Attic fans are great for keeping cool air in and warm air away from your home. Unfortunately, they offer a ready-made access point for critters like rats to crawl in. If you’re having issues with rats in your attic, an attic fan guard is a great cost-effective way to fortify your home. Attic fan guards can add security against rodent invasions for the following reasons.
Attic Fans Are Made of Steel
Most rats use their paired front teeth to nibble through the material and sneak into small areas like holes in the walls, vents, and pipes. Their tiny mouths can chew through soft metals like aluminum, lead, and even iron! But rats can’t chew through steel or other heavy metals. With a steel fan guard, a struggling rat is sure to give up and take its gnawing elsewhere. Plus, steel material can withstand severe weather and other animals as well.
They Have Restricted Openings
Rats can gain entry in as little as a half-inch diameter hole. So, fan guard openings are specifically made with 1/2’’x 1/2’’ dimensions, or smaller. That way, rats can’t squeeze through the fan guard and access your attic through the fan.
They Are Secured onto the Roof
You might be thinking, what if a rat tries to crawl under the fan guard? Even if a rat is that tenacious, it will still fail. Simple fan guards are firmly screwed down into your roof. Some individuals choose to seal all the screwed holes with cement to prevent leaking. But many times, a firmly screwed-down fan guard will be enough to cause the rat to look for other points of entry.
Do You Have Rat Problems in Your Home?
Though attic fan guards certainly can help beef up the security of your home against unwanted rats, the attic fan is hardly the only way rats can get inside. The whole exterior of your home must be tightly guarded and you must eliminate things that commonly attract rats. And, the reality is, a motivated rat can get inside nearly any structure it wishes by chewing a hole somewhere.
If, despite your attic fan guard, this still happens to you, contact Critter Control® of Orlando. We offer free Animal Entry Home Inspections to determine possible entryways for rats and other critters. We’ll also make a plan to remove any pests from your home, repair damages, and provide solutions for future prevention.
