The Trick To Effective Roof Rat Control In Sarasota

All rats are the worst, but there’s something about roof rats that make them especially terrible. These rats can grow to be over a foot long and weigh more than half a pound. Roof rat infestations can be challenging because they are so good at climbing.  Any opening in the exterior of your home is potential entry for them. Roof rats can climb into your attic, your home’s rafters, and of course on your roof. Not only do roof rats carry a lot of health risks, but they can also damage your Sarasota, FL property. Below, we’ll talk about ways you can prevent roof rats and what to do if you get an infestation.

What Does a Roof Rat In Sarasota Look Like?

Roof rats are also called black rats or ship rats. These rats are darker than a lot of other rat varieties. They range from dark brown to black, though they don’t have a lot of hair, and their belly is sometimes lighter than the rest of their body. Roof rats have longer ears than many other rat species, and they also have long, scaly tails that drag the ground. They are smaller than Norway rats but larger than mice and some other rat varieties.

What Are The Dangers Of Roof Rats In Sarasota?

Just like pretty much every other rat variety, roof rats spread many diseases. They contaminate everything they touch with their dirty feet, droppings, and hair. They also bring all the parasites living on their bodies into your home, including fleas & ticks. 

Diseases Roof Rats May Carry

• Leptospirosis
• Murine Typhus
• Plague
• Rat-Bite Fever
• Salmonellosis
• Toxoplasmosis
• Trichinosis

Some of these diseases can cause severe illness and may even be deadly. Another big problem with roof rats is their propensity to destroy property. Rats chew holes in walls, ruin attic insulation, and chew on wires leading to a fire hazard. They might even use machinery and appliances as nesting sites. Some spots they love include under the outdoor grills, chimneys, and more.  They are well known for causing damage to cars as we documented in another post titled “How Can I Protect My Car From Rodents?“.

Another big issue is roof rats’ constant gnawing. Like all rodents, roof rats have teeth that never stop growing. That means they have to constantly gnaw to grind them down. Roof rats love to chew on anything hard that will help them keep their teeth the right length, including electrical wiring, wood, hard plastic, and metal.

How Can You Keep Roof Rats Off My Sarasota Property?

The rodent exclusion measures we’ll take to keep rodents off your property will work on roof rats, and other rodents.  We’ll also need to take their climbing abilities into account. 

• Seal up cracks and holes in your home’s exterior. We’ll include the roof and attic when we perform a rodent exclusion. 
• Store food properly. We encourage you to keep all pantry foods (including pet foods) in glass or metal containers.
• Keep all outdoor garbage covered with tight-fitting lids.
• We’ll also make recommendations to reduce protective ground coverage.
• Heavy exterior rodent populations may require rat bait stations and rat fertility control. 

Unfortunately, the reality is rats are highly motivated to get in your home because it’s a shelter from predators. That means that even your toughest measures might not keep roof rats away without professional rodent control. Here at Rodent Solutions, we can help you keep your Sarasota home or commercial property rat-free. All our ongoing treatment plans include rodent monitoring and control.  Our NWCOA Rodent Certified team get the rats off your roof and out of your life. Give us a call at 941-704-0063 or visit our contact page to schedule your inspection today.  

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