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General Rat Questions
Q. Why did the rats pick my house?
Q. Why do rats want to live in my attic, walls or crawlspace?
Q. Why do I need to get rid of rats?
Q. When do rats come into houses?
Q. When is the best time to get rid of rats?
Q. Where do rats usually enter a building?
Q. How do I know if I have rats in my attic?
Q. Where can I get help with my rat problem?
Health & Safety
Q. What are the health risks of having rats in my residential or commercial building?
Q. Who is responsible for this rat problem?
Animal Control Products and Methods
Q. What are the most common rat complaints you receive?
Q. Which poisons do you recommend to kill rats?
Q. Which rat repellents are the best?
Q. Which methods do you use to exterminate rats?
Q. Who should I call for help?
Q. Why should I hire a professional to get rid of rats?
Property Damage
Q. What damage can rats cause?
Q. What is this going to do to my property value?
Q. What will a wildlife removal technician do about the rats in my building?
Q. How do rats get in my building?
Q. How can I get the rats out?
Q. How can a wildlife removal technician help me get rid of the rats?
Costs
Q. What does it cost for an initial on-site rat inspection?
Q. What does it cost for an initial over-the-phone rat control consultation?
Q. Who pays for my rat problem?
Q. What FREE rat control services does your company offer to the public?
Q. How much will it cost to get rid of the rats?
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General Rat Questions
Q. Why did the rats pick my house?
A. People have this idea that rats are attracted to poor sanitation and garbage, but having rats doesn't necessarily mean your house is dirty. Anywhere there is food, water and shelter, rats will move in. This means pet food, bird feeder spills, and even pet waste can attract rats. Heavy foliage or lush, attractive landscaping or any kind of clutter provides rats cover and shelter. Once attracted to the exterior, rats can access the interior of your home or business through amazingly small holes. While a rat can weigh up to one pound, they can fit through a ½-inch crack by flattening and squeezing their bodies. Your home might not have been dirty before they arrive, but the rats will certainly make it dirty in no time.
Q. Why do rats want to live in my attic, walls or crawl space?
A. Rats come into houses for food and shelter. Rats are less common in homes than mice are, but they still come in more often than people wish they did. Rats climb. They can climb trees, wires, siding, vines, stucco or brick to access a home. They can even jump to rooftops from nearby overhanging limbs.
If a hole is as large as a quarter, they can fit through. Loose siding, fireplaces and vents are good access points. The holes that are meant to allow wires or pipes into your home may be large enough for rats, too, and if they aren't the rats can gnaw them big enough. The rats are seeking warmth, protection from predators, and water. The insulation in your attic provides warmth, cats don't usually go to attics or inside walls, and they can get water by gnawing through pipes. Your home has everything they need.
Q. Why do I need to get rid of rats?
A. Rats are filthy pests. They spread disease. They chew anything they can get their teeth on-wires, pipes, insulation, wood. They are continually incontinent and leave a trail of urine everywhere they go. Their droppings are also hazardous. A rat colony eats an amazing amount of food, but even more amazing is the amount of food they contaminate-up to 25 times the amount eaten. Rats, especially dead ones, stink and will make buildings unbearable just because of stench.
A. Rats are a problem when they access attics, basements or any other living area. Rats multiply quickly. Whether inside or outside, a pair of rats can become a colony of hundreds extremely quickly. The rats are noisy, dirty, smelly and destructive. A rat infestation will make you sick and tired-sick from their diseases and illness and tired because you can't sleep for all the noise.
Q. When do rats come into houses?
A. Rats come into houses for protection, particularly when they are ready to nest and have babies. They can have babies year round. Anytime of the year is a good time as far as they are concerned.
Q. When is the best time to get rid of rats?
A. Right away. Rats colonize areas and one or two quickly can become two hundred. In a two year life span, a single female rat can produce more than 200 offspring, all as dirty, hungry and reproductive as herself.
A. North America is home to two major species of pest rat. Roof Rats are most often found in warmer areas: south-east coast, Gulf States, Pacific Coast and Hawaii. The Norway Rat is more adaptable has spread throughout the United States. Rats can live anywhere there is sufficient shelter, food and water. Where people are, rats are too. Like people, they eat just about anything. If there is good quality food they are ready to call it home.
