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Roof Rat Infestation: Causes, Symptoms and Solutions

Written by Kevin on . Posted in Attic Rats, Rat cleanup, Rodents in Attic.

A roof rat infestation is a problem no homeowner wants to have. Roof rats are a common type of rat that get their name from their tendency to seek shelter in the upper part of buildings. They are smaller than a common subway rat, which allows them to sneakily gain entry into your home. Don’t let the name deceive you – roof rats can also be found in other parts of your home and in outdoor spaces. If you are a homeowner, it is important to be aware of roof rats, the problems they cause, how to prevent an infestation, and how to get rid of a roof rat infestation. 

How Do Roof Rats Get Into Your Home? 

Roof rats are naturally gifted climbers and prefer having their nests up high. They are known to use tree limbs, vines, and power lines to climb up and get into homes. In some cases, roof rats can also climb directly on your exterior stucco to gain entry into your home. While roof rats are not as small as mice, they are able to easily get into an opening that is about the size of a quarter. Generally, roof rats seek shelter in homes for protection from predators and to look for food/water sources.

Are Roof Rats Harmful? 

Roof rats are harmful to your health and home, so if you have an infestation, it is something you should take care of immediately. 

A roof rat infestation can detrimentally affect your health. They carry fleas and also diseases such as typhus, infectious jaundice, rat-bite fever, and trichinosis. If you have them in your kitchen, they can also cause food poisoning by contaminating food or counter spaces where you prepare food.  If you want to learn more about the harmful effects of roof rats on your health, The University of Arizona published a paper discussing the pathogens they carry.

Roof rats also harm your home. They gnaw on wooden structures such as wood beams and other important parts of your home. Roof rats also chew on pipes, trample down on insulation, and chew on wires. If they get to your electrical wires or pipes, roof rats can cause many hazards and damage to your home.

How do I know if I have Roof Rats? 

If you have a roof rat infestation, and require rodent proofing services, there will be signs. You won’t usually see the roof rats as they are nocturnal, but as they forage for food, they will leave signs of their presence. 

The most obvious sign that they leave are droppings, which are about 0.5 inches long. If you come across these, you should clean them up immediately using a strong disinfectant since their droppings are known to spread disease.

Other signs of a roof rat infestation include gnawing or scratching noises in the attic or walls, damage to electrical wires from gnawing, hollowed out fruit if you have fruit trees in your yard, the presence of nests in the insulation of your home, and gnaw marks around your home’s roof. If you have a dog or cat, the presence of roof rats will likely cause them distress and agitation. If your animal starts randomly acting strange and you’re noticing gnaw marks around, it is likely you have a rodent infestation that could be roof rats.

If you are seeing signs of a roof rat infestation, call a trusted exterminator immediately. Once roof rats are inside your home, the population is known to grow quickly. A female roof rat can have a litter of 5-8 babies up to 3 times a year. 

How to Prevent a Roof Rat Infestation

No home is immune to a rodent infestation, which is why it is important to take precautionary measures to avoid having roof rats come in and completely disrupt your home. To prevent an infestation, you should look for and seal up any holes or cracks that are larger than a quarter. Additionally, all windows and vents should have screens on them so that the rats can’t sneak through. Since roof rats are very adept climbers, you will want to ensure your trees and shrubs are trimmed away from your home so they do not have easy access to your space. It is also recommended to eliminate sources of water that the rats would be attracted to such as leady sprinklers, birdbaths, and leaky pipes.

Another important aspect of rodent prevention is to be mindful about food they may be able to access. Roof rats are always searching for food sources, so as your first line of defense make sure any fruit that has fallen from trees is cleaned up and your garbage cans are tightly sealed. Inside, you should ensure dry food and pet food are in sealed containers so that the rodents cannot access it. 

Some people use ultrasonic repellents to deter rodents like roof rats from entering their homes. Essentially, these devices emit a high-frequency sound that is extremely distressing for rodents but does not bother humans and most pets. If you have a hamster or guinea pig, be mindful about where you place this device so you are not causing them any harm. 

How Do I Get Rid of a Roof Rat Infestation?

If you are seeing signs of a roof rat infestation, we recommend calling a trusted exterminator in your area who can conduct a home inspection and come up with an infestation treatment plan for your home. 

