Keep Your House Clean And Tidy
Clutter is something pests like, so theyll happily reside where there is plenty of it. You should therefore avoid cluttering your home. Remove all wood and newspaper stacks from your house. At least once per week, give your house a thorough cleaning. Old cartons in your attic should probably be thrown out.
How Do You Get Rid Of Roof Rats
To get rid of roof rats, you must do the following:
- Figure out how they get inside your house. Seal any cracks, gaps, spaces, or holes, and make sure that your vents and windows are screened.
- Trim down shrubs and trees.
- Clean up any potential food sources such as fruits fallen from trees.
- Keep your home clean, particularly in nesting sites such as under the fridge, cupboards, and the stove.
- Eliminate any piles of wood or debris.
- Keep your garbage tightly covered.
- Store dry food and pet food in sealed containers.
- Avoid leaving pet food outside.
- Remove any outdoor sources of water, including birdbaths, leaky sprinkler heads, etc.
- Use snap traps, electronic devices, or a mixture of bait and poison in getting rid of roof rats.
When Are Roof Rats Most Active In Attics
You will hear roof rat activity throughout your attic mainly at night. Roof rat chewing and scurrying is heard overhead, and makes a good night sleep unattainable. If you find you hear noise during the day, you are dealing with a larger number of rats.
Roof rats move into attics when the weather starts to cool, and they will occupy your attic in the cooler fall and winter months.
The average life span of a roof rat is 1 year due to predators and pest control. It is thought that a roof rat could live up to 4 years max.
The roof rat breeding season is mainly in the Spring and Summer. The average roof rat litter consists of 4-6 babies. Roof rats will have litters up to 6 times each year. Many homeowners with roof rat problems complain that it is a never-ending issuethis is due to the roof rats’ prolific reproduction and the well-marked pathways they establish in a home that suites them. Excluding roof rats from you home can be very difficult. Sealing holes will not deter a roof rat from coming back in! They will make more holes if necessary.
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Roof Rat Control & Removal
To help prevent roof rats from inhabiting your home or business or to help get rid of rats, it is crucial to remove their food source. Here are some helpful tips:
- Seal up cracks and crevices around your windows, doors, eaves, chimney, and any other entry point
- Replace broken screens over windows and vents, or install new ones.
- Install, repair or replace damaged weather stripping.
- Trim back bushes and tree branches so they are away from your home or business is also helpful, as roof rats are exceptional climbers, and can use these to gain access to your roof.
- Use indoor garbage cans with secure lids, and empty regularly.
- Store outdoors away from homes and buildings, and secure with tight-fitting lids.
- Store dry foods in tightly sealed containers.
- Regularly clean and sanitize your kitchen, and other eating areas.
Learn more about getting rid of roof rats.
If you uncover a roof rat infestation contact a licensed pest professional, like Environmental Pest Control with rat control experience.
Everything You Need To Know About Roof Rats
Before you begin working on getting rid of roof rats from your home, its helpful to know a little more about what youre up against and familiarize yourself with the enemy.
In the following few sections, Ill go over some of the most crucial questions and information about roof rats so you can more effectively remove them from your home.
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Roof Rats Habits And Biology
- The Roof Rats become sexually mature in just a couple of months. Females become sexually mature in 68-90 days with 5-8 pups per litter. They have 4-6 litters per year.
- Because the Roof Rats climb well, common nesting sites are above the ground. They will nest in trees, attics, voids along the roofline, and in ceilings. Like squirrels, they enter homes and are found in attics. In the absence of Norway rats, or if their population grows, they can be found in burrows or piles of rocks.
- Dense vegetation, lush landscapes, fruit trees, dog areas will attract Roof rats. They seek cover. They will also construct globular leafy nests in trees and enter buildings by tree branches, utility lines.
- Roof Rats are suspicious like Norway Rats. Be patient in trapping and baiting. It may take a few days for them to adjust to a new change in the environment and take the bait or get trapped.
- Peak times for Roof Rat activity is at dawn or dusk they are nocturnal. If they are heard during the day, the population is large.
Refer to the section on Rodent inspection.
* By Kilessan , via Wikimedia Commons
Roof Rat Sounds In Attics
If you live in the coastal or southern region of the US and hear activity in your attic, roof rats are a possibility. You will hear scurrying in your attic and gnawing mainly at night. This will especially be present when the weather starts to cools down. If noise is heard during the day, a larger population of roof rats may be using your attic. Also, roof rats will stick to a certain route through your home. They establish this for easy navigation through your house. Repeatedly hearing noises in a pathway overhead could mean roof rats.
