Rodents are some of the most adaptable creatures in Canada and will encroach on human homes in search of food and a safe nesting site to raise their pups, including your Victoria home. One of the most common places they hide is in the attic, where they tear up insulation, gnaw wood and cause damage with their urine and feces.
Here at Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control, we can assist you with wildlife control in Victoria and help you understand why rats might make their way into your attic and what you can do to keep them out.
Why Do Rats Seek Out Attic Spaces?
Like most rodent species, rats must constantly hide from predators and keep their nests and pups safe from animals that actively hunt them, including:
- Hawks
- Snakes
- Cats
- Foxes
Attics provide warmth, places to hide and safety from most predators for rats and their babies. Over time, they can cause considerable damage to your attic space by chewing through drywall, insulation and even your home electrical wires to clear out a space for their nests. This can increase the risk of a house fire and cause extensive damage to electrical systems. While our Skedaddle wildlife removal technicians can assist with attic restoration, an initial inspection of your home can provide them with clues about why you have rodents in the attic.
How Do Rats Enter Attics?
Our services for wildlife control in Victoria begin with an inspection of your home to determine how rats found their way inside. Rats can climb a variety of surfaces, including stucco, brick, siding and especially tree branches.
Roof rats in particular are quite adept at climbing your home’s tree branches and accessing your roof. Once there, they pry up shingles and metal flashing to gnaw through the roof’s wood so they can get into the attic. They may also pry open vents to get inside. These rats have particularly long tails that help them climb and balance with more ease.
What Are Some Signs of Rodents In the Attic?
Once rats gain entrance to your attic, they make nests by tearing up stored items, such as furniture, books and clothing, to make a nest. Female rats can reproduce several times a year, and once she gives birth, the infestation usually gets worse.
As the babies grow, you might hear scratching or squeaking sounds in the attic at night, as rats are nocturnal rodents and tend to forage and create nests between dusk and dawn. You may also find gnawed material in your attic from the rats’ need to constantly file down their front teeth, which never stop growing. When rats chew on electrical wires, serious health hazards are created. It is important to deal with a rat infestation immediately in order to remove these safety risks. Professional services have the tools and expertise to identify every fire hazard created by rats. Once you notice the signs of a rat infestation, you may wonder how to get rid of rats in attic spaces safely.
We Offer Wildlife Control In Victoria
Our Skedaddle wildlife removal technicians can remove rats in your attic humanely and safely. Rats will bite or scratch when cornered or in defence of their nests and pups. Our technicians have the experience required to remove all live animals before cleaning up dirty nesting material.
Rats carry several diseases that could spread to both you and your pets, including parasitic creatures like fleas and ticks. Our techs can also install one-way doors at all entry points so any remaining rats can leave your attic but find the entrance blocked when they return. A year-round rodent treatment plan from Skedaddle and prevention measures, such as sealing gaps and cracks around your home, can help prevent further infestation.
Contact Us Today for Rat Removal
Rats are intelligent rodents and may find their way into your Victoria home’s attic in surprising ways. Their nests, waste and stored food can all cause serious damage to your storage space and introduce disease into your home. Call Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control today in Victoria by phone or fill out our online form to schedule services.
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