Rats in Attic
The most common rat in the Atlanta area is the roof rat – a breed that likes nothing more than to climb along rooftops and wriggle into attic spaces where it can chew up wires, get into insulation and leave behind messes for you to clean up. Rats in attic spaces are very common, but luckily they are also easy to trap and remove if you act quickly.
Why Get Rid of Rats?
For most people, the answer is obvious, but if it isn’t consider the risk that rats pose to you and your family. They carry more than 30 diseases that can be transferred to human beings ranging from rat bite fever to meningitis – two potentially life threatening diseases. Additionally, rat droppings carry their own diseases and because rats reproduce so fast, an infestation of two or three rats can rapidly turn into dozens if left unchecked.
Getting Rid of Rats in Attic Spaces
The first step is to determine how the rats got into your attic in the first place. Usually, they use a small opening in the roof or near the back of your eaves through vents. They can chew their way through many materials, so when we perform exclusion to block entry later, we will use wire and metal panels.
Next, it is time to trap the rats and remove them for good. Avoid using poisons at all costs. Rats in attic spaces that are killed with poison can die in uncontrolled spaces like eaves or walls and ceilings. Then you must find the carcass and remove it to stop the smell. Traps are controlled and can be placed in easily accessible locations to avoid such problems. The best traps for catching rats are 12-20 snap traps placed near droppings or along common walkways. Avoid using such traps in human spaces if you have children or pets, however.
Stop Rats from Returning
Finally, it’s time to close up the spaces that allowed those rats to get in in the first place. You should also clean up and seal away garbage, clean the attic of any rat droppings and urine as these can attract new rats to the space, and minimize food sources, vegetation and other things left out where rats can reach them. You may even consider getting a cat that has free access to the attic to help keep the rats away.
