Do You Have Rats In The Attic?
Hearing sounds coming from your attic? We try to ignore or hope that we did not hear that scurrying in the attic but what if it is true? Now your attention is turned on to the attic and you start to hear scratching sounds but really only at night. Well let’s dive in and explore the reasons you could have rats in your attic.
Rats are nocturnal meaning they sleep during the day and are active at night. Rats will be most active in the attic at night. Rats can be very fast so you may hear it quickly dashing across the attic. Since they prefer to create tunnels and use those over time, you may frequently hear the noises in the same area of the attic. If you hear scratching sounds in the attic, it’s because the rats like to create nests. While they nest in the attic, they get food and water from outside so they leave and re-enter the attic throughout the night which can create noise in certain areas.
Rats in the Pensacola area are often called “Roof Rats” , which have a long tail which is longer than their whole body. They are smaller than Norway rats and measure around 13 to 18 inches including their tail. Rats love getting in the attic especially in the colder times of the year since the panhandle tends to see some moderate cold in the winter time. During these times rats are looking for shelter in the attic. You may ask yourself why my attic? Just like you probably use a blanket to go to sleep at night, these rats utilize your insulation to make a nest for their family to keep them warm at night.
If you see long cylindrical droppings on the insulation or air conditioning ducts, it is likely from rats in the attic. Keep in mind, you may see droppings with white tips on the end, if you do see this type of dropping you could be in the clear. Those would be lizard droppings.
Pensacola rats are experts at getting into attics. They are great climbers and are often referred to as palm rats due to the prevalence of these types of rats in palm trees. They typically climb onto roofs and enter roof vents or chew holes at the roof returns. Buildings with crawl spaces usually see rat entry from the underside. Brick homes have weep holes that make for easy access. Once in, they can cause damage to your attic and walls by chewing through electrical wires and cables, which can result in fires if they are not removed from the attic. They also contaminate insulation in the attic with their feces and urine, making them extremely destructive to your home.
One thing we have found with our work, is when we go out to these rats in the attic calls, we tend to find not one but usually many rats taking over your attic. This is due to their quick reproduction cycle and rate. A pair of rats can produce more than 20 babies every five weeks. Do not panic, we offer a totally free attic search and free estimate to effectively remove the rats in the attic and permanently seal your home or business from re-entry. Don’t wait – a couple rats can quickly turn into hundreds of rats taking over your household or business. Give Nuisance Wildlife Services a call today to see if you do indeed have Rats In The Attic? Call 850-804-1011 Today For A 100% Free Full Attic Inspection For Rats.
