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It’s happened to the best of us. The curtains are closed, the lights are out, you’re about to drift into a peaceful sleep…
Crunch. Scramble. Another crunch.
There’s a rat in your roof, and you have no idea how to get rid of it. Fear not! Art Plumbing, Air Conditioning & Electric has all the tips you could need to get rid of roof rats.
Although rats are surprisingly skilled climbers, their primary talent lies in making a meal out of your electrical system. This activity results in electrical damage, critical building systems damage, as well as structural damage. Rats are also often carriers of nasty diseases, and contaminate your home with germs that quickly become airborne and can hang around for weeks.
In short; unless you’ve brought one home from a pet store, you don’t want any rats in your home.
Roof rats seek out warmth, so infestations are most common during the cooler months of the year. South Florida weather never gets very cold, so, roof rats can be found at any point in the year.
Once you learn the dangers of roof rats, your next step is usually a quick internet search on how to get rid of them. Some of the solutions you will find include:
The classic Tom and Jerry traps; baited with dried fruit, nut, berries, or insects. You need one trap per rat, so you may need to put down several traps if your home has more than one roof rat.
Snap traps are disposable, non-toxic, can be used indoors and out, and are reusable if you choose.
A more modern option, electronic traps kill rats with a high-voltage shock. The rat can then be easily disposed of.
These traps are reusable and safe to use around children and pets.
Ultrasonic repellents emit non-repetitive, high-frequency sound waves. The sound is very unpleasant for rodents and deters rats from entering your home.
These devices will not affect your dog, cat, or fish, but will irritate your hamster or guinea pig. We suggest moving them to another room while you use this device.
These don’t require baiting or setting, so are very easy to use. They are placed where roof rats usually run and hold them securely in place once they touch the glue.
Removing them after they get stuck may be dangerous as they will try to bite you, exposing you to multiple illnesses.
One of the most common roof rat solutions is to put down rat poison. It generally uses an anticoagulant, which thins the blood of rats until they die.
Humans would need to ingest a much higher dose of rat poison to be killed, but it is still extremely dangerous if ingested and can make you very sick. If you have pets or children, make sure they cannot get hold of the poison.
A rat infestation requires more than just removing the animals. Rat feces carry dangerous diseases, your electrical system may be damaged, and germs from rats will be airborne. Most internet solutions will also leave you with a (usually smelly) dead rat to deal with – and it might be in an impossible-to-reach corner of your attic.
Imagine your shower drain was blocked, and instead of getting it unblocked you had to mop the floor every time you showered. DIY rat removal is a similar situation – killing the rats won’t necessarily stop more from coming. A professional will know where to look for entrances that the rat may have used, and will close these off permanently so that no others will be able to follow.
Rats can cause major damage to your attic insulation when creating their hiding spaces or nests. Art Plumbing, Air Conditioning & Electric will not only remove the rats for you, but will remove compromised insulation and decontaminate the affected areas completely – protecting you from bites, germs, and unpleasant odors.
If you suspect your home has scrabbling visitors, don’t hesitate to give us a call today on 1-800-475-1504. With years of experience, our friendly and reliable roof experts will have your home rodent-free in no time at all.
