Rats do not announce themselves. You notice a faint scratching in the wall at midnight, the fruit on the counter softens faster than it should, and the dog fixates on a corner of the pantry. By the time you see one in the open, a family has likely settled in. For homeowners and property managers, the two usual suspects are roof rats and Norway rats. They are both Rattus, both destructive, and both clever. Yet their behaviors diverge in ways that matter for any serious wildlife control plan. The right approach starts with correct identification, followed by a mix of exclusion, trapping, sanitation, and ongoing monitoring. Chemicals have a limited role, and quick fixes rarely hold. I’ll walk through what has worked across dozens of homes, warehouses, and restaurants, along with pitfalls I’ve seen sabotage good intentions.
Two rats, two playbooks
Roof rats and Norway rats occupy different layers of the built environment. Roof rats prefer elevation. They run telephone lines, traverse fence tops, and tuck into rafter bays. In the field, I find roof rat droppings along garage door headers, on the top shelf of garden sheds, and under eaves. Norway rats stay low. They burrow under slabs, nest beneath outbuildings, and push into structures through floor-level gaps. On properties with creeks or irrigation ditches, Norway rats follow the water line and explore any seam where soil meets foundation.
Size and shape help with identification when you catch one on a trail camera or in a trap. Roof rats look sleek, with large ears and long, almost whip-like tails that exceed body length. Norway rats carry more mass, with smaller ears and a tail that’s roughly the same length as the body or slightly shorter. Their droppings tell a story as well. Roof rat pellets tend to be spindle-shaped with pointed ends, while Norway rat pellets are fatter with more blunt ends. None of this is academic. If you misread the species, you may set traps in the wrong places, seal the wrong openings, and waste weeks.
Behavioral differences dictate tactics. Roof rats are excellent climbers and suspicious by nature. They explore from above, then descend for food. Norway rats move with ground confidence and are more tolerant of new objects in their runways. I’ve seen roof rats sample a bait station after a week of sniffing, while Norway rats will bump it the first night. When a client complains that traps “don’t work,” I usually find the wrong placements or improperly anchored devices, not a super-intelligent rat immune to controls.
What attracts rats to a property
Food, water, and shelter, in that order. People often fixate on chew marks or gnawed wires, which are symptoms. The reason rats are there is almost always a predictable combination of food sources and harborage. On residential lots, citrus trees and backyard chickens rank high as attractants. Unpicked fruit, a cracked feed bin, or scattered grain build a nightly buffet that any rat colony can learn within days. Compost piles can contribute if they are loose and moist, especially if protein goes into them.
Commercial kitchens, feed stores, and warehouses present different temptations. I’ve traced Norway rats to a spill zone behind a bulk rice pallet and to a loading dock where edible waste fell into a gap no one swept. Roof rats flock to warm signage cabinets above storefronts, especially if a gap around a conduit leads into the soffit. Irrigation valves, leaky hose bibs, or HVAC condensate lines provide water. You can shut down food, but rats will linger if you let your building offer dry storage with minimal disturbance.
Inspection with a wildlife trapper’s eye
A thorough inspection starts outside. I walk the perimeter slowly, two to three feet from the wall, eyes moving from grade to eave and back. I am looking for rub marks, droppings, and the geometry of the structure that creates entry opportunities. Above eight feet, roof-rat sign often sits where siding meets soffit or where a fascia has pulled loose near a gutter return. I check for palm fronds or tree limbs within three feet of the roof edge. Trees function like bridges, and rats will use the same route nightly. Along the ground, Norway rat burrows show as oval holes with a worn lip and a slight fan of displaced soil. If sprinklers hit the wall, mud staining can obscure rub marks, so I sweep the area with a flashlight even in daylight.
Indoors, I move to attics and crawl spaces. Attics tell on roof rats. Pellet clusters on insulation near the eaves, light trails where rats compressed the fiberglass, and gnawed fruit rinds are common. In crawl spaces, Norway rats leave runway smears along joists and droppings near foundation vents. I also check utility penetrations. A gas line entering a kitchen often has a generous hole, and a rat needs only an opening the size of a quarter to squeeze through. For roof penetrations, I probe around vent stacks and chimney flashings. Caulk fails, screens fall out, and rats need only one weak spot.
Technology helps, but it does not replace attentive eyes. I place a few tracking pads or a small amount of non-toxic tracking dust along suspected routes. If a client hears activity in two separate rooms, I set a couple of passive monitoring cameras for two or three nights. The goal is not to admire footage, but to confirm species, route, and time of movement. Good inspection shortens the removal phase and trims cost because you place fewer, more effective devices.
