Roof Rat Problems and Solutions in Sacramento

Have you ever wondered how roof rats got their name? They got their name from the way in which they invade homes or, rather the area where they can be found most often. Unlike many other breeds of rats, roof rats are adept climbers and have no problem reaching the highest areas of our homes when invading. They do this by scaling trees, telephone poles, and other large objects situated next to our homes.

Once these critters have climbed high enough, they make their way across power lines, tree branches, or other cables, much like circus performers, to gain access to our roofs. Combine their equal versatility at invading high areas and low ones with their ability to squeeze through holes as small as one-half inch in diameter, and you've got yourself a difficult-to-deal-with pest. 

Recognizing Roof Rats: Key Characteristics

At roughly 40 centimeters long, roof rats are smaller and more slender than their close cousins, the Norway rats. Their color varies between shades and blends of black and brown with underbellies that are either gray, white, or black. Roof rats can be characterized by their large eyes and ears, and their pointed noses. Their long, hairless, scaly tails are often longer than the rodents' head and body together.

Understanding the Problems Caused by Roof Rats

To understand the problems that roof rats cause, we must first understand why they invade our homes. Just like other rats, roof rats invade homes to find shelter, food, and water. Sometimes our homes are practically designed to provide them with all of these needs.
 
Our homes offer plenty of spaces for rats to hide - hollow walls, attics, storage areas, and structural voids. They find a plethora of accessible food sources throughout our cabinets and across our countertops. Residences are filled with an ample amount of water sources inside and out. Plain and simple, our homes have the potential to provide everything roof rats need, so why would they go anywhere else?
 
The real problems begin after these pesky rats have invaded and start claiming our homes as their own. When our wall voids and attics become their nesting place, they become their toilets as well. When our food becomes their food, we will be eating after filthy, disease-carrying creatures. 
 
Expect roof rats to use whatever they can find to build their nests. Stored books, old newspapers, clothing, and any other material they find that can double as bedding will do as they strive to create a comfy nesting place. Roof rats have been known to chew through electrical wiring. This poses a major threat to your home in the form of electrical fires.

Why DIY Solutions Often Fail Against Roof Rats

When rats invade our homes, what is the first thing we do? We go to the store and pickups some traps, right? We place them all around the house - under cabinets, inside closets, directly in front of the holes we know rats are traveling in and out of, and what happens? After a few days we check the traps and what do you know, we caught one! Problem solved, right? Not always.
 
Often, when rats have invaded our homes, the problem is bigger than we can see. Catching a rat or two in traps may not be enough to end the problem altogether. Store-bought pest control has been known to fail. Traps don’t always trigger properly, rat poison can hurt our families as much as they hurt the rats, and no matter what you buy, it seems like it’s just not enough. This can be maddening, but it by no means indicates that rats are unbeatable foes.

Contact Pro Active for Effective Roof Rat Solutions

When it comes to pests, roof rats are one of the hardest to deal with. There are so many ways they can invade, and homes provide an abundance of places they can hide once they gain entry. The best solution is to get help from the professionals that know roof rats best.
 
Here at Pro Active, we live up to our name and always push to be one step ahead of pest invaders. We start with a thorough inspection of your home. If you are uncertain if your home has roof rats, or would like to know just how big the problem is, we are here to help you do just that.
 
Our inspections are designed to identify the problem, while our solutions are designed to remove and exclude rodents. We keep your family's health and well-being fully in mind throughout the process. You will not find anyone more committed to meeting your needs, so don’t hesitate to give us a call to find out how we can help you!