Then the thuds moved to the area in the ceiling above my head and scurrying sounds followed the thuds.
I knew the sounds.
I have had rats in the attic before.
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I thought they were gone, but they came back.
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Got a Pest Problem?
No matter where you live, rodents can get into your attic space.
We joke about it, its like a motorcycle rider.
There are those who have already been down and those who are going to go down.
We transferred that over to rats.
Its kind of the nature of the beast around here.
You might hear thumping, scurrying, scampering, gnawing or squeaking sounds.
Bats, raccoons, opossums and snakes can also find their way into attics.
Squirrels come and go to get food and are most active in the early morning and evening.
Rats are nocturnal and shy, so youll mostly hear them during the night.
There are two main kinds of rats the Norway and the black rat.
First, youll need to take a look to see what kind of critter youre dealing with.
Attic footing can be treacherous, so verify youre paying attention to where you step.
Heres what to look for:
If you see droppings, theyre not just going to just appear.
There may be more you dont see.
you should probably start being proactive.
Time to Exterminate
Extermination is the next step.
While theyre up there, theyre not just hanging out.
Theyre chewing on things and making a litterbox out of your attic.
All that stuff just leads to more extensive problems down the line, Hutchison said.
Many companies price different services separately and you might decide what you need.
Treating for rats and squirrels are completely different.
Squirrels will not necessarily live in your attic.
you better extract them in a different way, Hutchison explained.
Remember, there usually isnt just one rat in the attic.
Youre probably dealing with at least half a dozen.
It can go from zero to a big problem in a short amount of time, Hutchison warned.
Trapping is one part of the extermination process.
It solves the immediate issue, but does not prevent further infestation.
Look for rub marks and places where they have urinated or defecated.
Rats often stick to runways which can be along a wall or wood near the edge of the attic.
They also like to run along wires.
A basic rat snap trap starts at about $3 and can go up to about $8.
Glue traps start at about $5.
Live traps are more expensive.
Some emit electronic signals and others are simply enclosures.
It might be tempting to forego the traps and bait and instead poison the critters.
Extermination experts say using poison inside the attic is a very bad idea.
Thats something else you have to deal with all together.
Before you begin trapping, see to it you have a plan to dispose of the animals you catch.
But still do trapping because there is a chance there still could be something up there.
Rats and squirrels can chew through that.
This step is where I made my mistake.
After a period of silence, the rats had found their way in again.
Theyre Gone.
I also have a warranty for the work.
Now Im catching up on sleep.
I was convinced the critters would come through an HVAC vent and land in the bed next to me.
But they most likely wont.
Im happy theyre gone.
(Can you sense my millennial sarcasm there?)
You know which ones were talking about: rent, utilities, cell phone bill, insurance, groceries…
