You hear something running across the roof in the middle of the night and suddenly you are wide awake trying to figure out what it was. Then it happens again the next night. Then one morning you finally see squirrels jumping from a tree branch straight onto the roof like they have been doing it for years. If this is happening the branches overhead have gotten close enough to give animals a direct path to your house and that is worth dealing with before it turns into something bigger.
Trees grow slowly enough that most homeowners do not notice how much the canopy has expanded until something forces them to look up. A branch that was a comfortable distance from the roof line a few years ago can be hanging directly over it now. Oak trees in Spring Hill grow fast and they get wide. In neighborhoods where trees have had years to spread without being trimmed branches gradually creep closer to structures until one day squirrels realize there is an easy path from the canopy to the roof.
Once squirrels find a reliable path to your roof they use it constantly. What starts as an occasional noise overhead becomes an everyday occurrence. You hear movement above the bedroom early in the morning. Something runs across the roof while you are watching TV. Every little sound outside starts getting your attention. The problem is squirrels do not just run across the roof and leave. They look for ways in. Soffits, attic vents, fascia gaps and any spot where the roof meets the structure are all potential entry points once animals are regularly on the roof. A lot of homeowners in Spring Hill start wondering about the attic after a few weeks of hearing roof traffic and that concern is not unreasonable.
What the Branches Are Actually Doing to the House
Beyond giving animals a path to the roof, branches hanging over the house cause their own problems. They drop leaves and debris into the gutters constantly. They scrape shingles during wind events which wears down the protective surface over time. They hold moisture against the roof line which breaks down roofing materials faster. And the shade they create keeps that section of the roof wet longer after rain which encourages moss and algae growth. Most of this damage happens slowly and quietly until a homeowner finally looks up and starts paying attention to what has been building for years.
When to Do Something About It
The right time to deal with branches over your roof is before squirrels find them. Once animals establish a regular route to your roof the problem is already underway. Getting branches trimmed back before they get close enough to be a highway for animals is the easier and cheaper version of this situation. After squirrels are already using the roof regularly you are dealing with both a tree problem and a pest problem at the same time.
If squirrels are running across your roof in Spring Hill the branches overhead are the place to start. Spring Hill Tree Specialists handles tree trimming throughout Hernando County. We trim branches back from roof lines and structures and tell you honestly what needs to come off. You can read more in can these tree branches damage my roof and why do my gutters keep filling up so fast. Find out more about our tree service in Spring Hill. Free estimates on all work.