If you are more of a DIY person, there are certain actions you can take to get rid of the infestation. You can use a bait and trap method to get rid of your roof rat infestation. It is recommended that you use dried fruit, nuts, berries, peanut butter, or an item such as dental floss that is an attractive nesting material. One thing to note is that you should avoid setting traps and placing food in the attic of your home as it could have an unintended effect of attracting more roof rats.


Best bet would be avoiding traps and food in the attic, only at extreme situations you should place traps in attic only to find the rats entry point to the attic Because roof rats are cautious creatures, to lure them into the trap, it is recommended that you put out the bait for a few days without setting the trap so that they trust it as a safe food source. 

For traps, you have the option of a traditional snap trap (you know the one) or a more high tech electronic trap. The electronic traps are considered to be more humane as they use a high-voltage shock to take out the rat. Electronic traps are a great option because they are reusable, easily disposable, they have a blinking light that indicates a rat is in there, and most importantly, they are safe to use around pets and kids.

Once you have gotten rid of the roof rat infestation, sanitize everything and follow the roof rat prevention tips recommended by experts and enjoy your roof rat free home.

How to Get Rid of Rats in Your Attic

Written by Kevin on . Posted in Attic Rats, Rat cleanup. No Comments on How to Get Rid of Rats in Your Attic

It might start with the soft sound of little feet. Maybe you hear scurrying overhead one night or see teeth marks and rodent droppings on the edges of the furniture you have stored in your attic space. Pretty soon, all the signs point to the same conclusion—you have a rat infestation in your attic.

With the wide array of traps, poisons, and other rodent-removal tools on the market, it can be difficult to know how to start tackling a house mouse problem. Should you try to tackle the problem yourself with an old-fashioned mouse trap and cheese to take care of your mouse infestation? Or is this a job for a pest control professional.

In this short guide, we’ll explain the best rodent control methods for rat removal, proofing, and prevention. 

How Do I Know If I Have Rats In My Attic?

It can be challenging to know whether rats in your attic are the culprit for the noises you hear at night. But it’s important to confirm the source of your problem, as a family of raccoons or squirrels may require a different pest-control solution. Understanding how to get rid of squirrels in the attic can be different than taking care of a rat or mice infestation. 

Rats are nocturnal and usually shy, so you may never actually see a live rat in your attic or home. Instead, you should look for the signs that point to the unwelcome visitors.

The following are all signs that you have rats in the attic:

  • You hear scratching or scurrying sounds 
  • You notice scraps of hair or mouse droppings
  • There is a noticeable smell

However, it’s best to consult with a pest or wildlife removal specialist to confirm that rats are actually the source of the issue.

How Do I Get Rid of Rats?

No one likes sharing their home with rats. Aside from being off putting, rats spread diseases and cause property damage, so it’s essential to address your rat problem right away. 

Once you’ve confirmed that rats are truly the issue, there are three crucial steps to get rid of rodents in your attic. 

Step One: Exterminate 

*Something to note: Although we are recommending extermination as the first step to getting rid of rats, here at Attic Construction we can easily work in attics with live rat activity and still garner fantastic results. 

There are several different methods of getting rid of rats. But not all methods are created equal. Certain extermination solutions are better to ensure you’re protecting nearby wildlife, your pets, and children in your household. 

When you’re researching how to get rid of rats in attic, you’ll likely encounter the following products:

  • Live traps – This type of rat trap consists of a small cage. It is called a live trap because the animal is kept (as the name suggests) alive. Although this might seem more humane than killing them, relocating animals may leave behind orphans, and relocated animals rarely survive.
  • Glue traps – These can be as simple as a tray coated in a sticky adhesive. Unfortunately, they are an ineffective and inhumane method of pest control. Large rats can pull themselves free, and those that do get caught suffer prolonged, painful deaths from exhaustion and dehydration.
  • Snap traps – Old-fashioned traps use a bait station to attract rats. Then, a spring-loaded bar comes down and kills the rodent instantly. Snap traps are an effective and humane way to deal with rodents—if you can actually get them interested in the bait. Since rats are highly intelligent, they know to avoid unfamiliar objects. They might also have a nearby food source that is more enticing than testing the snap trap.
  • Rat poison – It is best to exercise extreme caution when using this method yourself. Otherwise, you risk accidentally harming children, pets, and local wildlife.1 A qualified pest control professional can lay out poison bait in areas of minimal risk to other creatures.

