Roof Rats are a serious nuisance and can cause significant damage to homes and businesses. They also pose a health risk by spreading zoonotic diseases.
Professional wildlife control operators have the expertise and resources to handle severe rat infestations. They use specialized traps and baits, along with effective exclusion methods. Contact Roof Rat Removal Service Texas for professional help.
Because they are active at night, it is often difficult to detect the presence of roof rats. However, a few telltale signs can help you determine whether or not your home has been invaded by these critters.
Droppings and Gnaw Marks
The most obvious sign of a roof rat infestation is the discovery of rodent droppings around your home. These droppings typically measure a half-inch in length and have pointed ends. They may also have a urine odor. You may also find gnaw marks on various materials throughout your home, including electrical wires, which can pose a fire hazard.
Additionally, you may notice gnawed food packages and chewed holes in walls or ceilings. Because these rodents are constantly gnawing in order to keep their teeth from overgrowing, they will chew through virtually anything they can find, including wood, plastic, and electrical wiring. This behavior can lead to expensive structural damage as well as create a serious fire hazard.
Since roof rats are excellent climbers, they prefer living and nesting above ground in shrubs, trees, dense vegetation, or attics. They are capable of squeezing into holes as small as half an inch, making them extremely adept at entering homes and other buildings through eaves and roofline gaps. They can then take up residence in attics, false ceilings, cabinets, and other upper-level spaces in your home.
Because they breed frequently, a few rats can quickly become a full-blown infestation. In addition to the physical damage they cause, their urine and feces can contaminate food and water sources. Furthermore, they can carry and transmit diseases like leptospirosis and salmonellosis and introduce ectoparasites like fleas and ticks into the home.
The best way to prevent a roof rat infestation is to seal entry points and remove food and shelter. You can do this by storing food in airtight containers, putting trash in sealed cans, keeping pet areas clean, and trimming trees and shrubs to reduce their ability to access your home. Additionally, you can use traps and baits to eliminate the rats once they have made their way into your home.
Inspection
Rats are notorious for causing extensive and costly damage to homes. They may also transmit diseases and create a fire hazard by chewing on electrical wires or insulation. The best way to prevent these problems is to take a proactive approach and have regular inspections performed by a professional rat control company. The expert can perform a thorough inspection of your home or property and devise a comprehensive rodent control plan that includes trapping, exclusion and sanitization services.
To determine the type of rat that’s invading your property, you should first look for gnaw marks. These are often visible around the base of trees and along eaves. You should also keep an eye out for droppings, which are usually dark and pellet-shaped. Rub marks are another sign of a rat infestation; these appear on surfaces where rats have touched, such as walls and cabinets. Additionally, rat urine can leave a strong odor, as well as stain and corrode materials.
If you suspect a roof rat infestation, you should call a pest control company as soon as possible. The sooner the experts get to work, the more quickly the problem will be under control. An experienced rat control service will perform an in-depth inspection to locate and identify any possible entry points, then seal or screen them to prevent further entry. They can also sanitize the area and remove any traces of the rodents.
A professional pest control company will have a deep understanding of the behavior and habits of roof rats, which will enable them to find and target the exact areas that are infested. They will then use specialized tools and equipment to effectively eradicate the infestation once and for all. In addition, they will offer ongoing inspection and monitoring services to prevent future recurrences of the problem. In general, DIY rat removal methods are not as effective and can cause serious health and safety issues for you and your family. To get started on your rat removal project, contact us today. We’ll be happy to discuss your options and provide a free quote.
Exclusion
As the name suggests, roof rats are adept climbers. They prefer to live and nest in high places such as trees, dense vegetation, ivy, attics, wall cavities and false ceilings. They are also skilled swimmers and will swim to your home from any nearby water source. If you suspect a rat infestation, look for droppings about 1/4 to 1/2-inch in length, gnaw marks, grease stains and urine odors. You might also hear them scurrying around in your walls, attic and garage at night.
Rodents need to access food, water and shelter, so they will seek out any available entry point into your home. Even small holes or cracks that are no bigger than a dime are enough to allow rodents into your living spaces and begin multiplying.
A professional wildlife control operator will be able to develop a comprehensive plan that includes inspection, trapping, exclusion and prevention of future infestations. Using specialized tools and techniques, they can seal all potential entry points into your home and prevent rats from entering it in the first place.
After a thorough inspection of the interior and exterior of your home, your technician will note any areas that need to be rat-proofed. This can include spray foam, chicken wire or steel wool being placed over any gaps that are discovered. This process may be done on the eaves, attic and roof as well as around the foundation, utility entrances, A/C vents, chimneys and any other area that is found to be vulnerable.
Then your technician will work to remove any existing rat droppings and clean the attic thoroughly to kill all of the pathogens and bacteria that have accumulated in it. After that, the attic will be disinfected and sanitized so your family can start to live there again.
After your pest control expert has completed the initial exclusion, they will then return to your property on a regular basis to ensure that all entry points are closed. This can include trimming tree branches, removing any cluttered debris or stored items that might give rodents cover for their nests and blocking all other possible entry points as they discover them.
Treatment
Once a rat infestation is detected, it’s important to act quickly to prevent the problem from getting out of hand. Using the proper techniques, a pest control professional can help you rid your home of these rodents and prevent them from returning in the future.
The first step in eliminating a rat problem is baiting and trapping. Due to their cautious nature, it may take a while for roof rats to approach traps, so be patient and keep checking them. It is also a good idea to move food away from exterior walls and into airtight containers, as well as clean up crumbs, trash, and other debris that rats could use for nesting material.
In addition to trapping and baiting, a pest control company can help you implement exclusion measures to stop rats from accessing your home in the first place. This can include sealing entry points that are quarter-inch or larger, screening crawl spaces, repairing holes in foundation walls, and trimming back trees that serve as “stairs” into the roof. This is typically included in a rat removal service, and the cost will vary depending on the size of your home and scope of the exclusion project.
Rats can contaminate food and damage homes and businesses, causing serious health and safety hazards. Moreover, they can spread disease to humans and pets through their urine, feces, saliva, hair, body dander, and droppings. Some of these pathogens can be contracted through bites from a rat, including rabies and plague.
Although it is possible to eliminate a rat infestation on your own, relying solely on DIY methods can be time-consuming and ineffective, especially if the infestation has reached a large scale. In contrast, a pest control company can dedicate their resources to treating your property quickly and effectively.
Get a free quote today and you’ll be one step closer to rat-free living. A state-certified pest control expert will create a service plan that best suits your needs, and a trained technician will provide comprehensive treatment to reclaim your home or business from rodents. Contact us now to schedule your appointment.