The first thing we consider when we talk about pest animals in the home is a disease, and droppings, which are damaging our stuff. Only secondly, do we consider the very serious damage that wild animals might be doing to our property. And trust us when we say – that’s not something you want to mess with because the longer a nuisance wild animal spends on your property, the more extensive the damage it’s likely to cause to your ventilation system, attic insulation, electrical wires, and pretty much everything else you can think of.
So in this article, we’ll talk about the damage that wild animals might be causing to your air vents, and what you can do about it.
Can pest animals cause damage to your air vents?
Yes. The simple answer here is yes, of course, it can. The simple fact that your air vents were not designed to accommodate wild animals traveling through or living inside them should tell you everything you need to know about this question.
How can pest animals damage your air vents?
Below, let’s take a look at the many kinds of damage that a wild animal can cause to your air vents.
1. They may corrode prematurely
One of the biggest concerns related to wild animal presence in your home is that they will defecate and urinate inside it. And if the animal in question is traveling through your vents, you can bet there will be some urine and droppings in there. Now, the main concern with that is that animal urine is extremely corrosive, which can cause copious amounts of damage to anything it comes into contact with.
This causes your vents and ducts to rust prematurely, which in turn will affect how well the vents can work. Not only that, but the presence of animal urine and feces inside your vents will also cause unpleasant odors to spread through your air vents, and subsequently, your whole home.
2. Damaged ductwork
A wild animal living inside your air vents will cause serious damage through its presence. Some animals are wont to chew or gnaw through certain duct materials like fiberboard or flex ducts.
Not only that, but some wild animals are capable of bending, or twisting your vent system out of shape so that it doesn’t work properly anymore. This can result in air leaks throughout your duct system.
3. Torn insulation
When a wild animal is setting up a nest in your home, the first thing it will look for will be, understandable, nesting material – and what better material for them to use than the insulation that already exists in your air vents?
A common complaint we find with intrusive wild animals is that they’ve torn up the insulation (as well as other, additional materials) inside the person’s home, to build a nest. Obviously, this will weaken your air vents, and cause improper functioning. This will also involve hefty repair costs, on your part, once you do finally remove the wild animal.
4. Messed up the wiring
The way most wild animals function is they make their way through life, and chew, gnaw or break anything that’s in their path. In the case of your air vents, this will probably be the wiring that is essential to the proper functioning of the air vents, and the duct system.
Unfortunately for you, you might not even catch on that something is amiss until the vent system starts acting funny, and by then, it’s likely far too late to stop the animals from causing serious damage.
5. They block the exhaust
Last but not least, wild animals in your vents can lead to blocked exhausts, either through their nests, or even themselves (since the combustion gasses released when you start using your ventilation system will often kill any squatting animals). This, in turn, poses a serious risk to your health, and wellbeing. A blocked exhaust can lead to backdraft into your home, and increase the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
What can you do? If you suspect there’s a wild animal living inside your vent system, reach out to a professional wildlife removal company like Creature Removal today. They’ll rapidly assess the situation, remove the offensive animal, and help you in preventing future infestations.