How to Prevent & Get Rid of Norway & Roof Rats in the Walls of Your Dale City, VA House

In general, rodents are able to adapt to living with or nearby people. They typically invade homes and businesses to escape poor weather conditions or in an effort to forage for food and water. Once they have moved, evictions are impossible without professional assistance. Rats are known carriers of different diseases and other ailments. As they forage for food and nesting materials, their fecal and urine deposits will contaminate the surfaces, including the food they feed from. Rats are fairly destructive. There are even documented cases where they gnawed through plastic and steel pipes to get to water. In any case, prevention and control is essential when it comes to dealing with the rats in Virginia. Management not only includes professional treatment but also sanitation practices, clutter removal, and other such preventative steps. With that in mind, we at CSI Home and Commercial Services would like to take the opportunity to discuss the two most common rat species in Virginia; Roof Rats and Norway Rats.

Norway Rats

These rats are typically found where people are and are known as the “big rats”. Including their tails, Norway rats can potentially reach 16 inches in length. In comparison to other urban rodents, these rats are fairly bulky. Even preferring to live around people, these rats still prefer the outdoor habitat and being that they are a burrowing rodent, depending on the protection of their underground burrows, are often found there. Ground levels of buildings, basements, and sewers are also other nesting sites. Despite their instincts to be more active during the night than during the day, living in areas where the population is great and the competition for food is a factor in whether their activities can be seen during the day. Norway rats are also fond of the garbage left behind by people and will devour what they can. Being omnivorous allows them to have options for meal time that include seeds, fruit, grains, meats, cockroaches and other refuse found around homes and businesses. Being on alert at all times, they are wary of any perceived threats, making them a challenge to remove for those without the proper training and effective products.

Roof Rats

Roof rats have a tendency to stick to warmer coastal areas but can be found inland as they stow away in cargo or shipping containers. These rats have other aliases that include ship rats, black rats, and house rats. Roof rats tend to be more active during the day than the night and though they are at ease living well off the environment outside, they will just as easily slip into homes and live in attics, ceilings, and wall voids to take advantage of the convenience of the food and water supply. These rats are known to gnaw through wiring, causing electrical circuit issues and even electrical fires.

Rat Rodent Control & Removal

No matter which rat is infiltrating your home or business in Virginia, call in the experts of CSI Home and Commercial Services to avoid property damage and ailments. Our experts will take care of the problem in a timely manner with efficiency.