NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A critter catcher said birds are pecking their way into new homes, and he's had around 150 calls for service recently.
At Pest Entry Management, Jay Lee has seen it all.
"Birds did all of that, I think there was a little bit of a leak in that gutter it back flowed, got on the concrete board, gave it a little bit of moisture, they just chewed it out," Lee said.
But recently, he's noticed a new trend.
"I could drive up and down this street and probably find ten houses that need that bird vent changed out,” Lee said, “And 4 out 5 is going to be the tall and skinny, and the other one’s probably just old."
Birds are pecking their way into newer homes, apparently.
“Lots of birds, it may have something to do with the cicadas being out so much, so they’re able to eat more and breed more, and they’ll just be more birds,” Lee said.
He gets 15 to 20 calls a day on it.
“I think a lot of the newer built homes, they’re not using the best products so the birds have figured out ways to get through the louvered vents, even take off some of the bird screens that the newer construction people are using.” Lee said, “It’s just giving them easy access, they’ll come inside, tear stuff up, tear out the dryer vent, if it’s between floors it’s going to get costly.”
Homeowners can check for bird poop on siding, chew marks, and access points.
“It can be a fire hazard," Lee said, "A stove vent especially, even dryer vents if the air flow gets blocked, it can either burn up the motor, or cause a fire.”
The goal is to keep critters out for good.
"It’s a lucrative business, it helps," Lee said.
Jay is an animal lover, he said if there's baby birds in a nest, he won't touch it. He'll wait for them to fly away, then come back to seal it all up.
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