How Dirty Gutters Attract Pests

Do you notice that after a heavy rainstorm, there is sometimes a surge in how many bugs are around your home? They may be there because of the build-up of your gutters. If you have dirty or clogged gutters, you are inviting bugs and other pests to call your gutters their new home. Several pests are likely to be attracted to your dirty gutters if you let debris linger.

Mosquitoes

It’s pretty safe to say that no one likes mosquitoes. Well, if your gutters are clogged, you should start calling mosquitoes your best friends. These pests need standing water to lay their eggs and when your gutters are clogged, that’s exactly what they get. Mosquitoes often don’t stay more than 200 feet from their breeding grounds, so you get acquainted with the whole family if they lay eggs in your dirty gutters. If your gutters are filled with decaying leaves, they provide nourishment for the mosquitoes to hatch, develop, and grow. What you may have thought of as simply dirty gutters can exponentially increase the number of mosquitoes on your property.

Ants

You may not think that ant infestations have anything to do with your gutters, but you’d be wrong. Ants like to live outdoors, but they look for food indoors. The array of decaying leaves, twigs, and dirt in your clogged gutters are an ideal home for these creepy crawlies, so they take advantage of that shelter option.

Termites

A termite’s best friend is rotting, decaying wood. Clogged gutters end up spilling excess water down the side of your house, creating wet wood on and inside your home. This presents termites with a yummy snack, and you with new infrastructure problems.

Keeping your gutters clean is the key to preventing pests from making a home in them. Keystone Gutter Helmet can outfit your gutters with our patented gutter protection system to keep debris (and pests) out of your gutters once and for all. To learn more about how our gutter helmet system can keep your home pest-free, call 610-372-4383.