The exterior of your home or apartment likely has a gutter system to funnel water away from the foundation. While this is an incredibly efficient system, there are ways that it can go wrong—namely, with animal gutter invaders. Here are the most common critters that may be living in your gutters.
Birds
Birds are at the top of the list of gutter squatters. Since your gutters tower above the ground at one, two, or even three stories high, most animals can’t reach them. But the ones that do are there to stay. Birds can fly to any height and nest wherever they deem fit. This allows them to nest in the cavities of your gutters. They can bring sticks, grass, and even pieces of trash to build their little homes there. While you may not want to disturb their nest and eggs, this pile of debris will thoroughly clog your gutter system.
Squirrels
While no squirrel can actually fly (flying squirrels just glide), they can climb sheer surfaces with their curved claws. Squirrels typically live either in the ground or in trees. And it is the latter of these places that give them access to your gutter system. A warm, metal cocoon may look appealing for a sleepy squirrel ready to nap. Or, it can make a great place to continue a playful fight with a neighboring squirrel. Either way, their sharp claws can severely damage your gutters if you’re not careful.
Insects
Bees, hornets, wasps—all these insects need a stable surface above ground to build a hive, and what better place than your gutters? Once they’ve settled on your house, they’ll make going outside a nightmare. What’s more, their hives will mess with your water drainage system. Knocking down a nest of swarming bees isn’t a good idea, so you should turn to a professional service to clear them out.
Be mindful of these critters that may be living in your gutters so you can scare them away and set protective measures in place. Reach out to the local gutter installers on our team at Gutter Maid today. We can help you fix and replace any critter-damaged gutters and install safety measures to keep the pests at bay.