Rodents like rats can easily access these ducts, bringing with them noise and health concerns. Duct-loving animals tend to chew through insulation and electrical wiring, too. And it's not just rats. Pros have found squirrels, birds, bees, and all kinds of creatures up there.
Mice and Other Rodents
Typically four legged creatures inside air vents will be small, such as mice. But on occasion you may be dealing with squirrels or even rats. There are a number of ways they may have gotten into the ductwork. But they started their journey to the ducts by entering the house first.
If you suspect that there are animals, either living or dead, in your air ducts, it is best to call a professional to lure the animal out or remove the animal carcass. Employing a professional protects your safety and home by causing the least amount of damage possible.
In short, absolutely yes! Any midsize animal that can climb under your home or in your attic can damage the ductwork or your HVAC unit. Once the system is opened, that animal or another individual may enter the ducts and roam freely. At that point, it may even enter living spaces by pushing floor registers up.
If you hear scratching or scuttling noises from your air vents, small animals, insects, or rodents may have made their way into the ductwork. They may be nesting, foraging for food, or attempting to escape, causing these distinctive sounds.
So, how do you get rid of animals in air ducts? Call the professional wildlife and pest control service, Critter Control. Our local technicians have the experience and equipment necessary to safely and humanely remove uninvited pests.
When mice are in your vents, you'll hear scratching, crawling, or scurrying on metal in the walls, ceilings, or floors where your ductwork is. You might also hear occasional squeaking noises.
Air vents that aren't properly sealed off can be attractive entry points for rats, mice, and other rodents. The smaller the rodent is, the more places it can roam about your home without being spotted. If you notice rodent droppings but can't find them, you may have some rodent residents in your air ducts.
Vent Animals
Since hydrothermal vents were first discovered in 1977, scientists have identified over 300 animal species living at them. Ninety-five percent of these are unique to the vent environment, and thus were previously unknown. Some, like the tube worms, are not closely related to anything else.
Dirty air filters or ducts can lead to a build-up of dust and dirt in your system, leading to strange sounds as it moves through your system. You don't want to hear that, but, more importantly, you don't want to breathe in dirty air. Keep up with changing your air filter and getting your ducts cleaned.
Switch off your central heating and cooling system and let the grates reach room temperature. Unscrew and remove the grates that cover your heat vents. For each vent, bait a snap trap with the fragrances of fetching foods, such as raisins, dates, cheese, chocolate or peanut butter. Place a trap in each air duct.
One of the worst things that can happen to your HVAC ducts is having a dead rodent get trapped inside. As its body starts decomposing, it will emit a rank odor that permeates the entire house.
Rodents like rats can easily access these ducts, bringing with them noise and health concerns. Duct-loving animals tend to chew through insulation and electrical wiring, too. And it's not just rats. Pros have found squirrels, birds, bees, and all kinds of creatures up there.
Turn off the Vent and Clean It
Thoroughly scrape the urine stains off the surfaces. After the system dries completely, spray hydrogen peroxide to disinfect the remaining microbes and kill the bacteria. Vinegar can help neutralize and mask the ammonia-like urine odor, and stop the pet from urinating again.
Here's How to Handle a Dead Animal in Your Vent
You should explain the situation when you call for service; some HVAC service providers may refer you to an animal control provider instead, but many HVAC technicians will be able to remove the dead mouse or rodent properly.
You'll have to turn off your HVAC system and remove all the vent covers. You'll need to load a trap for each vent. Most do-it-yourself-ers use snap traps baited with peanut butter, meat, or cheese. Place the trap just inside the vent and wait.
A rotten, pungent odor could mean that a dead animal is present in your air ducts. Mice and rats are the most common causes of this problem, but other animals like pigeons and opossums can also get trapped inside ventilation systems.
Keep the Air Vents Clean
Additionally, thorough enough cleaning will encourage the bugs that already live in your AC vents to leave. Removing all dirt and debris and covering the walls in robust cleaning solutions will make that area uninhabitable instantly, even if there were bugs previously living there comfortably.
While air duct cleaning can reduce the attractants for mice, it may not completely eliminate a mouse infestation. Mice use air ducts as shelter and navigation routes, and the debris and contaminants in the ducts can serve as a food source.
Scratching Noises: Rats, mice, and cockroaches are most likely to skitter through your ductwork during the nighttime, so you should listen for crawling noises before you go to bed. You may also hear these sounds coming from your attic, as this room is often the source of an infestation.
Stomp your feet: stomping is certainly less effective if you are in a carpeted area of your home or outside on your lawn, however, in the right circumstances, a loud stomp coupled with the vibrations through the floor can be an effective rodent deterrent.
Just open up the closest barrier or vent cover, reach your gloved hand in, grab the carcass, and then place it in your bag. The gloves that you wear should be disposable. You will need to put these in the bag too, along with the dead animal. Seal everything up and then put it in the dumpster or waste bin outside.
Whether it's extreme heat and cold or searching for food, animals can accidentally end up becoming trapped inside your HVAC System. The result can be a very scary experience for you and especially for the animal.
Emergency animal calls may be directed to the Falmouth Police Department at (774) 255-4527 (then press 0 for a dispatcher). An Animal Control Officer will then be notified.