Q. Where do rats usually enter a building?
A. Rats enter buildings through small holes the size of a quarter or cracks as narrow as 1/2-inch across. Rats climb brick, rock, logs, stucco or any rough surface and can access locations high or low. Foundation vents and attic louvers are equally attractive to rats.
Q. How do I know if I have rats in my attic?
A. You will hear rats. Whether they are chewing (Crunch! Crunch!), running (Thunder!), fighting (Squeak! Thump!) or climbing (Scuffle!), rats are noisy. You will find droppings. They are as large as ¾ inch long and shaped like long ovals. Rats leave tracks and tail drag marks (they carry their tails low to the ground, not lifted like many mice). They also leave smudges or rub marks on walls, beams and pipes from their dirty, oily bodies rubbing along the surface as they pass by. When they are in attics with loose insulation, it is common to see fist-sized tubes or tunnels in the insulation where they have worn paths. Urine stains will be found along their travel paths and the urine will fluoresce under ultraviolet light. Rats chew on just about anything. If you notice wood shavings, shredded paper or other gnawed materials, it may indicate rats. They like shiny objects and will hoard aluminum foil. These are sometimes found in food-storage areas with roots, food scraps and whatever else has caught their eyes. If your eyes are sharp, you may occasionally see rats outside your home. If you see them outside, you can bet they are inside, or about to be.
Q. Where can I get help with my rat problem?
A. Allstate Rat Control can help you. No government agency exists for rat removal and control. Exterminators that do a great job on roaches are frequently unprepared for rats. Get a professional wild pest animal removal company like us.
Health & Safety
Q. What are the health risks of having rats in my residential or commercial building?
Potgut Squirrel Plague -Video
A. Rats killed one third of Europe with the Plague. Even today, they carry Plague along with many other diseases: murine typhus, leptospirosis, rat-bite fever, hantavirus, infectious jaundice, tularemia and others. They contaminate food and cause food poisoning like salmonella. They also carry a number of parasites like fleas, ticks, lice and tapeworm that take to human hosts quite easily.
Equal to the physical health risks are the mental and emotional threats. People don't like to share their space with rats. The noise causes sleep depravation. The smell is offensive. Knowing they are there causes stress and people are on edge. If a business is infested, employee morale and productivity drop dramatically, even to the point of losing valuable employees who simply quit rather than share their space with these beasts.
A. Rats will attack both animals and humans. Human babies and even adults have been killed in rat attacks.
Q. Who is responsible for this rat problem?
A. While it may be your neighbor's pet food that brought them, you the property owner are responsible for getting rid of them. Cities, counties, states or federal government agencies will not assist with nuisance wild animals like rats. Wild animal removal is best performed by trained professionals like us who specialize in nuisance animal removal. We are ready and able to help you with your animal problems.
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Animal Control Products and Methods
Q. What are the most common rat complaints you receive?
A. People first complain about noise in walls or attics-scratching, running, squeaking. Next they notice filth and the smell of rat poop and rotting carcasses. Also common are complaints about property damage like chewed walls and siding, damaged wires and ruined insulation.
Q. Which poisons do you recommend to kill rats?
A. Multi-feed, slow-acting poisons are recommended because the rats are less likely to become wary. Some good poisons are available, but you should be very cautious in their use. If the rats are poisoned inside your home they may die inside your home, leaving a rotting carcass within your walls. Also, the poison must be placed correctly to take into consideration the living habits of rats.
Q. Which rat repellents are the best?
A. Chemical repellents are not generally successful against a rat infestation. Mechanical repellants such as barriers are much more effective.
Q. Which methods do you use to exterminate rats?
A. We use kill traps, live traps and poisons, depending on the location of the rats, their numbers and other considerations.
Q. Who should I call for help?
A. Call Allstate Animal Control . We have helped many people get rid of the rats inside and outside of buildings. We are effective and have the experience and expertise you need.
Q. Why should I hire a professional to get rid of rats?
A. Rats are challenging animals because they can squeeze through such small openings and because they can become trap and bait shy. Without training, experience, and proper equipment it is nearly impossible to get rid of the rats, keep them out and clean up the mess they created. Professional like Allstate Rat Control can help you with the entire process and recommend repairs and modifications necessary to prevent the rats' return. Don't just get rid of a few rats, get rid of all of them and make sure they don't come back. Hire a professional.
