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How To Get Rid Of Roof Rats In Attic

Roof Rat Control: How To Get Rid Of Roof Rats

How to GET RID of RATS IN YOUR ATTIC…BEST Rodent Removal

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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What Should I Do First

With any roof rat problem, you should first do the things that help your situation. Your home should be clear of any easily accessible food and water sources. Removing as many sources of food as possible. Fallen fruit should be picked up immediately and trashcan lids secured. Bird feeders should also be cleaned up as roof rats enjoy nuts too. Any food/water placed outdoors for pets should be brought inside and secured.

Trimming away any branches close to your roof line, and pruning shrubs will also deter roof rats. Keep trees, shrubs and vines maintained to discourage climbing and nesting. Also, keep an eye out for any sources of water the roof rats may depend on. Watch out for leaky fixtures! Water sources include: faucets, hoses, sprinkler heads, air conditioning units. Water fountains, ponds, even plant pots and bird baths provide a dependable source of water for roof rats.

How To Remove Rats In The Attic

Categories Pest Control

Have you consistently been losing sleep thanks to the irritating squeaks and gnawing in your attic?

Rats in the attic are one of the most infuriating problems to deal with as a homeowner or tenant.

These sneaky rodents are not only challenging to catch but can also hide just about anywhere.

But heres the good news:

There are plenty of proven ways to get rid of rats in attics provided you understand the challenge ahead.

Although theres no guaranteed way to eliminate a rat infestation overnight, following these few great tips will help get your attic rodent-free in a relatively short time.

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Damage And Other Issues

You know that the longer you let rodents take up residence in your attic, the bolder they become in creating havoc on your stored boxes, old furniture, and everything else they can get their teeth into.

Here are the specific damages that roof rats in attic rooms can wreck:

  • Scratch the floors, ceilings, and walls
  • Leave their droppings around, creating the perfect breeding ground for mold and bacteria
  • Leave their urine on boxes, clothes, couches anywhere leaving an unpleasant smell and stain
  • Damage your wood, water pipes, insulation, and electric wires, creating a fire hazard
  • Carry diseases and pathogens that can put you and your familys health in danger
  • Contaminate your water and food
  • Endanger your household pets with fleas, mites, and ticks

How Long Do Rats Live

Can You Hear Rats In The Attic During Day

How long do rats live? It depends on circumstance, species, and luck. Pet rats have lived as long as four years with optimal care, nutrition, and a suitable environment. However, these are luxuries that wild rats cant count on, and it shows in the relative shortness of their lifespan. Rats suffer fairly high rates of mortality early in life, and less than half will make it to one year of age in the more long-lived species. Some common rat species live to around a year, while others can make it two years fairly often. Even in these species, though, its extremely rare to see a rat live to three years old in the wild.

In short, the answer to how long does a rat live is not very long. That said, whether a rat lives for as little as a year or three, it will be able to reproduce many times over. The fast pace of their life cycle means that even with high rates of juvenile mortality, the average rat will have dozens or hundreds of offspring that make it to sexual maturity.

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Quickly Eliminate Rodents Like Mice In Only 1 Day

Are you struggling with rodents such as rats, mice, and squirrels coming in and out of your attic and you simply dont know what else to do? Have you used pest control and rodents are still coming back?

If you really want to make sure your home is rodent-free I will walk you through a 5 step solution that can be done in only one day! Instead of a temporary band-aid, you will have a long-lasting solution for rodents and will never have to handle them again.

In addition, I will teach you about a comprehensive service called air sealing. This service will enhance the air quality of your home and is actually the secret sauce to becoming energy efficient and saving a lot of money on your energy bills.

Do Roof Rats Cause Diseases

Yes Roof rats spread diseases through their droppings, urine, and saliva. They can contaminate food and other items with their droppings or through chewing due to bacteria in their mouths. Roof rats transfer diseases from either contamination, droppings, physical contact, wounds, or fleas that have bitten roof rats.

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For Best Results It Is Highly Recommended That The Evictor Strobe Light Operate Continuously 24/7 Year Round

Do not have the Entrance/Exit Holes sealed for at least 1 month. Many customers can not locate the entrance or exit holes and choose to leave the EVICTOR® operating year round for continuing protection against damage from rodents.

For best results it is recommended that the Evictor® operate continuously 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Do not seal the entrance or exit holes for at least one month. Exposure to the Evictor® trains squirrels, roof rats, norway rats, raccoons, and other rodents to hate your home. The Evictor® 10K discourages digging, chewing, and other property damage.