Exclusion is the backbone
You cannot trap your way out of an open house. Wildlife exclusion locks the doors, then trapping clears what is inside. On roof lines, I use heavy-gauge screen or expanded metal to close soffit gaps, not flimsy mesh that rusts after the first season. Ridge vents take proper pest-proof covers, fastened with screws, not staples. Gable vents need rigid screen on the exterior or interior, sized to stop juvenile rats. For utility penetrations, I fit grommets or escutcheon plates, then seal the remainder with a rodent-resistant filler backed by metal. A gob of foam never stopped a rat for long. They chew it, nest in it, and walk through.
At grade, I install kick plates on doors with light showing at the sweep and replace bent or chewed garage door seals. For Norway rat burrows, I collapse the run after confirming no domestic animals or protected wildlife are present, then stack filled gravel wrapped in hardware cloth into the hole and backfill. That denies a ready-made tunnel back to the slab edge. Where patios meet foundations, I look for termite gaps and settle cracks that widen into rat entries. Many of these seal with a combination of mortar and steel wool framed in metal so movement does not re-open the seam.
There are trade-offs. Seal everything too quickly without an exit plan and you trap rats inside. I prefer to stage exclusion in two passes. First, I close 90 percent of openings and install one-way devices on the last few active exits. After three to five nights and minimal activity recorded inside, I return to complete sealing. With roof rats, I put extra emphasis on tree trimming and wire chafe points. If foliage brushes the roof, exclusion becomes a holding action, not a solution.
Trapping strategies that actually work
I use traps as tools, not decorations. The device must match the species, the placement must intercept travel, and the setup must account for rat behavior. Snap traps remain my first choice because they deliver quick, visible results without the secondary poisoning risks that come with anticoagulant baits. A trap that kills cleanly is more humane than a slow-acting chemical.
For roof rats, height is everything. I anchor snap traps to rafters or on secured trap boards along suspected runways, sometimes with a guard to prevent non-target hits if starlings or house wrens occasionally access the attic. I place traps at right angles to the wall with the trigger toward the travel path. Bait choice matters less than stability. Peanut butter works, but a slice of dried fruit wired to the trigger resists theft. Pre-baiting without setting traps for one or two nights can help with neophobia. I do not overload bait. A smear the size of a pea holds scent and reduces theft.
Norway rats accept ground-based setups more readily. Along walls in basements or crawl spaces, I place pairs of traps so a rat approaching from either direction hits a trigger. I avoid placing traps in open center spaces where rats are less likely to travel. In burrow systems I’ve already collapsed, I set traps at the mouth of reopened holes. If pets use the area, I enclose traps in protective boxes with entry holes sized to exclude paws and snouts.
Glue boards have a limited place. They catch juveniles and sometimes pregnant females near nest sites, but they also catch beneficial non-targets, and disposal is unpleasant. In my practice, glue boards serve only as monitoring near high-sensitivity areas where snap traps would be risky, such as inside certain electrical cabinets. Live-catch cage traps rarely succeed with rats over a sustained period. Rats learn too quickly, and escapes are common if the trap is not checked and reset with discipline.
A note on rodenticides and the wildlife exterminator label
Clients sometimes ask for a wildlife exterminator to “put out poison and be done.” That is not how durable wildlife control works. Rodenticides, especially second-generation anticoagulants, carry real risks to pets, raptors, and scavenging wildlife. A poisoned rat that staggers outside becomes a meal for an owl. The owl carries the toxin forward. Regulations in many areas now restrict these products for good reason. If rodenticides are used, they should be part of a carefully monitored program with tamper-resistant stations, placed where non-target exposure is truly minimized, and paired with an aggressive exclusion plan so new rats cannot replace the old.
In food facilities or multi-unit properties where trapping access is limited, I have used first-generation anticoagulants or cholecalciferol in locked stations, with documented service intervals and clear signage. Even then, I favor interior trapping where possible and reserve baiting for exterior pressure reduction. If a provider’s proposal is mostly a map of bait boxes with monthly refills, ask what they will seal, what they will trim, and how they will measure success beyond consumption reports. Bait eaten is not the same as a rat-free facility.