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Rat Poison Pros And Cons
Ken Brown, owner/operator of Eco-Logic Management , describes how he uses rat poison:
I put out bait boxes, which are boxes that secure the bait inside. The bait contains a pheromone that attracts the rat to it.
After the rat eats the bait, it slowly dries the rat out over the course of about three days until they basically fall asleep, usually in their nest.
“Boxes are usually placed near AC units and pool pumps because that wiring is a big target for rats to chew on.
Brown says the pros of using rat poison include:
- Bait boxes lock with a key so that pets and children cannot get into them.
- The poison can work on many rats at once.
- The boxes are regularly maintained by a licensed exterminator.
As for cons, Brown said bait boxes cost more than buying and maintaining old-fashioned mouse snap traps, rats may die in a nest that is in the homeowners attic and it will smell for about three days, and once in a great while a rat will die out in the open.”
Home Remedies To Get Rid Of Roof Rats
Killing rats with poison involves efforts, mess and potential danger to children or pets in the house. If you dont want to cause unnecessary pain, you may want to try some natural rat repellents to get rid of the cheeky rodents that are hiding in your roof space without poison.
Keep in mind that the following home remedies cant do wonders you can rely on them only if youre certain you dont have a large infestation.
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How Do Roof Rats Enter The Attic
Roof rats are expert climbers they travel along power lines with ease and can scale a brick building with no problem. Roof rats can also jump 2 feet high, and can clear a 4 foot distance from one standing point to another.
Roof rats only need a half-inch wide hole to gain access to a building. A nickle-sized hole can either be squeezed through or simply chewed by the roof rat to make access a little easier. Roof rats can chew through a variety of materials: drywall, plastic, wood, aluminum siding.
Roof rats will mark entry holes as their territory using the secretions from their fur. This scent remains long after your tenant roof rats are gone. This scent serves as a signal to other scouting roof rats that your place was once approved by former roof rats.
Lastly, since roof rats have teeth that never stop growing, they must gnaw to survive. Chewing through materials is necessary for the roof rat, and an attic provides plenty of areas for chewing. Wood beams, vents, pipes, shingles, and unfortunately live wires are all susceptible to roof rat gnawing. Roof rat incisors would grow in a spiral if they didn’t chew to wear them down.
Most Common Types Of Rats In North America
When it comes to rat infestations in America, there are three species that are the most common. The two most common species are Old World rats that came to America as stowaways on ships. Roof Rats have largely stayed near the places where they arrived and are most common in seaports, coastal cities, and the American South, where they spread with cargo boats traveling the river network.
Norway Rats are the most common species throughout the United States and are particularly widespread in urban areas. You can find them just about anywhere, and the wide footprint of this species means that infestations overlap with other Old World rats as well as new world species.
The third major rat species in America is the Pack Rat, a New World species that adapted to life in the deserts of the Southwest. While they dont follow human settlement in the way Old World rats do, expanding urbanization in Nevada, Arizona, and other states in this area has made Pack Rat infestations more common.
Norway Rats
Rattus Norvegicus have brown fur and a long tail. While the scientific name of this species calls back to their common name, they actually arent from Norway. Where did Norway rats come from, then? Its likely that Norway rats actually originated in China, home of some of the oldest large cities in civilization. After flourishing in these cities, they spread to the corners of the earth.
Roof Rats
Pack Rats
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Remove Rubbish And Clutter
Rubbish can be both a source of food and a hiding place for a rat, so be vigilant with your rubbish and always keep it in a tightly sealed bin . Other clutter like paper, wood, and cardboard boxes should also be removed if possible. The more rubbish you leave lying around, the happier your roof rats will be.
Consider Getting A Cat
Cats are not just great companions but will keep your home safe from rats. They will hunt the rodents and will kill them when they get their paws on them. No rat will want to step close to your home knowing that you have a cat.
- Knowing what attracts rats to your property will help you stop them from coming back.
- The best way to deal with rats in the roof is by preventing them.
- Natural remedies will help you get rid of rats in the roof but are not as effective as using chemicals.
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Finding Roof Rats In The Attic
Roof rats live outdoors where they feed on seeds and plants. But once fall rolls around and those seeds and plants go away, roof rats begin to seek new food sources. As they travel through neighborhoods looking for food, they also find nesting spots.
Roof rats are excellent climbers and can make their way uninvited into your home by traveling through construction gaps leading to your attic, which is where they are often found nesting. They also show impressive balance, using fences and power lines to travel from house to house, wreaking havoc in neighborhoods.