How To Get Rid Of Rats In The Yard

The BEST WAY to GET RID OF ROOF RATS QUICKLY…airsoft

Even if theres no access point for rats to enter your home, rats in your yard can still be dangerous nuisances. While living in the shrubs and trash around your home isnt as ideal for the rat as staying in your cozy attic, it presents problems for you. The rat itself is likely to tear up flower beds and might eat or damage fruits, vegetables, or herbs that you plant. Furthermore, its almost inevitable that outdoor rats and your pets will run into each other at some point.

Cats and dogs have strong rat-hunting instincts, and this can lead to fights that theres no winning. While only smaller cats and dogs are likely to suffer a fatal rat attack, getting bitten by a rat or eating a dead rat can cause serious bacterial infections. A curious pet licking the feces that a rat will drop all over your yard could also come down with a serious illness.

When you start trapping rats in the outdoors, its necessary to take greater precautions compared to setting traps in the garage or basement. Even if you hide a trap in thick shrubbery, its still likely to attract and injure animals that you didnt intend to hurt, especially neighborhood pets. One workaround is using a milk crate with heavy objects on top of it to use the contortionist skills of a rat against it.

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What Are The Primary Entry Points For Roof Rats

Your home may offer several inviting entryways for roof rats. Attic and roof vents can lead straight into your home. Gaps in the coverage, no matter how small, may be just enough for a roof rat to squeeze through. Chimneys and drainage pipes are another entry point. Roof damage, like missing or broken shingles, makes it easier for rodents to enter your home.

Signs You Have A Roof Rat Infestation

Look for droppings about ¼ to ½-inch in length, gnaw marks in or around your home, or fallen fruit from trees that appears to be eaten by a small animal.

Your pets may also hear the rats in the walls or ceilings and focus on those noises. If you hear scurrying in the walls, attic, or garage at night, that is also a sure sign you have a rat infestation.

Roof rats may leave grease marks on walls, cupboards or baseboards as they move along the perimeter of your home. Be sure to look for urine stains or smells.

Exposed wiring, torn insulation, or gnawed sheetrock can also be signs of a roof rat colony.

Lastly, if you see a rat, there are undoubtedly more hiding in your home.

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Why Is Attic So Attractive To Rats

1. Its cozy up there.

Rats are attracted to attics because they offer a warm, dry, and safe space to nest. Attics are typically located high off the ground, which helps rats feel protected from predators. Additionally, attics are often filled with insulation, which makes them even more cozy and comfortable for rats.

2. Theres plenty of food.

Another reason why rats are attracted to attics is that there is often an abundance of food available. Rats are scavengers and will eat just about anything, so theyre often able to find plenty of food in attics. This includes things like insulation, paper, and even stored food items that have been left behind by humans.

3. Its quiet and secluded.

Rats also like attics because they tend to be quiet and secluded places. This means that rats can nest undisturbed and without fear of being discovered by humans. Additionally, the darkness of an attic can be appealing to rats, as it helps them feel hidden and safe.

4. Theres no competition.

Since attics are not typically inhabited by other animals, rats can feel confident that they will have the space to themselves. This lack of competition can be appealing to rats, as it means that they dont have to share their food or space with other animals.

5. Its familiar territory.

Dispose Of Roof Rats After You Kill Them

Rats In your Attic or Home? Learn How to Get Rid of Them!

Roof rats, also known as black rats, are mostly smaller than Norway rats- apart from their tails. Youll know its a roof rat youre dealing with if its tail is longer than its head and body combined. These rats are agile climbers, and will usually nest in shrubs above ground, so it makes sense that they will make their way up to your attic.

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Signs Of Rats In The Loft

  • Rat droppings When inspecting your loft or attic, look for brown droppings in corners and along walls. Rats like to nest anywhere dark and cool, so look for brown faeces shaped like grains of rice.
  • Noises in the loft Rats are typically more active at night than during the day, especially during cold weather. You may hear them scurrying around the attic or in the ceilings late at night.
  • Gnawing Rats are known to gnaw on wood, plastic, and metal, so make sure you check for gnaw marks on skirting boards and door frames, especially in attics. They can also chew through wires, so check throughout your home for any holes.
  • Smudge marks Rats are notoriously unhygienic creatures that carry dirt on their fur as they travel through fields, sewers, and pipelines. Its easy to see the marks of dirt and rodent droppings on wall panels, skirting boards, carpets, windowsills, and floors.
  • Rat nests Rats build nests in more hidden places, such as attics, crawl spaces, or under sheds. They can also be found in the walls of basements and drains. Look for food remains and rodent droppings.
  • Rat footprints Check attics, lofts and high-up areas where dust collects and footprints are easily visible

Still Wondering How To Get Rid Of Roof Rats

Roof rats are common intruders in Southern Florida. If you notice signs of these pests in your roof or attic, youre not alone. And, there are many things you can do to get rid of them and prevent them in the future.

