Sealing the soffit and fascia gaps are important because it prevents rodents and wildlife animals from taking advantage of these spaces. The way they can access the interior of the building is by force or by squeezing through these gaps or even chewing through the soffit. Some of the most common household pests and wildlife that often take advantage of these gaps are raccoons, mice, bats, and insects like wasps! All of these pests and wildlife animals use their unique ability to circumvent the gap in their own way. Raccoons often use force to tear away the soffit to make the gap bigger.
If you need professional pest control services or need property inspections done to make sure your property is not prone to infestations, contact the technicians at The Exterminators Inc.
Mice are agile and flexible enough to squeeze through the narrow soffit and fascia gaps. Bats can also squeeze through these narrow gaps which give them access to the attic space. Depending on what kind of insulation you have installed, if a wildlife animal or household pest like mice gets through these gaps, it can easily lead to very steep financial losses. Bats, raccoons, mice, squirrels; all these animals are vectors of disease that spread their feces and urine all around and contaminate the space. After these wildlife animals or pests are discovered, specialized technicians need to come in and remove them. The problem doesn’t end just there. After the removal of these animals, the space needs to be thoroughly decontaminated.
The best way to prevent this from happening is to look up at the soffit and see if there is a small gap between the soffit and the wall. Many people underestimate how much space these animals actually need to squeeze through. For instance, a mouse can squeeze through a hole roughly the size of a dime! Bats in this case can also squeeze through a very narrow opening about 6mm. Bats are experts in taking advantage of openings just like the mouse. Raccoons often climb their way to the soffit intersection where the roof and the soffit meets. There, the raccoons push or tears the soffit away.
The way professional pest control and wildlife technicians solve the soffit and fascia gap issue is by sealing it with caulking. First, the gap is plugged by inserting galvanized steel mesh in between. This prevents animals from biting their way in. After the gap is plugged, the technician carefully uses silicone caulking to seal the gap and to hold the mesh in place. The end result is an aesthetically pleasing seamless line of caulking. Depending on the preference of the homeowner, the technician can opt for a color that matches the soffit to create a seamless finish.
Wildlife animals and pests will always try to exploit any gap, hole, and tear and use it to their advantage. The key is to have an understanding of what these animals are capable of. Many people severely underestimate what little size animals need in order to squeeze in which leads to unforeseen circumstances. Hire a technician from The Exterminators Inc. and have your property inspected. For a free consultation and to book your next appointment, call our customer service specialists!
