Houses make noises as the structure expands and contracts with the changing weather. The occasional creak or pop is natural for a home, but when you hear an unexpected noise like a crash in the night, scratching under the floor or inside of walls, or the sound of something running in the attic, you get concerned. If strange sounds of scratching or movement are from the attic area, you may have a problem with roof rats.
If you hear these sounds in the upper areas of your house, call the Granbury pest control professionals from Wise/Chem Safe Pest Control. Our family-owned company is here to serve our community. Our two decades of pest control experience qualifies us to tackle and fix your rodent problems.
Identifying A Roof Rat Problem In Your House
Roof rats are rodents that invade homes in our area. These creatures live in groups and prefer to live in the upper parts of structures in roof rafters and attics. Although they are nocturnal and are active at night while homeowners are asleep, here are signs of roof rats they leave behind:
- Roof rats: The best evidence is dead or alive roof rats. These rats have brown with black fur on top and a gray, black, or white belly. Their total body length, including their long, scaly tail, is 16 inches. Roof rats have large eyes and ears.
- Droppings: The rod-shaped roof rat droppings have pointed ends and measure about 1/2 inch.
- Gnaw marks: Roof rats, like all rodents, have an insatiable need to gnaw due to their ever-growing incisor teeth. They will chew on wood, wires, aluminum siding, and just about anything else.
- Grease marks: Roof rats have oily fur that attracts dirt. They leave rub marks as they walk against rafters, walls, and objects.
- Damaged items: Roof rats will tear into storage boxes and wiring in the attic.
- Sounds: Scratching sounds or noises of the rats running across the roof or in the attic is another indication of an infestation.
These signs of a rat infestation indicate the need for immediate action.
The Dangers Roof Rats Bring To Properties
Roof rats may be cute, but they can harm Granbury homes and those living inside in many ways. They can damage the wiring in the house and cause outages and possible fires. They can spread disease from their droppings, contact with their fur, saliva, and bites. Diseases rats carry are salmonellosis, leptospirosis, rat-bite fever, and tularemia. Infections from these bacteria cause fever, chills, muscle aches, diarrhea, vomiting, skin rashes, and other symptoms.
Natural Ways To Keep Roof Rats Away From Your Home
When people ask us, "What keeps rats away naturally?" here are our suggestions:
- Keep outdoor and indoor garbage containers closed.
- Remove animal feces from the lawn.
- Eliminate leaf and wood piles and other debris around the property.
- Provide proper drainage to ditches and low-lying areas.
- Discard bird baths and other sources of standing water.
- Remove pet food bowls from the yard and store the food in a sealed container before bedtime.
- Trim tree branches away from the roof to limit access.
- Seal cracks in the soffits and any leading into the attic.
- Install screens over the chimney and attic openings.
- Prune shrubs away from the house.
- Repair leaky faucets outside the home.
These preventative steps will keep rats away by discouraging them from entering or staying on your property.
The Most Effective Rodent Control For Granbury Homes
Due to their rapid reproduction rate and where they like to inhabit, getting rid of roof rats is not easy unless you have Wise/Chem Safe Pest Control. Based on our inspection, we strategically set traps and bait stations to eliminate the rodents. Contact us today to learn more about our rodent control services.