When it comes to wildlife invasion in the home, the damage they can cause can be costly to your home as well as your health.

On a service call last week in Burlington, our Wildlife Specialist came across frost and black mold inside a client’s attic. The mold was developing on the truss and roof board near a bathroom fan exhaust. This is why our technicians always perform a thorough attic inspection and take the time to share their findings with the client.

The mold and frost are the result of ill-fitting bathroom fan vent connection. Bathroom fan vents help pull moisture and odour out of the bathroom so that it can be exhausted outside the home. This particular line runs from the bathroom fan and through the attic to an exhaust located on the roof.

Problems occur when there are leakages along the exhaust line that cause warm moisture to spill into the attic. When warm moisture from a running shower meets cold roof board the result is condensation and eventually mold.

Over time, excess moisture inside an attic can weaken the integrity of the wood and rust fasteners, making the roof vulnerable to further damage.

In the photo below you can see the effect of mold on the roof, as a significant dip has developed in the roof board near the vent. Warped wood can lead to leaks and make the home vulnerable to wildlife and pest infestation.

Excess moisture in an attic can lead to many issues down the road. An attic functions best when proper venting and baffles are installed to allow air to circulate and insulation levels are sufficient to prevent temperature transfer.

How Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control Can Help

Vent openings on the outside of homes are a common entry point for raccoons, squirrels, birds and mice. Once inside animals chew, scratch and damage vents and ductwork. They can also block them with nesting material, all of which adds up to costly home repairs.

Keeping wildlife out of houses is what we do and we’ll make sure to install heavy gauge screens over top of vents openings that allow air to flow but keep animals out.

As part of Skedaddle’s process we always make sure to inspect attics for signs of damage. We know that most homeowners don’t spend much time in their attics and that’s why we take the time to identify any issues before they become a major problem.

Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control offers the following attic restoration services:

• Insulation removal
• Decontamination and deodorization
• Insulation install
• Roof and soffit vent installation
• Minor roof repair
• Ductwork repair

Why you should be concerned about mold:

People living in homes with toxic black mold are exposed mainly through breathing in toxic black mold spores and mycotoxins. Toxic black mold mycotoxins create irritation and a burning feeling in a person’s air passages such as the nasal cavity, mouth and throat.

The mycotoxins can even become lodged in the mucus membranes, sinuses and the lungs which then causes a burning feeling, breathing problems and bleeding in the lungs.

Toxic black mold causes serious symptoms and health problems such as mental impairment, breathing problems, damage to internal organs and sometimes even death. The trichothecene mycotoxins produced by toxic black mold are neurotoxic. This means they can kill neurons in the brain and impair a person’s mental ability. They also cause nervous disorders such as tremors and can cause personality changes such as mood swings and irritability.

Don’t take a risk with your home or your health. Call Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control at the first sign of wildlife infestation to make sure your attic remains clean, safe and dry! Call 1-877-222-9453.

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