Wildlife removal as a process, not an event
Effective wildlife removal follows a rhythm. Inspect. Exclude. Trap. Sanitize. Monitor. People often skip sanitation, which is a mistake. Droppings and urine do more than smell. They cue other rats to explore. In attics, I remove soiled insulation if contamination is heavy, then fog with an appropriate disinfectant and odor counteractant. On light jobs, vacuuming droppings and wiping rub areas reduces scent trails. Outdoors, I clean up fruit fall, move woodpiles off the soil onto racks, and remove ivy skirts along fences that give rats cover. For chicken coops, I shift feed to treadle feeders and store grain in metal cans with tight lids. A little inconvenience beats a steady flow of rats.
Monitoring matters after the big push. One or two monitoring stations with non-toxic blocks tell you about pressure. If a roof rat population returns every September when nearby orchards are harvested, you can plan a pre-season exclusion check and light trapping sweep rather than react to noises at midnight. In commercial sites, I log device activity and correlate it with sanitation scores and door-sweep conditions. If the log shows repeated hits near the loading dock, I walk that area with the manager until we find the gap that allows nightly access.
Where homeowners can help and where to call a pro
A handy homeowner can trim branches away from the roof line, seal obvious penetrations with metal-backed materials, and set a few well-placed traps. Many of my clients start there and call a wildlife trapper when the problem persists or accelerates. Attics with limited access, three-story roof lines, or older buildings with complex voids present safety issues and hidden pathways that take experience to read.
When you do hire, ask pointed questions. You want a provider who thinks like a builder and a biologist. They should talk about wildlife exclusion, not only removal. They should carry the right fasteners and metals to do permanent work, not only patch foam and mesh. Ask how they will protect non-target animals, especially if you have pets or if owls hunt your neighborhood. A good wildlife control operator will tailor tactics to your species mix and structure. They will not promise a “total kill” in 24 hours, because that does not reflect how these projects unfold.
Roof rat specifics: the aerial enemies
Roof rats exploit human architecture. Hollow patio covers, Spanish tile valleys, and decorative corbels become highways and nest pockets. On a large home with clay tiles, I sometimes lift select tiles along eaves to install stainless steel screening where underlayment has aged away. I also protect service wires where they anchor to walls. Rats run those lines, then test for daylight near the service mast. Proper mast flashing and a tight weatherhead seal close those invitations.
Inside the attic, I avoid setting traps directly on loose insulation. I prefer to screw a narrow board to rafters and mount traps on that board. It keeps the device level and steady, which increases strike reliability. When activity runs a ridge line, I set a small network of traps every six to eight feet, then allow a night of pre-baiting if rats seem wary. Roof rats often home in on fruit aromas, so a thin strip of dried apricot wired to the trigger brings consistent results. Vent stacks that pass near attic decking can be gnawed, particularly if the roof leaked in the past and softened wood. I check these spots and sleeve weak points with metal collars.
Tree management plays a big part. I ask clients to prune back branches to maintain a clear gap of three to five feet, vertical and horizontal. Palms require special attention. Old palm skirts become condominiums for roof rats. If you own a palm that drops dates, either harvest them promptly or bag the clusters before they ripen, otherwise you will feed your local rat population every season.
Norway rat specifics: the ground campaign
Norway rats favor the utility corridors and edges of human activity. They exploit the void under a set of stairs, the space under a shipping container, or the gap where a fence meets soil. If they can burrow along a foundation to find a warm spot under the slab, they will. In older neighborhoods with combined sewer systems, they occasionally surface through broken lines or misaligned cleanouts. If you smell sewage and hear scratching low in a wall, a camera inspection of drain lines may be warranted.
For exclusion at grade, I frequently install a buried barrier where rats persist. A narrow trench, six to eight inches deep, gets lined with galvanized hardware cloth bent into an L shape, with the base of the L extending outward from the foundation. Backfilled and tamped, this creates a discouraging edge. For sheds and decks, I skirt the perimeter with the same mesh, anchored to framing and buried a few inches into soil or crushed rock. Burrow collapse must be deliberate. Step on the tunnel after confirming it is not active with non-target species, then pack in gravel wrapped in mesh to resist re-excavation.
Trapping near food sources requires discipline. If a coop or compost bin remains attractive, you’ll catch one rat and feed two more. I prefer to stabilize the food situation first. Switch to tight feeders, hang them at night, and use trays to capture spill. Once the food fire is out, traps draw interest more quickly and the removal phase shortens.
The sanitation piece most people underestimate
Rats read a property through scent and shelter. When I walk a job site and smell old citrus, cooking grease in a dumpster, or feed grain, I know the program will take longer. Take dumpsters. If the lid sits open and the concrete pad is slick with oud grease, no number of bait stations will compensate. The fix is frequent cleaning, tight lids, and distance from building doors. For restaurants, a simple change like staging trash runs just before a pickup day can reduce overnight rat visits.