Whichever method you use, it is vital that you kill 100% of the rats in your house. Rats breed extremely quickly—a single female can have up to 5 litters a year. If any individuals are left alive, your rat problem will be back in no time at all. 

If you are uncomfortable with killing rats or simply want to make sure the job is done right, you should consider professional rodent removal.

Step Two: Keep Rats Out

The most important step to getting rats out of your attic is to prevent them from getting in. Your attic is warm and dry and filled with lots of prime nesting material. Rats see your attic as an inviting place to settle down and have a family, and they will do anything they can to get in.

Roof rats, the pest most likely responsible for your home’s infestation, are incredibly agile and excellent at breaking into your home. They can run up power lines, scale buildings, jump up to four feet, and squeeze through any hole larger than a quarter. They can even chew through wooden doors and windows to gain access to your house2.

So how can you keep them out?

Rat-proof your attic.

To rat-proof your attic, you’ll need to find 100% of the paths rodents are using to get in. You should cover any holes larger than a quarter with rat-proof material such as sheet metal. If this seems daunting, check out the rodent proofing services from Attic Construction.

Step Three: Decontaminate Your Attic

Congratulations, you’ve gotten rid of your rat population! But—your work is not over yet. Here’s why there’s still a few things left to do before you can breathe a little easier:

  • Though the rats are gone, evidence of their presence certainly isn’t. Rat feces and urine left behind after an infestation may aggravate allergies and cause diseases such as salmonella and the potentially life-threatening hantavirus.3 
  • Rats can chew through walls or even electrical wiring, creating fire hazards and power outages.

Decontamination is best left up to professionals with protective equipment. 

Reclaim Your Home With Help From Attic Construction

You might not spend much time in your attic, but that doesn’t mean you want to find rat feces amongst your holiday decorations!

While solutions like glue traps and snap traps can feel more affordable in the short-term, you need a long-term solution to your rat problem.

At Attic Construction, we have highly trained professionals ready to decontaminate your attic and make your home safe again. Likewise, our attic-proofing services ensure that critters of all sizes will stay out. Get in touch with us today to schedule a free consultation.

Sources:

  1. Pennsylvania Game Commision. Rodenticide Toxicity. https://www.pgc.pa.gov/Wildlife/Wildlife-RelatedDiseases/Pages/RodenticideToxicity.aspx
  2. CDC. Disease Vectors and Pests. https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/publications/books/housing/cha04.htm

 

Are You Looking For Professional Rodent Cleanup Services? Read On!

Written by Kevin on . Posted in Rat cleanup. No Comments on Are You Looking For Professional Rodent Cleanup Services? Read On!

If you need crawl space cleaning service or rat cleanup service for your home, you can definitely put your faith in the specialized services of Attic Construction. The experts of the company have the right tools and experience to clean your crawl space skillfully and methodically. Some of their exceptional pest control services include: If you need crawl space cleaning or rat cleanup for your home, you can definitely put your faith in the specialized services of Attic Construction. The experts of the company have the right tools and experience to clean your crawl space skillfully and methodically. Some of their exceptional pest control services include:

*Rodent Control- Rodents are the transporters of infecting diseases and are the key reason for property destruction and for those controlling these pests with the crucial safety precaution is essential. In this, vermin control businesses have proficient technicians which use progressive approaches to remove rodents from the commercial area or residence enduringly.

*Ant prevention- Ant control is a so difficult issue as the chances of ant re-infestation are higher. But with a professional pest control system, this issue can be tackled permanently without affecting the environment of the household life.

*Fleas Control- Controlling the flea infestation in pets is so challenging. For this flea control, maximum of the firms approach three different procedures for controlling fleas that are mechanical therapies to control an outbreak of fleas, then habitat remedies for treating pests in the house. Last of all, insecticide remedies for treating the region where these flea habitats for deterrence of fleas return.

Attic Construction is a reliable company providing a wide range of attic services from different locations. So, whether you are searching for rodent clean up, animal proofing or attic cleaning in Orange County, San Diego, and Phoenix area, we got you covered.

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