Why are people afraid of rodents? Is it because they are known as carriers of diseases? Is it because they are dirty, creepy-looking creatures always scurrying around? Well, the answer is all of the above.
To put it mildly, rodents are unlikeable, and for good reason. One of the many reasons that come to mind is that they invade homes and can hinder your everyday lifestyle. When they invade your home, rodents can cause a lot of damage. This is especially the case with your air ducts, which we’ll discuss in this blog. Before we go any further, check out these signs to see whether or not you have rodents in your air ducts.
Signs You Have Rodents In Air Ducts
If you’ve been noticing sudden crawling noises at night or your allergies won’t seem to go away, you may have rodents in your air ducts. These are just a couple of the many signs you have rodents in air ducts.
Bad Odor
In some cases, using an air freshener may not be enough to get rid of the foul smell you have been noticing. That stench is just too strong to be coming from spoiled food in your fridge or the garbage can. However, it could be a rodent.
This odor could be coming from urine, mouse droppings, or a dead mouse in the air ducts. This stench is constantly circulating around the house and can cause Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS). With HPS you could experience fever, fatigue, muscle pain, respiratory issues, and even gastrointestinal distress.
Crawling Sounds
Are you constantly jolted awake in the middle of the night by strange sounds from your air ducts? It may sound like something is crawling back and forth and the only culprit is one of those furry little creeps. This rodent will continue to disturb your sleep and have many harmful effects if nothing is done.
Allergies Flaring Up
You might not even be in allergy season, yet for some reason, you are already feeling each symptom. It may be hard to breathe, your eyes are itchy, and you’re constantly coughing, along with many other symptoms. All of these are the result of the poor air quality brought on by rodents in air ducts.
How To Prevent Rodents in Air Ducts
So how can you prevent those pesky rodents from invading your air ducts? If you want to breathe in high-quality air once again, check out the following ways to prevent rodents in air ducts:
Seal Every Gap
Rodents are known for getting into tight spaces. You can stop this by closing off any gaps in your ductwork. There may be cracks and gaps throughout your air ducts allowing mice to come and go as they please. Simply seal them with mesh. Not only will sealing prevent rodents from creating bad odors and flaring up your allergies, but it will also improve your air ducts.
Replace Your Air Ducts
Although sealing a gap solves the issue, replacing your air ducts may be the better course of action if you want to go above and beyond. If your ducting is too damaged and needs a new start, this is also a great solution. Just be sure to keep your ducts well-maintained. You do not want to breathe in any mold or bacteria.
Call Fresh Air Duct Cleaning
Now that you know the signs that you have rodents and how to prevent them you can finally take action. You could look towards the professionals here at Fresh Air Duct Cleaning. You can choose from a wide range of our services to instantly improve your ducting, so contact us whenever you need assistance.