Help! I Can’t Keep Rodents Off My Greenville Roof
December 15, 2021
While rodents in Greenville are one of the most common invaders of homes and businesses alike, one specific rat species is known for climbing onto rooftops. This invasive rat species is known by a variety of names, including roof rats and black rats, and they are excellent at scaling all kinds of walls. Because of this, they can get onto upper levels, attics, and even roofs.
However, these rats aren’t the only common rodents in the area, so it’s important to know how to tell the different species apart as this enables you to see what you’re dealing with. Roof rats are dark brown to black, while the other main rat species in the area, the Norway rat, is brownish grey with a lighter belly. Roof rats also are slightly smaller with slimmer bodies. They have short, scaly tails and black eyes.
Just like most rodents, roof rats can cause a long list of problems for Greenville property owners. Read on to learn how to keep these rats away from your property.
What Makes Roof Rats So Dangerous?
While many people find rats scary, others find them rather adorable. But, whether you like rodents or not, the truth is that having roof rats around can lead to health concerns as well as property damage. Here are the specific problems roof rats cause under both of these categories:
- Property damage: Roof rats constantly gnaw in order to keep their teeth from growing too long. This means they chew through drywall, wood, furniture, clothing, plastic, and more. They can destroy pipes and even electrical wires, which can pose safety risks. And, over time, you could spend a good amount of money repairing all the damage they can do.
- Health risks: The main worry with black rats is that they can be dangerous. They are known to carry many different diseases, including leptospirosis, salmonellosis, and rat-bite fever. These rats also often have parasites such as ticks and fleas that spread other diseases. They are known to cause respiratory problems, including asthma attacks and allergies. And, lastly, their droppings can get into food and cause food poisoning.
On top of these many concerns, roof rats are also a particularly difficult pest to prevent because of their ability to climb, so often residential pest control is the best way to keep them at bay.
Five Roof Rat Prevention Tips
While these rodents are challenging to prevent, there are some steps you can take to deter them and make them less likely to come around your property. Of course, this doesn’t mean these steps will ensure 100% rat control, but they can reduce the likelihood of an infestation.
Start by implementing these five steps:
- Place chimney caps and cover vents with wire mesh.
- Make sure to get lids for all garbage cans and to take out the trash regularly.
- Keep kitchens cleaned as even small crumbs and spills can attract rats. Clean up spills right away, do dirty dishes, and clean floors often.
- Fix holes in the walls and foundation with steel wool, wire mesh, or any products that rats can’t chew through.
- Reduce excess moisture around the home using dehumidifiers and fixing leaky plumbing.
How To Remove Roof Rat Infestations In Greenville
Rodents are common pests in the area, and once they’re inside, they can be nearly impossible to remove using DIY attempts. If you have a roof rat infestation, let the experts at Greenville Pest Control take care of the issue. We will remove these dangerous and invasive rodents in no time and provide ongoing prevention services to keep them away.
Find out more about our rodent control options by calling us today. We even offer free quotes.
Tags: rodent prevention rodent control rodent infestation
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However, these rats aren’t the only common rodents in the area, so it’s important to know how to tell the different species apart as this enables you to see what you’re dealing with. Roof rats are dark brown to black, while the other main rat species in the area, the Norway rat, is brownish grey with a lighter belly. Roof rats also are slightly smaller with slimmer bodies. They have short, scaly tails and black eyes.
Just like most rodents, roof rats can cause a long list of problems for Greenville property owners. Read on to learn how to keep these rats away from your property.
What Makes Roof Rats So Dangerous?
While many people find rats scary, others find them rather adorable. But, whether you like rodents or not, the truth is that having roof rats around can lead to health concerns as well as property damage. Here are the specific problems roof rats cause under both of these categories:
- Property damage: Roof rats constantly gnaw in order to keep their teeth from growing too long. This means they chew through drywall, wood, furniture, clothing, plastic, and more. They can destroy pipes and even electrical wires, which can pose safety risks. And, over time, you could spend a good amount of money repairing all the damage they can do.
- Health risks: The main worry with black rats is that they can be dangerous. They are known to carry many different diseases, including leptospirosis, salmonellosis, and rat-bite fever. These rats also often have parasites such as ticks and fleas that spread other diseases. They are known to cause respiratory problems, including asthma attacks and allergies. And, lastly, their droppings can get into food and cause food poisoning.
On top of these many concerns, roof rats are also a particularly difficult pest to prevent because of their ability to climb, so often residential pest control is the best way to keep them at bay.
Five Roof Rat Prevention Tips
While these rodents are challenging to prevent, there are some steps you can take to deter them and make them less likely to come around your property. Of course, this doesn’t mean these steps will ensure 100% rat control, but they can reduce the likelihood of an infestation.
Start by implementing these five steps:
- Place chimney caps and cover vents with wire mesh.
- Make sure to get lids for all garbage cans and to take out the trash regularly.
- Keep kitchens cleaned as even small crumbs and spills can attract rats. Clean up spills right away, do dirty dishes, and clean floors often.
- Fix holes in the walls and foundation with steel wool, wire mesh, or any products that rats can’t chew through.
- Reduce excess moisture around the home using dehumidifiers and fixing leaky plumbing.
How To Remove Roof Rat Infestations In Greenville
Rodents are common pests in the area, and once they’re inside, they can be nearly impossible to remove using DIY attempts. If you have a roof rat infestation, let the experts at Greenville Pest Control take care of the issue. We will remove these dangerous and invasive rodents in no time and provide ongoing prevention services to keep them away.
Find out more about our rodent control options by calling us today. We even offer free quotes.