The method
How we exclude, step by step
Exclusion means the animals leave on their own and the way back is closed. Here is each step and what you will see.
- Step 1
Step 1: Inspect the roofline and the attic
We walk the outside first, from the ground and a ladder: eaves, soffits, vents, the ridge, the chimney. Then the attic, on boards, with a headlamp.
Every gap a head or a paw could use
Where the animals go in and out
A photo of each one for your report
- Step 2
Step 2: Name the animal and the season
Bats and squirrels get different work. Which one it is, and whether young are present, decides what we may do and when.
Bats are protected wildlife in Idaho
Young present: we wait or work around them
Permits are listed at the top of this site
- Step 3
Step 3: Seal every gap but one
We close the spare openings with steel mesh, flashing and sealant, and leave the one they use most as their way out.
Metal, not foam, on anything chewed
Vents screened, not blocked
Nothing sealed with animals still inside
- Step 4
Step 4: Fit a one-way door
A one-way door or valve over the last opening lets animals leave and not come back. We watch it, and for bats we count the exits at dusk.
Checked over several days
A dusk watch for bats, by appointment
Stays on until nothing comes out
- Step 5
Step 5: Close it and repair
When the exits stop, we remove the door, close the last opening and repair what was chewed. You get a written report with photos of each fix.
Fascia, soffit and vent repair
A cap or screen where one was missing
Written report with photos
Honest limits
When we cannot exclude
Sometimes the right answer is not yet. This is what stops us, and what we do instead of closing the roof.
Young animals are in the roost
A bat colony with pups, or a squirrel nest with kits, can't be closed off without trapping them inside. We book the work for after the young can leave, and tell you what to do in the meantime.
The roof can't be worked on
A steep, wet or icy roof, or a rotted deck, stops the job. We reschedule, or tell you what a roofer has to fix first.
The way in can't be reached
Some entry points sit behind a chimney chase or a wall we can't open. We say so, and say what we can close from outside.
The rules say wait
Protected species and some seasons carry state limits on what may be closed or moved. We follow them, even when you would like it done this week.
If we can't exclude, we say so in writing and don't charge for work we didn't do.
Your part
Before we come, and after we leave
Before the visit
A few things make the inspection faster and keep everyone off the roof.
Clear the way to the attic hatch
Note where and when you hear it
Keep pets in, away from the ladder
Don't block any hole yourself: animals inside would be trapped
After we leave
The door stays on, and a few habits help it work.
Leave the one-way door alone
Trim branches back from the roof edge
Call if you hear noise after the first week
Read the report and keep the photos
Start with an inspection
A biologist looks at the roofline and the attic and tells you what is there. You get the estimate in writing.