Spray pest deterrent on soffits in fall and/or early spring: It's always best to prevent pest infestations in the first place, and there are plenty of products that can serve this function in your home. Spray wasp deterrent yourself, or invite a pest control specialist to treat your home.
Insecticide dusts can be an effective product to use in an attic to control a variety of crawling pests if it is applied correctly. The key to an effective dust treatment is applying it thoroughly around the outer edges of the attic and on top of insulation.
Install coverings over any holes or openings
Install vent covers over soffit vents if they are uncovered. Finally, add heavy-duty steel screens over attic vents. Use U-shaped nails to fasten the screen and be sure to use a screen that does not block airflow.
While standard vents do offer some airflow, they are much more efficient when soffit screens are installed as well. Soffit vents are typically mounted under the eaves of a house (where the roof extends past the framing). When it comes to DIY home improvement, installing soffit screens is relatively simple.
Note: Blown insulation may require an additional block to prevent insulation from being blown into the soffit. A piece of rigid foam board placed on the outer edge of the top plate works very well for this. Add insulation around the rafter vent and out to the edge of the attic floor.
Ensure the bottom of the baffle extends over the top plate of the exterior wall, allowing air to flow freely from the soffit vent. Continue installing baffles along each rafter bay where soffit vents are present. Once installed, you can add insulation around the baffles, ensuring it doesn't block the airflow channel.
Description. Soffit mesh allows full airflow whilst preventing insects from entering the roof space. 288 holes per square inch (18x16) - keeps out flies, wasps, mosquitoes, moths and other unwanted insects. Standard insect mesh, a woven fibreglass with vinyl coating.
Regular Soffits (Non-Vented)
These soffits do not have any openings or vents and therefore do not allow any airflow through the attic. Non-vented soffits are typically used for aesthetic purposes and are not recommended for homes as they can cause moisture buildup and mold growth.
Attic soffit vents should never be covered with insulation. Don't let ice wreak havoc on your roof, gutters and soffit systems this year!
Bugs hate the smells associated with repellency, such as lavender, citronella, vinegar, peppermint, and geranium. These oils are considered a natural way of driving away bugs from your home without harming you, your family, and other animals.
Two things to keep in mind when treating for pests in your attic: You will not want to make any applications over the top of any attic insulation or do broadcast applications over your entire attic area. We do not recommend fogging in the attic as it typically is not necessary to eradicate pests.
Install Vent Covers – Vent covers can cover fan vents and roof vents are ridgelines to keep rodents out of your home. Apply Caulking – Caulk or expanding foams are a good way to seal small holes that may lead into your attic. This is a fast and easy solution that works for any smaller holes.
Keeping the Bugs at Bay
Once again, spray foam insulation can help keep these insects and the headaches they bring at bay by sealing up your attic's cracks and openings. Spray foam also makes your attic less inviting to bugs by reducing the moisture, mold, and mildew that attracts them.
This rule suggests having one square foot of ventilation for every 150 square feet of attic space.
Non-vented or continuous soffit works best when your roof has narrow eaves or if you need to ventilate a large amount of attic space.
Another way to check is to go up to your attic when it's light outside. If you can see daylight seeping through the eaves of your roof, then this indicates that there are no soffit vents installed. You must take care of how many soffit vents you install in your home.
In most cases, we recommend soffit vents for intake and a ridge vent for exhaust. For homes that cannot have a ridge vent, box vents are generally the second best option for exhaust. And for homes that cannot have soffit ventilation, you will find that fascia vents to be your second best bet.
Take the roll and cut of the length required or a manageable length (it can be overlapped). You can cut the mesh with a decent set of household scissors. Fold it slightly down the middle to give it a slight curve. You can then push it into the gap, the curve will spring open and grip into place.
Attic baffles — also known as insulation stops or rafter vents — are chutes between the vented soffits and insulation in your attic. They provide a space between the soffits and insulation, preventing the blockage of airflow from either insulation or fiberglass batts and allowing the air in your attic to flow freely.
1/150 Rule
The National Roofing Contractors Association recommends a minimum area of ventilation openings that is 1/150 fraction of the area of space ventilated. “Natural convection is responsible for initiating the upward flow of air though an attic.
The first sign of poor attic ventilation is when your upstairs rooms are uncomfortably hot. Without proper attic ventilation, the hot air gets trapped with no fresh air being pulled in. This heat radiates down into the living spaces below to the point where it won't be cool enough to be in them until the sun goes down.