Rats

Rats get in the attic. Rats get in the crawlspace. Rats get in the basement. Rats get in the walls. Rats get in your chimney. Rats get in the kitchen. Rats get in the garden. Rats drive our dogs and cats crazy!!!!

Rats in Atlanta are a real problem. All it takes are a few and before you know it, you have a colony!

Rats spread disease. Rats cause damage to electrical wires. Rats damage roof lines, soffits and gutters. Rats get into Heating and Air Conditioning units and do costly damage.

And let’s face it, Rats give us the creeps!

About Rats

There are two main species of rats in Georgia, the Norwegian rat and the Roof Rat. The Roof Rat is the most commonly found in houses. The Roof Rat is more slender and agile. These rats are like little acrobats. They can climb, chew, and squeeze through just about anything. They mostly live in attics and crawlspaces. These little pests can get out of hand very quickly because unlike squirrels, rats live in packs and have no specific breeding pattern. This means they breed continuously. Rats will urinate to mark safe territory and leave trails of urine to mark paths. This welcomes other rats to the pack. Rats are also nocturnal animals meaning they are mainly active at night so that is when the customer will be hearing most of the activity.

Rats breed continuously, however reproduction is intensified in the warmer months. A female may have a litter of six to ten young every three weeks. Young rats are weaned at around 20 days of age and can breed at three to four months of age. Younger rats will mate in the same location in which they were born or if excluded, migrate to a new unoccupied territory.

THE CROCODILE DAVE SOLUTION

 
ENTRY: Rats may enter attics the same way as a squirrel, however they are more clever and creative from the very start. They can collapse their skeleton to squeeze through the smallest openings. Rats may get in any where, but mainly through the breather space, rotted wood, small vent openings or anything that may be chewed or crawled into.

DAMAGE: Most damage from rats is from chewing on wood and wires as with squirrels. Rats will also urinate and leave droppings in insulation saturating it and infesting it with bacteria and disease. This in return will attract more Rats.

REMOVAL: There are basically two treatments, trapping and tunneling systems. The one that works the best and we recommend most often is the tunneling system along with sealing of all entry ways including breather space,vent openings, and any openings rats may have made.

PREVENTION:

We never use poisons to kill rats inside a house. Not only are there dangers in placing poisons in a home, the poisoned rat doesn’t always leave the house to die and may decide to die inside walls or other difficult areas.