Rat Removal

For their tiny size, rats are shockingly destructive once they are in your home. Given enough time, they can chew through drywall, insulation, electrical wiring, and plastic piping, doing thousands of dollars’ worth of damage in the process.

They steal food from your cupboards and are more than capable of destroying personal property (paper, linens, and even bedding) in their efforts to make nests.

They’re prolific breeders, which means that just a few rats “squatting” in your home might turn into an overwhelming infestation. There’s also the issue of sanitation: wild rats often have fleas living in their fur, and rat urine and feces can transmit salmonellosis and leptospirosis to humans.

Rat Exterminator Near Me

The two most common types of rats in suburban Texas are black rats (AKA “roof rats”) and Norway rats (which are brown in color and considerably larger than black rats). Regardless of what kind of rats you’re dealing with, though, you’ll want to evict the invaders as soon as possible!

Signs and Symptoms of Rats
Even if you never actually see any rats scurrying about, these critters tend to leave ample evidence of their activates. The following clues all point to rogue rats:

Piles of feces in your attic, garage, cupboards, or closets. Droppings from a healthy rat are small, dark brown, and spindle-shaped.
Scratching noises coming from inside your walls, attic, or roof, especially during nighttime hours.
Holes in your walls or other man-made structures. Be especially wary of outdoor tunnels that lead indoors!
Chew marks on (or total destruction of) small items, linens, and food containers.

The Way of the Rat
A medium-sized rat can squeeze through an opening the size of a quarter without injuring itself or getting stuck, and young rats can work their way through even narrower spaces. Thus, a small hole in your house’s roof or walls is usually all a rat needs to get inside the building. Vents, crawlspaces, and pipe entry points are all common targets, as are areas of damaged wood or brickwork. Uncapped chimneys may serve as doorways, too.

Rat FAQs
“How can I tell the difference between a mouse and a young rat?”
Though rats and mice may look very similar (to the point where certain folks even use the terms ‘rat’ and ‘mouse’ interchangeably), there are some distinct visual differences between the two. By looking at the animal’s body size, snout shape, ear size, and tail length, it’s usually possible to tell which one you’re dealing with. Rats and mice may look similar but there are visual differences between rats and mice.

“Are rats aggressive?”
Generally speaking, no. In most cases, a rat would much rather run and hide rather than stand its ground when confronted by a human. That said, a frightened or startled rat—like nearly all wild animals—will often bite or scratch humans in self-defense. It’s also not unheard of for rats to “bite” sleeping children or elderly/infirm adults; this is usually due to the rat seeking out some kind of food residue on the person’s body.

Rat Control and Removal

As the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Here are some tips for staying one step ahead of rats:

Regularly inspect the exterior of your home (including the roof) and other outdoor structures for holes. If you find one, either plug it with steel wool or patch it with proper building materials.
Don’t leave food scraps out in the open, and store dry goods properly. Make sure that your trash can has a tight seal.
Clear away piles of leaves and brush in your yard, as this is prime nesting real estate for rats.

Who We Are…
For rat removal in the Dallas, Fort Worth, and Houston areas, look no further than Chimney and Wildlife Specialists. We’re a BBB-accredited, award-winning company that utilizes humane, safe, and cutting-edge techniques to help homeowners get rid of pests. All of our specialists are certified, insured, and well-trained, so even the toughest jobs can be done quickly, efficiently, and affordably. We’re locally owned and operated, and in many cases, we offer same-day, emergency animal control services.

…and What We Do
Chimney and Wildlife use a multi-step process to root out pest animals that have taken refuge in human homes:

Pre-treatment. The pests are removed from your property in a safe, humane manner. We use only the most cutting-edge techniques and technology in the industry, allowing us to be speedy and efficient while remaining eco-friendly.
Seal up the site of the breach. We discourage animals from returning to your domicile after we evict them by blocking up any easy-access or “weak” points in the building’s structure.
Set traps. Humane traps catch any pests who try to take advantage of your newly vacated chimney, attic, or walls.
Sanitation and Deodorization. Our professionals will remove unpleasant smells that linger after your unwelcome guests leave. We’ll also clean up any “gifts” they left behind, reducing your risk of illness from exposure to dander or fecal matter. Tough jobs may require removal and re-installation of attic insulation—which we can take care of in-house.

Schedule Rat Removal & Control

We offer tailor-made action plans for each client’s unique situation. Not only does Chimney and Wildlife want to help you with your current predicament, but we also want to make sure you don’t find yourself in the same situation a few months down the road.

If rats are running amok in your Dallas, Ft. Worth, Houston or Amarillo home, then don’t delay—contact Chimney and Wildlife Specialists today!

Not sure if it’s a rat? Check out our Rodent Identification Guide.