Rats are notorious for causing significant property damage, from ruining insulation with droppings to chewing electrical wiring. They are also known to spread disease.
Preventing infestations requires a combination of sanitation, trapping, and, if necessary, chemical controls. It also involves understanding that rat species’ unique behaviors and preferences influence their entry points and habitat. Contact Roof Rat Removal Service Texas now!
Roof rats are agile climbers and can enter homes through a variety of entry points. To prevent rodents from accessing your home, you should remove their food and water sources by storing garbage in sealed containers and disposing of waste regularly. You should also trim trees so that limbs do not hang over or brush against your roof and store firewood away from the house. Good outdoor sanitation will help reduce rat attraction as well.
Rodents make a mess inside your home by chewing through wires, damaging insulation and destroying drywall. They also leave droppings, urine odor and gnaw marks in various places around your property. In addition, they can transmit diseases. Having a pest control expert inspect your home and perform rodent exclusion will ensure that the problem is eliminated.
IDENTIFYING GAPS
Roof rat openings can be as small as the width of a pencil. A professional technician will identify entrance points and seal them with a combination of materials, including caulk and wood filler. It is important to note that minor pathways that are rarely traveled should be prioritized for population reduction, then sealed once their numbers have been reduced.
REMEMBER PERMEABILITY
Sealing your home too tightly can degrade its structural integrity. It is important to use water-permeable materials for weep holes, breathable materials for soffit and ridge vents and woven hardware cloth for air vents. It is also important to remember that roof rats can still gain entry into your home through ductwork or chimneys, so these areas should be inspected and appropriately sealed as well.
PROCESS
Performing a full inspection of the interior and exterior of your home, as well as the yard, is a critical first step. Ideally, this should be done before you see signs of a rodent infestation.
Once a pest control company has identified all possible entrance points, the professionals can install a variety of rat-proofing devices. Some of these include steel mesh and other barriers to entry. Some of these are installed from the ground, while others are affixed to the outside of your house. A professional will also repair the gaps that have been widened by rodents, and sanitize the house to remove any feces and urine deposits.
Traps
Because roof rats are such agile climbers, trapping is often necessary to significantly reduce a population. However, the trapping process is more complex than simply placing a few traditional snap or glue traps on the ground. Because these rodents are so adept at scaling walls, they typically nest in upper levels like attics or ceilings. As a result, traps must be placed at hard-to-reach locations such as pipes, rafters and columns, and above drop ceilings. This can be difficult for individuals with busy schedules or limited physical capabilities to manage on their own.
While the trapping process is a necessary part of eliminating a roof rat infestation, it can also be an expensive one. In addition to the cost of purchasing traps and bait, homeowners must regularly monitor the traps for results. This can be time-consuming and frustrating for homeowners, especially when the pests are resistant to certain products or are in a difficult-to-reach area.
A professional pest control expert has the experience and knowledge necessary to identify a roof rat problem and implement effective methods to eliminate it. They’ll be able to advise on how to prevent future infestations by properly fortifying your home, wisely managing landscapes, and performing regular inspections.
In order to help prevent a roof rat infestation, it’s important to keep your home and yard clean of food scraps. It’s also a good idea to store food in rodent-proof containers and dispose of trash in sealed bins. Additionally, storing firewood at least 6 feet away from your house will help prevent rats from using it as a bridge to get inside.
Finally, be sure to caulk all openings larger than an inch in diameter, and place screens over attic turbine vents and roof vents. This will prevent a rodent from entering through these vulnerable points.
You can also look for signs of a roof rat infestation in your home, such as droppings and gnaw marks. The latter can appear as greasy rub marks on wood or electrical wires, or you may hear scratching noises at night or catch glimpses of the rodents foraging during the day.
Baits
Despite what you may have heard on the Internet, there are many ways to control rodent populations without using poisons. The most effective method is to perform a thorough exclusion and then implement an outdoor baiting program once the area has been thoroughly sealed.
The most important aspect of a baiting program is that it is carried out by trained wildlife control specialists. The poisons used in most bait systems can be dangerous to pets and children if they are not properly applied or administered, so this is a job best left to a professional.
Baits for roof rats can include anything that is palatable to them. Peanut butter is a popular choice because it is easy for rodents to pick up and carry back to their nests, but chocolate, slim jims, dried fruit, whole nuts, and dental floss can also be attractive to them.
In addition to being a nuisance, rats can cause serious health problems for people. They are known to spread numerous diseases, including rat bite fever, which can be contracted through even a single bite. They can also contaminate food supplies and wreak havoc with garbage disposal. Additionally, they can be a significant source of post-nasal drip and allergy-type symptoms due to their urine.
If you suspect that you have a rat infestation, it is critical to hire a wildlife control specialist to identify the type of rat and devise a plan for eradication. Trying to handle it yourself may only lead to frustration and recurring problems.
To begin with, your pest control specialist may use snap traps to capture the rodents in areas where they are active. The steel bars that snap down on the rat will kill it quickly, so these types of traps are considered humane. Other traps that can be used include glue traps, which are essentially flat pieces of cardboard covered in a special adhesive and can be placed flush versus floorings or walls where rats travel. They are considered one of the most humane traps to use for rat control, but should only be employed by professionals trained in their application.
Inspection
During the rat control process, trained technicians inspect all parts of the property to determine how the rats are entering the house. They are particularly attentive to areas around roof vents, eaves, and holes in the building exterior. Since roof rats are excellent climbers, these spots may allow them to gain entry into a structure. They also look for signs of gnawing on floor joists, siding, wires, and other home fixtures. Other signs of a rat infestation include droppings with pointed ends, urine odor, and grease on fur.
After a thorough inspection, the technicians will use sealants and wire mesh to rat-proof all entry points. These protective measures will safeguard the integrity of your home, preventing future rodent problems. However, rats are smart and persistent and may try to reenter the home in search of food and water. That’s why it’s important to rat-proof the entire property.
Rats gnaw on anything they can find to sharpen their front teeth and create nesting materials. They chew through electrical wires, which can pose a fire hazard to your home and family. They can also contaminate living spaces by spreading diseases in the urine, feces, and saliva they leave behind. In the kitchen, they can destroy appliances and damage drywall and wood.
Rodents can also degrade the insulation in attics and crawlspaces, which decreases its R-value and makes it harder to maintain comfortable temperatures in the home. This also increases utility bills and reduces energy efficiency. In addition, rat droppings can cause respiratory and other health issues in humans and pets.
To keep rats out, restrict food sources such as pet food, seeds, and garbage to airtight containers. Remove any stacked garbage or boxes that could serve as hiding spots for rats. Also, regularly clean up spills and sweep basements to limit places for rats to hide. Finally, seal any cracks or gaps larger than a nickel. These small openings may lead to rat access points in the foundation, baseboards, eaves, door and window frames, utility line connections, and ventilation.
