That scurrying and shuffling you hear overhead is not your imagination. Roof rats are not a new problem, but they are still a dangerous one. These old world creatures have been blamed for starting various plagues and transporting many of the world’s diseases, so it is important to keep them out of your attic and away from your family.
Roof rats are not harmless to your home either. Once they have infiltrated your attic, face numerous problems. Besides their nesting habits, the rats will gnaw through anything in their path. This means your electric and gas lines are all fair game for these rodents. Also, they have been known to find their way into ventilation ducts.
Probably one of the easiest ways to deal with them is to seal off their points of entry. Attic vents located under the eaves provide one of the easiest points of entry, and they often go unprotected. Have an installer put in wire mesh to prevent easy access for the rodents. There are a variety of manufacturer that make products specifically for this purpose.
Loose shingles and small holes in your roofing can provide another way into your attic. The holes may not be easily visible to the naked eye but are easily detected by roof rats.
The Art of Trapping
Trapping roof rats is no easy feat. They are frightened by new objects in their environment, so they may not come willingly to rat traps. A long standing technique called pre-baiting seems to help this problem. This is when bait is set on unset traps to allow the rodent to become comfortable with the trap. Once they start taking the bait, then you can set the traps.
Placing traps in high traffic areas for the roof rats is key. They like to run along walls and pipes, so be sure to concentrate traps there. Glue traps to areas on narrow pipes and beams to force the rats to walk on the traps. Also, if your roof is easily accessible, set a few traps along the edges. Roof rats are known to jump from roof to roof.
Using poison is in combination with the traps is an effective method for long term rat control. Since pets and other animals are not frequently in the attic, poison can be used much more liberally. Sprinkling the pellets across the attic floor, along the walls, and tossing a hand full into the insulation are good ways of controlling the rats.
There are two common types of bait—non-anticoagulant and anti-coagulant. The anticoagulant baits are slow acting and generally require the rats to feed on it multiple times before dying. The non-anticoagulant type can kill in a single dose, but requires the rat to eat a sufficient quality in one sitting.
No matter which bait you choose, be sure that there is no possibility of children or pets coming into contact with it because it can be extremely lethal if consumed.
Cleaning up
Roof rats are extremely dangerous. Roofers come in contact with dead ones on a daily basis. Never touch one with your bare hands. Use disposable gloves when handling the carcass. Tie the rat up in a plastic bag and dispose of it in the trashcan.
Efforts should be taken to clean up the deceased rats as soon as possible. Large amounts of decaying rats can cause odor problems for a home. Check traps frequently and look for any rats that may have died as a result of poison.
Majestic Roofing Oklahoma is very proud to announce our attainment of the GAF Master Elite title. We have worked tirelessly to add this important designation to our list of accomplishments. GAF’s Master Elite program is the pinnacle for residential roofing contractors.
