In Southern California you likely wont have an invasion of ants in the fall and winter months. You may notice spider activity, but that too likely is becoming less of a problem for you. But there is a good chance you see evidence of rodent activity in or around your home. Or maybe you even saw a rat in your back yard. Another sign you may have rats or mice, is if you hear noise in your attic. When your laying in bed at night, or any time your home is quiet enough, have you been hearing a scratching sound in the attic? If so you likely have rats up there.
Bad news is, you have rats. Good news is, we know how to get rid of those rats.
It is as easy as 1,2,3!
Step 1:: Identify where the rats are and set traps in that location. We use snap traps in the affected areas. The common mistake with trapping is knowing where and how to place traps. The traps should be monitored and cleaned out after each catch and then reset again. After we stop catching rats, it is time to remove the traps.
Step 2:: Find the entry points and seal those points up, as to block future generations.
The roof rat ( which is most common in So. Cal ) needs the size of quarter to squeeze into. Picture a quarter, that’s all the rat needs to make entry. Another way to think is, if the roof rat can fit it’s head into the opening, then it can squeeze the rest of it’s body into it.
Important note:: you do NOT want to to seal these areas until you know all the rats are out of the attic ( or affected area ) first. We also will leave our traps in the attic ( or affected area ) for a few days after sealing to make sure we didn’t leave a rat up there without a way to escape.
Step 3:: Place rodent bait stations outside.
Rodent bait stations are placed securely outside the home or structure. These are tamper proof bait stations which is another line of defense against rats and mice. Obviously, like any pest, we cannot completely eliminate the total rat population in the neighborhood. That being said we can eliminate the rodent population from the inside of your home.
It doesn’t matter if your home is 100 years old, or if the home was just finished being build yesterday. With a simple inspection, it is likely that we will find a potential entry point where rats and mice either have already, or where they could potentially enter on any home. Again think of it, the size of a quarter and a rat is in!!
From weather stripping on the bottom of an exterior door, to the flashing on top of the roof and anywhere in between, we have the expertise to resolve any rodent situation you have.