Citrus Rats, Tree Rats, Palm Rats and Black Rats Are All Common Names for Roof Rats.
June 5th, 2014
How to get rid of these unwanted pests:
In Florida we deal with many varieties of pests, one of which is the rat. Roof rats are the most common rats we deal with in Florida and can cause a tremendous amount of damage to your home. It is important to deal with the problem as soon as you are aware of the issue. The longer you wait to prevent the rats from using your home as one of their nesting sites the greater the damage to your home becomes. Once they’ve entered into your home, they will begin to saturate any areas they come in contact with urine and feces. Rats urinate as they travel as a form of scent trailing to let them and other rats know where to go for shelter from predators and/or find food. It is also important to understand that the rats in your home are not always the same rats every night. They will have multiple nesting sites throughout the area whether its your neighbors home or a palm tree near your home. There are some steps to follow in order to remove, prevent and control the population of rats that is nesting in your home.
Step 1- Trapping
Place traps throughout any and all nesting areas such as attics, storage closets, garages and crawl spaces.
Step 2- Exclusion
Close ALL possible entry points available for the rats to exploit. This is the most important part of the process. Filling one or two holes in with foam or steel wool will not effectively prevent the rats from entering into your home. It will take a licensed professional in the wildlife industry to properly inspect and determine areas of vulnerability.
Step 3- Population Control
Control the existing population of rats around the exterior of your home with bait stations. Bait stations allow you to securely place rodenticide around the exterior of your home. This has to be maintained initially on a monthly basis. Once the population has begun to thin, you can switch to a bi-monthly or quarterly system.
All of these steps listed above are ONLY effective when implemented in conjunction with each other. Place traps without closing holes, and you will trap rats forever. Close holes without population control and eventually the rats will create an new hole. Place rodenticides without closing ALL holes and you’ll get dead rats in hard to reach areas of your home that cause an unpleasant smell. So in order to eliminate your problem have a licensed professional inspect your home and properly implement the above steps. Alford Wildlife and Pest Management can properly assist you in the removal of these pests. Give us a call today to speak with a licensed wildlife consultant.
