Best Rodent Control Methods
It’s the season to be scared of ghosts, skeletons, and mummies that line you and your neighbor’s house. But there is another reason to fear the season…RATS!! Yes, the metro Phoenix area has rats, which are a massive problem. There are a few rats that we deal with, but this blog will only focus on roof rats. Why hire the best pest control company in town for rodent control?
Simply put, we explain and educate the customer on the issue and how to solve it. What do you do if you discover you have rat issues? There are three options.
- Nothing- I do not think I have to explain this
- Rodent bait boxes
- Roof Rat exclusion
Yes, this first option is more of a joke, but some people do that. I will focus on the last two options and explain their pros and cons.
Rodent bait boxes
Simply put, they are small black boxes placed throughout your yard for rodents to go in and eat the bait, and they go somewhere else, and the bait kills them. When placing the boxes, you want to put them about 15-30 feet apart. You also want to place them along edge lines. Meaning up against the wall or house. Rodents LOVE to walk along edges. Then, you put them with the holes towards the wall or home. The point is that the rat along the wall/house can see through the box and keep running through it, thinking it is a safe area. If the holes face the other way, the rodent will run over or around the box.
Not ideal. As for the boxes, there are two options. Bait and trapping. The pro of the bait is that it is excellent for multiple rodents to come in, snack on, and then go elsewhere and have the bait slowly kill them. The con is it is not an instant kill. We are the best pest control company, Family First Pest Control, and we only use bait boxes. The main reason is your wallet. We can set up bait boxes and usually check them once a month. However, with trapping, we would charge a fee every time a rat gets caught in a trap. This could happen daily in some houses, and those fees can add up. Only the rats can still enter your home if you do the bait boxes. The main point of the bait boxes is to keep the rats in your yard from dying by eating the bait. If you don’t use bait boxes, what will keep them from continuing to live and breed in your yard?
What is a roof rat exclusion?
Simply put, it is sealing off all entry points that are large enough for a rodent to get into your house or attic and live there, causing massive amounts of damage. Roof rats can enter the home through a gap about ½” or the size of your thumb. As the best pest control company in the valley, we come out for a few estimates and walk the property next to your house, looking at the roof line to the ground for any entry points. Then, we must go on the roof and see how many entry points are on the roof. We use only the best material for rodents who cannot chew through. Rodents have incredible front teeth that can chew through almost anything; therefore, if you do not buy the correct wire, you will continue to have a problem. The pro of the exclusion is to keep the rats out of your house and attic. How do you know if you have them? Simple, you will know. Meaning rodents are nocturnal. When they enter your home at night, they “party” all night in your attic, running around, scratching, clawing, or jumping. It keeps most people up all night. The con of this is the price. It is not a cheap service, and most people don’t realize how expensive it is to keep rodents out of your house.
Choose the best option for you.
With the two options of rodent bait boxes or exclusion, we get asked which one I do all the time. This is entirely up to you and your comfort level. You can do only the bait boxes but risk the rodents going into your house, or you can do just the exclusion but still see rodents running around in your yard, growing in population.
Please do not hesitate to call or text us at 602-292-5429. We at Family First Pest Control want you to understand and solve the issue.
