Once opossums get into an attic they leave a huge mess with their dog sized turds and they also frequently die in attics.
Animals in attic during winter.
The two most common kinds of animals that will enter your attic are raccoons and squirrels.
They either migrate away for the winter or sleep torpor like hibernation and are only active during the summer.
I ve seen up to six adult opossums living together in one attic during winter.
These squirrels are most generally bringing nuts into the attic to store for the long winter.
Raccoons can enter your attic through loose shingles and or openings the roof and eaves.
This is a good place to start because most of the time that sound is going to be one of these two critters.
Rats and mice can also enter year round but they are far more likely to go into a building for warmth during the cold winter months.
Squirrels are diurnal they re active during the day.
They chew their way in and then keep chewing once they get in making a lot of damage along the way.
This matters a lot because most animals inside an attic are there to build a nest and raise baby animals.
These are some of the most common animals that a homeowner is likely to encounter in the home during the winter months.
Squirrels are the most common critters to invade attics.
Raccoons usually have young in spring but it varies depending on climate.
The noises you hear in your home and the damage left behind are also hints at how to tell what kind of animal is in the attic.
If you hear noises during the daytime it is probably a squirrel since they are only active during the day.
Common animal entry points.
Raccoons are capable of ripping shingles off and chewing holes in buildings.
If you hear noises in your attic at night there is probably a raccoon or a flying squirrel there since they are nocturnal.
There are several reasons why someone might find squirrels in the attic or in crawl spaces during winter months including mating seasons increased numbers of predators decreased habitat in which to build dens or even just the cold temperatures.
How animal pests get into homes.
Regardless of how new your home is or how clean you keep it animals can still find ways to enter your home in the winter.
It s unusual because possums are not normally social animals.
By turning on bright lights and a radio you can make your attic an unpleasant environment to encourage raccoons to leave on their own.
Squirrels give birth twice a year in late summer and late winter and the babies take only about 8 weeks to be full grown.
Most often if you have squirrels in your ceiling it s a mother who needs a safe place to give birth and raise her babies.
Most customers that have fox squirrels or grey squirrels in their attic will hear movement in and out most of the dayas fall nears.