Why Is An Attic Cleanout Important?

Many homeowners rarely access their attic—making it an ideal hiding spot for pests and a hotspot for contamination. Left unchecked, your attic can harbour everything from rodent droppings and dead animals to mould and bacteria that spread through your home’s ventilation system.

Attics are dark, quiet, and rarely disturbed—making them the perfect haven for pests. Here’s a breakdown of the most common attic invaders:

• Rats, Mice & Squirrels: These rodents love to chew—wires, insulation, and even wooden beams. Rodents breed rapidly; mice, for instance, can have litters every 3 weeks. Their droppings, urine, and scent trails contaminate your attic and attract even more pests. These pests enter into the attic through existing points of entry, or will chew through soffits or vent screening to gain entry.
• Raccoons: These clever animals can tear through vents and roofing to nest in attics. Raccoon litters typically arrive in spring (March–June), making early spring a high-risk time for contamination and noise. Their feces can contain parasites such as raccoon roundworm, posing serious health threats.
• Birds (Pigeons, Starlings): These birds nest in attic vents or rafters and leave behind large amounts of droppings that are highly acidic and dangerous to breathe. Nesting seasons typically run from March to August, with peaks in spring.
• Insects (Cockroaches, Silverfish): Dark and humid conditions attract these pests. While they may not damage insulation, they can infest stored items and contribute to poor air quality.

Each of these pests cause contamination, noise, and potential structural damage. Nesting and breeding seasons—typically spring through early summer—often lead to increased attic activity, meaning more waste buildup, odour, and insulation damage. Acting before or during these seasons can help prevent long-term contamination and costly repairs.

Neglecting an infested or contaminated attic doesn’t just affect your comfort—it can seriously impact your health and safety.

• Airborne pathogens from droppings: Rodent and bird droppings can harbour dangerous pathogens like hantavirus (found in deer mice droppings), histoplasmosis (linked to bird feces), and leptospirosis. These can become airborne when disturbed and pose major respiratory risks to your household.
• Structural damage:Rodents, squirrels and larger pests like raccoons can tear up insulation, chew through wooden beams, and damage drywall. Over time, this can weaken your home’s structural integrity.
• Fire hazards: Rodents often chew on electrical wires, stripping the insulation and exposing live wires. This creates a serious fire risk that can go unnoticed until it’s too late.
• Pheromone trails and scent marking: Even after pests are gone, they leave behind pheromones in droppings, urine, and nesting material. These scent trails attract new pests and can lead to repeated infestations if not properly cleaned.

Ignoring these risks can turn a hidden space into a health hazard. A professional attic cleanout is your first line of defence.

At Ridall Pest Control, we don’t just remove the mess—we restore your attic to a safe, clean, and pest-resistant space. Here’s how our expert cleanout service works:

1. Inspection and Assessment: We begin with a thorough attic inspection to identify signs of infestation, contamination, entry points, and structural concerns.
2. Removal of Contaminated Materials: This includes animal droppings, nesting material, carcasses (if any), damaged insulation, and other biohazardous debris using tools and equipment that won’t jeopardize the safety of your living space.
3. Disinfection and Bioremediation: We sanitize all affected surfaces using a professional-grade virucide and bioremediation solutions to eliminate bacteria, parasites, and lingering pathogens.
4. Odor Neutralization: We treat the space to remove persistent smells caused by urine, feces, and decomposing matter—restoring your attic space back to it’s original state.
5. Insulation Replacement:The contaminated insulation is replaced with clean, energy-efficient insulation, using “R” value rated materials that are recommended by BC Hydro, Fortis BC and CleanBC, click on the following link for further information on recommendations and potential rebates: (https://www.bchydro.com/powersmart/residential/rebates-programs/home-renovation/renovating-insulation.html).
6. Sealing Entry Points: To prevent future infestations, we identify and seal potential pest entryways, such as vents, gaps, and chewed-through soffits.

Our attic cleanout process is thorough, efficient, and designed to give you lasting peace of mind.

Before