Follow the four steps above on how to get rid of roof rats.

Command Pest Control has ample experience removing roof rats from Florida homes. Contact us to schedule an appointment.

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How Do You Know If You Have Rats In Your Attic

Tell-Tale Signs of Rats in the Walls or Attics

  • Squeaking or scurrying sounds in the walls.
  • Running or soft footstep sounds primarily at night.
  • Piles of droppings in an area behind a stove, in the basement or attic, or on the ground.
  • Food packages, containers or wooden spoons that have been gnawed on.

If You Have Roof Rats In Your Attic Space

Getting rid of rats in attic space

While the recommended technique for getting rid of rats in your roof space is similar to that used to catch mice, there are still differences between the two species.

For example, the difference in size and strength between rats and mice justifies the use of larger traps. Also, unlike mice, which are curious creatures, rats flee new objects in their environment. Thats why its best to scatter traps in the attic for a week before you start baiting and engaging them.

If you notice that the traps are disappearing , securely attach the traps to the floor of your attic.

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Residence And Landscape Tips

You can take actions around the home and also backyard to avoid roof covering rats from entering your home. Begin with sealing access in the home, after that:

  • Usage caulk to fill out any fractures or holes around the home that procedure 0.25 in or larger
  • Area displays over roof covering vents as well as attic room generator ventilators
  • Make use of a smokeshaft cap or display to shield your fire place
  • Search for and obstruct entrances under sinks, near washing machines, dryers, dishwashing machines & & hot water heating units
  • Always shut doors when exiting your home
  • See to it all home window screens remain in excellent condition

You could do some basic landscape design to avoid roofing system rats from acquiring entrance to your home. For example, prune back tree branches or limbs near your residence within three feet of your roof. Keep hand trees cut as well as take down creeping plants or shrubs expanding against or near the residence. Weaken shrubs near your home to discourage rats from utilizing them as cover.

Houses that have attics or other high places are more prone to roofing system rat invasions since they choose to live above ground. Other points that can bring in roofing rats to your house consist of:

  • Heavy shrubbery

Store Food In Airtight Containers

Rodents have a very sensitive sense of smell, so they can be easily attracted to any food left out in the open. Cover the rubbish bin at all times. If you have a pet, store their food in rat-proof containers. When feeding your beloved pet, try to give them just enough food for one serving. As it wont stay in their bowl for too long and attract the pesky rodents.

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How Many Roof Rats Are In A Colony

If you’ve spotted one roof rat in your home, it probably means there are more around. Roof rats do live in colonies. While the numbers may vary, a roof rat can produce around 40 offspring during their lifetime. The colony aspect of rats is why you should move quickly to deal with the problem as soon as you spot any evidence of an infestation.

Rat Control Methods We Dont Reccomend

How To Get Rid Of Rats In Attic Fast

Animal rights advocates recommend attempting to live in harmony with rat species whenever possible.

This is accomplished by rat-proofing a property to make it less attractive to rodents on the theory that the prevention of a problem is always the cheapest and most effective way of dealing with rat control.

When animals must be removed from an already infested property animal rights activists suggest the use of non-lethal traps. These traps capture the animals alive and unharmed and must be immediately followed by the release of the rats outdoors. Release does not mean dumping the rats miles away from point of capture but rather within 100 yards of the original location. Rats released farther away than this are more likely to die or be killed due to their unfamiliarity with their surroundings.

Cats & Snakes are natural predators of rodents rat terriers were specifically bred over centuries to catch and kill rats. this the most natural way to totally get rid of these rodents.

Electrocution traps: are a new tech inventions marketed as a green product to stop the use of rodenticides. These devices lure the animal to them and emit a electric shock.

Blunt-force trauma: this method of dispatching a rat is most common with the use of glue traps.

Shooting with a projectile: you laugh be we get the call a few times each year.

However despite the varied opinion of poisons and glue traps are they are legal and viable means for extermination.

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