Attic Rodent Cleanup and Roofline Sealing

Attic jobs here vary with the roof. Many Albuquerque homes have flat or low-slope roofs behind parapet walls, and the space above the ceiling can be a shallow cavity you can barely reach. Homes with pitched roofs usually have a regular attic with blown insulation.

Either way, mice and pack rats that get up there leave nests and droppings behind. Because of hantavirus, cleaning that space is a job to take seriously.

It depends on how long the rodents were there and how much they spread. A small job might be spot cleaning. A big one means bagging contaminated insulation and replacing it after the space is sanitized.

• Removing nests, droppings and dead rodents
• Soaking contaminated areas with disinfectant before removal
• Bagging and hauling soiled insulation
• New insulation once the space is clean and sealed
• Sealing vents, parapet seams and roof penetrations

NMSU Extension recommends gloves, protective clothing and a mask with a HEPA or N-100 filter for cleanup in confined areas, and notes that painters' masks don't do the job. It also says to ventilate by opening doors and windows for at least an hour. Ask the provider what protection their crew uses. If you'd rather not have anyone in the house during the work, ask about that too.

There's no point replacing insulation if mice can walk back in. Most providers trap, then seal the roofline and walls, then clean. Rodent exclusion explains the sealing side.

• Droppings and Nest Cleanup
• Sealing and Exclusion
• Deer Mouse Control

We take calls from North Valley, Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, Corrales, Rio Rancho, East Mountains, Northeast Heights, Sandia Foothills and North Albuquerque Acres, Nob Hill and the University Area, South Valley, West Side and West Mesa.