When the lights go out, the TV is turned off and all you want to hear is the quiet of night before dozing off to sleep, it can be disturbing to hear noise and movement in your attic. But that’s a common sound in households if you have a roof rat infestation.
Not only are roof rats yucky and inconvenient, but they’re also a threat to your property, your health and your sense of security. These intruders can:
- Destroy property and belongings
- Chew through wires and cause fires
- Tear drywall and insulation
- Leave potentially contaminated droppings behind
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.
How to help prevent roof rats
Even though roof rats prefer to feed on seeds and plants, they aren’t ones to turn down a free meal for the taking. And your yard is probably stocked with an all-you-can-eat buffet and you may not even be aware. Use the steps below to help prevent your yard from becoming a roof rat restaurant.
- Feed Your Pets Inside
- A roof rat won’t turn its nose up to pet food. If you can avoid it, don’t feed your dogs and cats outside where roof rats can easily steal a meal. Both you and your pets will appreciate it.
- Scoop the Poop
- One animal’s waste is another animal’s treasure and if all other food sources are exhausted, then roof rats may find your dog’s droppings appetizing. Regular scooping can help prevent roof rats from trespassing on your property.
- Exclusion
- Your home likely has entry points that roof rats can find, like construction gaps entering your attic. Terminix offers exclusion services to secure these parts of your home from invaders.
How to get rid of roof rats
If roof rats have already entered your home, then there are measures you can take to get rid of these pesky rodents.
Snap traps are typically the best way to capture and get rid of roof rats. However, setting snap traps can be extremely difficult, especially when trying to catch a roof rat, which is among the toughest of rodents to capture. Setting snap traps can also be dangerous for your safety and health – including your family’s – if it’s not handled with the necessary care. So it’s probably your best bet to call in the pest professionals.
Terminix will identify intruding roof rats, determine the most effective way to get them out of your home and then customize a solution to keep them from coming back. And with a Terminix pest control plan, if the roof rats come back, then so do we.
