A Haunt in the Attic?

It’s spooky season and you may be transforming your home into a Halloween spectacular to get some laughs or gasps from the kids (and kids at heart) in the neighborhood. Here at Deans, we want to make sure your decor is as creepy as your home is going to get. Cooler weather can attract rodents to our home, and the attic is the most common place for an infestation. so check out our list and call us if you think you may you may be “haunted” by rats!

1. Scratching sounds

Rats can get into your home through holes as small as a quarter, often to escape the rain or cold. These pests look for warm and out-of-sight areas to build a nest, like your walls and attic. When a rat realizes you have food, they bring their friends, and the next thing you know, you’re hosting a Halloween party for a larger group than you expected.

2. Pets sniffing at specific areas

Pets notice other animals by scent and movement, likely before you would. Their incredible senses can alert you to an infestation of some kind. The alert wouldn’t help to identify which animal is infesting your home, but it is best to heed the warning and get it checked out.

3. Droppings

If you notice droppings anywhere inside the home, take action immediately. Take a look inside your attic access and carefully lift the insulation. Mouse droppings are about the size of a grain of rice; anything bigger indicates a rat. Snap a photo to show your pest technician for identification. If you decide to clean it up yourself, make sure you wear gloves and use a disinfectant that kills norovirus.

4. Odd odor or smell of urine

Once rats start eating and drinking in your home, they begin leaving waste behind as a signal of where the resources are. These trails of urine and droppings may be hard to spot at first, but you’ll start noticing a strange odor. Once the infestation is well-established, It may be hard to identify where the smell comes from, but rodent droppings fluoresce under black light. If you’re hearing noises, pick one up from a hardware store and shine some light on the problem.

5. Gnawing marks

A common area you might notice chew marks in is the kitchen since this is where food is primarily stored. However, you can also find them outside around garage seals or on pipes or PVC in the attic. Cardboard cereal boxes, cabinets, drawers, and appliance cords may be where you see the first signs of a rat problem.

If you notice anything on this list, we strongly suggest taking swift action, but you don’t need black cats to help you hunt the rodents down. At Deans Services in Florida, our trained pest technicians will identify the creepy creatures keeping you up and truly make them vanish!