Roof Rat Control: How To Get Rid Of Roof Rats
This page is a general Roof Rat control guide. Using the products and methods suggested you will get control of Roof Rats. Follow this guide and use the recommended products and we guarantee 100% control of Roof Rats.
Roof Rats infestations can happen to homes and businesses.
Roof Rats have a slender body and weight about 11 to 14 ounces. Their fur is generally grayish in color. They have pointed noses, as opposed to Norway Rats which have blunted noses. They have large eyes and large ears.
Roof Rats are often above in high places, like tree lines, and in fence rows. They can occupy both rural and suburban areas, as usually find shelter high up in structures in second stories or in attics.
Roof Rats enter structures in search of food and shelter. In some instances, they may harbor and nest in one property, and feed or look for food sources in another one. The winter and the cold months might drive them indoors to escape the weather.
Roof Rats like all rodents are capable of transmitting a number of diseases including murine typhus, salmonellosis, plague, among others. They also carry fleas and ticks which can be transferred to human and pets, and with their chewing habits can wreak havoc on wiring, which could lead to house fires.
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Consult A Pest Technician
If youve noticed the recent activity of roof rats around your home, you might want to consult a pest control specialist. Here, your property is inspected, and nesting sites are identified.
This is followed by comprehensive treatment. The pest technician gives other preventive tips to help keep these rodents at bay.
Now you know what roof rats eat. These omnivores will readily eat a wide array of food consumed by humans.
Eliminate Roof Rats At Pinnacle Pest Control
The best solution to effectively eliminate roof rats in your property is to call for professional pest control. Pinnacle Pest Control provides excellent pest control services to all our clients in Northern California. Our team is equipped with extensive knowledge and the latest technology to eliminate roof rats both indoors and outdoors.
We have technicians and experts who thoroughly inspect your property for anything that invites the pests inside. Our team treats your property like its our own to provide you with the best solutions to the problem. Learn more about Pinnacle Pest Control and our services when you call us at one of our offices today.
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How To Get Rid Of Rats In The Roof Without Poison
If youve recently encountered every homeowners furry little nightmare , youre not alone. Dont let their small size mislead you these creatures can cause significant damage to your house, contaminate food and spread diseases. If youre looking for a natural way to deal with rats in your roof space, youve landed in the right place.
Norway Rat Vs Roof Rat
Norway rats and roof rats can easily be distinguished by color. The Norway rat has brownish-gray fur, while the roof rat has black fur with whitish underbellies. The two rats can also be differentiated based on size. Whereas Norway rats can grow as much as ten inches, adult roof rats are only approximately eight inches long. The roof rat often has a considerably longer tail as well.
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Plaster Of Paris As A Rat Poison
If you want to kill a rat faster than baking soda, youll want to use Plaster of Paris. This substance is often used for crafts. It works with water and quickly becomes a moldable paste.
The good news is that you can use the same two recipes mentioned above to form bait balls.
But when choosing your peanut butter, you want to make sure that its not too oily. The reason is that the plaster will absorb the oil and then harden. The drier the peanut butter, the better. Youll need 3 grams of Plaster of Paris to kill a rat.
The idea is simple: rats consume the plaster, it enters the body and soaks up water, and the rats die from dehydration. Since the plaster will harden inside of the rat, it will also not be able to be digested.
Either way, the rat dies from either starvation or dehydration.
Youll definitely want to keep the plaster away from pets or kids.
Anytime that you use a poison, even one that is very strong and commercial-strength, youll want to make sure that you replace the poison often. The poison is almost always slow working, and it will take a few days of consumption to kill the rat.
Size will also play a major role in how long the rat will survive after eating the poison. If the rat is extremely large, it will take more poison to kill it.
Using multiple lures will allow you to attract more rats and ensure that the rats dont get tired of the bait.
Are Roof Rats Harmful
Any rat can become aggressive when threatened. They might bite you or pursue you. You could contract an illness like rat-bite fever if a roof rat bites you. Rat-bite fever symptoms might appear anywhere in a matter of days or weeks after the incident. Its important to recognize the symptoms because they can be present even after the bite has previously healed:
- Joint and muscle aches.
Note that some infections caused by rats can kill people if not handled appropriately. They can infect people through their feces and urine. Although roof rats are yet to be linked to the Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, you must still exercise caution when wiping up urine and excrement because you might have mistaken your rat infestation for something else. When people breathe air that has been around rat saliva, feces, or urine, they can contract the hantavirus.
Furthermore, fleas that previously fed on rats can make you sick. Diseases like tularemia and plague can be spread when a flea attacks a roof rat and afterward bites you.
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