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Property Damage
Q. What damage can rats cause?
A. Rats are rodents, so they must chew. They create holes that invite other pest animals, like mice, or the elements, like rain, into your home. Rats cause fires by chewing electrical wires. Rats turn your home into a toilet, pooping as many as 60 times per day per rat. The waste stinks and is a significant health risk. Rats contaminate and compress insulation, creating a health hazard and reducing insulating effectiveness. Rats carry pathogens and parasites that bring illness and disease to humans and pets. Rats eat food in homes and crops in gardens and fields. They gnaw through containers and contaminate food stores. Rats tunnel and burrow, undermining concrete foundations and slabs. Rats can and do damage any part of a building or its contents. Nothing is safe from rats.
Q. What is this going to do to my property value?
A. You cannot sell a piece of property without disclosing, and usually fixing, a rat infestation. If the chewed electrical wires cause a fire, your property can be a total loss. More commonly, general damage requires significant repair and replacement costs. Average loss runs 5-10%.
Q. What will a wildlife removal technician do about the rats in my building?
A. An Allstate Rat Control network technician will perform an on-site inspection to determine the number of rats, location of rats, access points, and extent of damage repair and clean up required. He or she will create a complete control program that will get rid of the rats, clean up the mess and prevent their return. Necessary maintenance and habitat modifications will be recommended. We will get rid of the rats and return your home to you, rat free and peaceful.
Q. How do rats get in my building?
A. Rats climb, tunnel and chew. If they can climb up it, tunnel under it or chew through it, they can get into your building. Rats can climb any porous or rough surface-brick, logs, siding, stucco. They can dig and tunnel under concrete slabs and decks. They can chew through metal water pipes if they are thirsty enough, so you know they aren't going to be afraid of a little siding or some stucco. Also providing access are holes made by other animals, such as woodpeckers.
Q. How can I get the rats out?
A. The two basic methods of rat removal are poisoning and trapping. However, you should know that rats are tricky and have good memories. They will sample poisons and be very cautious around food stuffs if a single rat becomes sick. Rats can become trap shy. If you leave dead rats lying around for long not only will they stink but it sends a message to other rats to beware! Be careful of disease transmission. Never pick up a live rat for they bite. Never handle a dead rat or feces or urine without protective equipment. Rats are at least as dangerous dead as they are alive.
You can get help and make sure the job is done right if you hire a wildlife solution expert like us. We can perform on-site removal, or try our over-the-phone rat removal coaching service.
Q. How can a wildlife removal technician help me get rid of the rats?
A. We will inspect your property, create a customized removal plan and trap or poison the rats as necessary. We will help you locate and seal all access points used by rats and determine if there is an additional infestation-such as snakes. If you have rats, you will often have additional pests because snakes love to eat baby rats. We will clean up the smell and mess, making your building a nicer place to be and helping to prevent future rat infestations.
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Costs
Q. What does it cost for an initial on-site rat inspection?
A. Inspections start at $150-250, depending on your location. For specific information, see our Rat Removal Pricing.
Q. What does it cost for an initial over-the-phone rat control consultation?
A. FREE! Send 5-10 pictures via e-mail and we will review them and call you to recommend a solution and give you an estimate. Pictures should include possible rat entrances, rat trails or runs in your insulation or wherever they are traveling, damage caused by the rats, and any related item you think might be important.
Q. Who pays for my rat problem?
A. Rat infestations are the responsibility of the property owner. Typically rat removal starts with an inspection and evaluation which costs $150-250, depending on your location. You may want to contact your property insurance carrier; your policy may include coverage for removal and clean up of pest animals. For specific information, see our Pricing Page.
Q. What FREE rat control services does your company offer to the public?
A. If you find a suspected rat problem on your property, take 5-10 digital pictures and e-mail them to us. We will call you on the phone and discuss your situation for a few minutes and suggest a plan of action, as time allows.
Q. How much will it cost to get rid of the rats?
A. Prices vary depending on your location, number of animals and severity of the problem. I can give you a FREE estimate over the phone using digital pictures you e-mail me. For additional information, see our Rat Pricing Page.
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