When I found out that there were rats in my roof, I went through a moment of shame. I’m used to thinking of myself as a terrible housekeeper, a total slob, so I automatically felt that the rodents were somehow my fault. Even though I’ve been pretty organized for a couple of years now, the housekeeping shame is easily triggered.
The truth of the matter is that my cleanliness has nothing to do with the rat problem. It’s not like I go up on the roof to eat my lunch, and leave bread crusts and apple cores lying about. The problems are environmental; rats are not native to North America, and as such they have no natural predators. Rats and mice both have evolved alongside human beings. They like the same foods we like, so they like to live in the same places we live. To complicate the problem, rats breed very quickly, which means they evolve very quickly — so quickly that many urban rat populations have developed a high tolerance for traditional rat poisons like strychnine.
While it isn’t my fault that rats have moved in with me, there are steps I can take to get rid of them and prevent a re-infestation. This is pretty much where my time has been going lately, so I’ve decided to share my experience in the hope of saving someone else the legwork.
I discovered there were rodents in my home when I saw droppings in one of my upstairs closets. The first thing I did, after cleaning up, was to look for any gaps in the wall, floor, and ceiling. I stuffed these with steel wool. Rats and mice will not attempt to chew or burrow through steel wool — one website I read said it’s like chewing on razor blades. How does the author know what it’s like to chew on razor blades? I don’t know, but there’s been no sign of the rats inside since then.
The second thing I did was let to call a professional. Rats and mice carry several dangerous contagions, including hanta virus, rabies, and plague (I know, it’s SO seven centuries ago). Disease isn’t the only health risk when dealing with rodents. There is also the issue of toxicity when dealing with baits. I am unfamiliar with local regulations concerning toxins, and I’ve read that it can take more strychnine to kill a rat than to kill a person these days. I also looked for a company that does integrated pest management, or IPM. A pest control company that practices IPM will ensure that whatever measures are taken will only effect the target species, and will protect local wildlife and pets.
A pest control professional will also inspect your building for cracks, gaps, and holes that allow rodents to come in and set up housekeeping. Believe me, they will spot things you will miss. This brings me to the third thing — once your rodents are gone, make sure they don’t come back. Block any potential ingress with fine gauge wire mesh.
Finally, take a look at the area surrounding your home. Trim back any tree branches that are overhanging the roof. Prune trees away from each other to prevent a thick canopy of growth. Clear away any leaves, branches, or lumber piles on the ground that might provide rodents with cover and shelter. If there are fruit and nut trees in your yard, this is especially important, as nuts and fruit are a prime food source for rats. Anything you can do to deprive them of food will make your home less attractive to the little bastards.
Of course, if you’re planning a landscaping problem, you have even more power to prevent rodent incursions. Skip the tropicals, think twice about those fruit trees, and remember, palm trees hate people with ADD!