in many years. Both the gutters and downspout was clogged with leaves, twigs, and other debris. Water had filled up filled the gutters all the way to the roof line. Not surprisingly, this resulted in wood damage, softening the roof' s plywood and the fascia boards on which the gutter system is attached. Once wood rot sets in, these areas of the home's exterior becomes an easy target for squirrels that can chew and gnaw through weaker wood like it was butter (see photos). All of this damage required some extra attention to deal with the squirrel activity in the attic.
3 squirrel traps plus one way trap installed in Middlesex.
We needed to ensure that all attic entry points, but one, were sealed. The objective is to funnel the squirrels and force them to use only one exit that has a "one-way" installed. A one-way wildlife door excluder acts just like a one-way valve. It permits the flow in only one direction. With a one-way, squirrels can exit the attic, but are blocked from returning. After installing the one-way, we set four live traps, and hopefully, over the next few days we'll be able to safely trap and relocate these trespassing squirrels. The lesson of this job for other homeowners is the importance of maintaining your home's exterior - even simple tasks like gutter cleaning. Cowleys offers full gutter cleaning services for homeowners who do not have the time, interest, or mobility to be climbing up and down ladders to do it themselves. Ladder falls can cause significant life-changing injuries. If you are not up to doing it, don't! Any medical bills and rehabilitation costs will far exceed the cost of a professional gutter cleaning service. Cowleys technicians will come out and remove all the gutter debris to allow proper water flow throughout the gutters to the downspouts. Then, to make sure that everything is functioning properly and all of the water is properly discharged, we run water through the drains. Gutter cleaning, while simple, is a critical home maintenance task, especially for those homes surrounded by trees. Homeowners ignore it at their own peril. For this homeowner, the property damage to his roof and fascia far exceeded the cost of annual preventative maintenance. Please don't make the same mistake!