Inside, pantry management matters. Store bulk items in sealed containers, wipe shelves, and stop stacking bags on the floor. In attics or storage rooms, clear the perimeter. Rats love to run behind a solid wall of boxes. If you pull items away from walls by six inches and store them on racks, you expose runways and make trap placement clean.
Yard clutter may be the hardest habit to break. Firewood against the house, stacked cardboard behind the garage, and unused planters become layered harborages. I encourage clients to pick a single corner of the lot for storage and elevate everything on https://sites.google.com/view/aaacwildliferemovalofdallas/wildlife-removal-services-dallas racks. Light becomes your ally. Rats prefer cover. A motion light near known runways will not stop them on its own, but combined with pruning and cleanup, it nudges them to move elsewhere.
When the problem isn’t just rats
Occasionally, what sounds like a rat is not. Flying squirrels, mice, and even small birds can produce similar noises. Roof rats typically scurry with a quick, light pattern and leave larger droppings. Mice create a fainter patter and tinier pellets like black rice. Squirrels, active at dusk and dawn, thump more and chew louder. I once chased “rats” in an attic only to find a colony of bats using a loose ridge cap as a portal. That case became a different wildlife exclusion project entirely, with timing set to protect pups. A reputable wildlife trapper will pause the rat plan if sign points elsewhere and pivot to legal, species-appropriate methods.
Real timelines and what success looks like
People often ask how long rat removal should take. For a single-family home with moderate roof rat activity, a well-executed program usually spans two to four weeks. The first visit sets traps and closes most openings. The second and third visits adjust placements based on catches and evidence, then finalize sealing. Heavier infestations, multi-unit buildings, or structures with complex rooflines take longer. Norway rats on a property with heavy exterior pressure from adjacent fields or waterways may require seasonal touch-ups even after a strong initial push.
Success is not just no noise for a week. It looks like zero fresh droppings in attics after a month, no new chewing, and calm dogs. It looks like stable monitoring blocks in exterior stations. It looks like a kitchen staff keeping doors closed and a grounds crew pruning to maintain clearances. You measure it over time, not just by the count of rats removed.
Working with a professional for lasting results
A good wildlife control company does not just remove animals. It changes conditions. When you vet providers, look for these habits:
- They give a written exclusion scope with materials specified, not vague promises to “seal holes.” They photograph entry points before and after repairs so you can see the work. They set measurable goals for follow-up, such as zero attic captures for two consecutive service visits. They educate on sanitation and structural habits, not just sell devices. They adapt tactics by species, with clear reasoning for trap placement and material choices.
This is one of the two lists you will see here, and it exists because, in practice, these five items separate durable work from endless service calls. If a provider bristles at this level of transparency, keep looking.
A brief case from the field
A hillside home with a flat roof and a fruit-heavy backyard produced nightly noises and shredded insulation above the kitchen. The homeowner set a few traps on the attic floor and caught one roof rat, then nothing for two weeks while the sounds continued. Inspection showed palm fronds touching the parapet and a gap where a cable entered a rooftop conduit box. Droppings were concentrated along the parapet near a corner drain.
We trimmed palms back four feet, fitted metal screening over the drain void, and installed a proper conduit fitting with a metal escutcheon. Inside the attic, we set eight snap traps on boards along rafter runs, pre-baited for a night, then armed them. Over three nights we removed five roof rats. We finished sealing with screened covers on three roof vents that lacked cores. We replaced fouled insulation above the kitchen and fogged. Monitoring blocks on the roofline remained untouched for two months, then showed light feeding in early fall when a neighbor’s persimmon tree ripened. Because the exclusion held, new rats did not re-enter. A quick exterior trapping sweep on the roof resolved the seasonal pressure. The homeowner adjusted harvest timing on backyard fruit, and we have not returned for a rat problem since.
Final thoughts for lasting control
Rats exploit the gaps in our routines and our buildings. Roof rats ride the air and the canopy. Norway rats work the soil line and the shadows. If you match your tactics to their habits, you can gain the upper hand. Invest first in wildlife exclusion with sturdy materials and careful staging. Use traps with intent and respect animal behavior. Reserve rodenticides for narrow, managed cases where risks are understood. Keep food and harborage off the menu, indoors and out. And do not expect one visit from a wildlife exterminator to fix what took months to invite. The most satisfying part of this work is watching a property shift from reactive to resilient. Once you see how each small step reduces pressure, the silence in the walls becomes normal again.