Rat Control

Rat Control in Virginia

(434) 260-7077

Rat control services are needed when rats have taken over your property. Rats have been around for centuries and are carriers of some terrible diseases. Additionally, they create chewing damage that could lead to electrical fires and their feces and urine make a disgusting mess.

Our local rat removal professionals are equipped to eliminate rat infestations in your home or business. We know how to get rid of rats and restore your peace of mind.

Rats are found throughout Virginia. However, we find large populations of Norway rats living in the Richmond and Charlottesville areas.

Rats aren’t picky eaters and are commonly found in homes and businesses especially when there is heavy vegetation, garbage, debris and other food sources nearby. We’ve found that they love to live around bamboo plants.

Virginia Professional Wildlife Removal Services, LLC is one of the most respected local companies in the Commonwealth for rat control and removal.

No one wants to have rats or mice living in their home or business. Need mouse control?

Call us at (434) 260-7077 to speak to one of our rodent control and management professionals.

Rat Fact: Virginia has two main rat species of rats that invade homes and businesses, the Norwegian Rat (Rattus norvgicus) and the Roof Rat (Rattus rattus).

How We Prevent A Rat Infestation

Our technicians always try to use holistic rat removal techniques that are safe for you, your family and the environment when providing rat control services.

There are many steps in removing a rat infestation. In additional to getting rid of the resident rats in your home or business, we try to locate and seal the rat entry points. Without this important step you’re likely to have a continuing rat infestation.

There is a lot more to rat removal than just setting traps. For every rat you see, there is usually more hiding within the structure.

We work with our customers to develop the best approach for their rat problem. Our rat control methods include setting rat traps to using rat bait that is safe to use around the home.

Our Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach involves eliminating the rat infestation, then finding where they are getting into your home or business and sealing up their access points to prevent other rats from entering.

Rat Diseases & Health Risks

People worry about rats damaging their property by chewing their way into their home and eating food lying around. However, a bigger problem is contracting a rat disease or other health risks associated with rats.

Diseases associated with rats include:

Hantavirus – a disease carried by rats and transmitted to humans through urine or feces. This disease can be fatal.
Bubonic Plague – almost everybody has heard of the infamous Black Death that hit during the Middle Ages and wiped out much of the human population during that time. It was caused by rats carrying fleas infected with the virus.
Leptospirosis – a disease that can lead to bleeding in the lungs and is caused by contact with rat pee.
Rat Bite Fever – a disease transmitted to humans through rat bites and the bacteria in the rats’ saliva.
Rickettsial Diseases – this includes diseases such as Typhus and Spotted Fever. It is transmitted to humans by fleas and other biting insects living on rats.

Signs Of A Rat Infestation

Observation. Rats are not usually seen during the day unless disturbed from their protective harbourage or because of intolerable competition from other rats. If rats are seen during the day that usually means a very large rodent population is nearby.
Burrows Or Nests. Holes in the ground around foundations, plus nests in attics or trees are evidence of a rat problem.
Sounds. Noises produced by scurrying rats, scratching in the walls or other noises from nest-building may tip-off the property owner to a rat problem.
Gnaw Marks. Rat need to chew and gnaw on wood, plastic and other hard surfaces in order to keep their teeth chiseled down.
Rub Marks. As rats move from one location to another, they stay close to vertical surfaces in their environment that they use to assist in their nightly navigation. Therefore, the body oils on a rat’s fur gets deposited on corners and edges of walls and around holes and gaps they use to enter a wall void.
Droppings. Rats produce a lot of feces and the presence of their fecal droppings is a surefire way to spot an infestation. When droppings are seen, it is a good practice to have them removed and later inspect to see whether new droppings are found. THE REMOVAL OF RAT DROPPINGS IS DANGEROUS WITHOUT THE USE OF PROPER RESPIRATORY PROTECTION.

How We Treat For Rats

Norway rats and Roof rats are very different in their habits, habitats and behavior, so the first requirement of a rat treatment program is to correctly identify the rat and develop a treatment plan that works for that species. Another important treatment component is customer education so the customer understands the concepts of the proposed rat control program.

Our pest management professionals (PMPs) practice all techniques involved in Integrated Pest Management for rodents. Rat treatment involves both non-chemical and chemical methods. Some of the more important non-chemical methods are:

Exclusion and sealing of sites greater than ½ inch (about the size of a dime) using screens, flashing, door sweeps and other materials to keep rats from entering a structure.
Interior and exterior sanitation to minimize available food and water that supports a rat population.
Keeping vegetation thinned out or removed from the perimeter of buildings.
Removing clutter and any debris that creates hiding places rats can use as harbourage.
Using traps and other mechanical means to remove rats.

Rat control using chemical products involves baits designed to kill rats. Care must be exercised to ensure that baits are properly placed and the instructions on the product’s label are strictly followed. One of the more common techniques for bait use is to place the bait formulation in a tamper proof rodent bait station that protects the bait from accidental exposure to non-target animals or people.

Frequent Rat Questions Include:

How do you get rid of rats
How much does it cost to hire an exterminator for rats
How do I get rid of rats and mice in my house
Rat repellents
Rat poison
How to trap rats
Is rat feces dangerous
How do you get rid of rats in walls
Do rats carry diseases and rabies
How to keep rats out of my house
Is it normal for rats to be out during the day
Rat babies in my attic
Rats in my walls or crawlspace
Rat facts
Rat bait
Do you provide mouse removal, control and extermination
Do you provide rodent exclusion
How to trap mice

Call our local Rat Control & Removal experts at (434) 260-7077 for expert wildlife removal and animal control in Virginia.