Rats are a growing problem in Orlando, FL, especially the roof rat. These pests can cause serious damage to your home while also spreading harmful diseases, making them a double threat against your Orlando property. Because anyone can pick these pests up, everyone needs to learn how to identify and prevent roof rats. Let’s learn this now, with some handy advice from your local Green Flag Services team.
Orlando’s Roof Rat Identification Guide
Roof rats look similar to other rodents but have a few key distinctions from other rats.
Like other rodents, roof rats have four legs, pinkish hands, and furry, elongated bodies. They are notably larger than mice and have bigger teeth but have smaller ears. Roof Rats grow to about 5-7 inches in length, making them an average size for rats.
You can also identify roof rats based on their movements, as they love to climb and will often be found above your heads rather than below them. Roof rats will climb on your roof, support beams, and all over masonry, making them very difficult to catch, and making home damage a very real possibility.
Problems Associated With Roof Rat In Orlando
Because they climb so easily, roof rats cause serious problems to Orlando homeowners. They spread disease quickly and will damage various parts of your home even faster, which is why prevention is paramount.
Roof rats cause two types of problems: home damage and disease. These pests chew through wood, wires, plastic, and insulation just to build their nests, and the repairs from roof rat damage can cost thousands of dollars and ruin your home value.
Roof rats also spread diseases such as Salmonella, Hantavirus, Bartonella, E. coli, and Lassa fever. These pathogens are spread simply by having these rats move about your property. Roof rats have no place in your Orlando home, so with that said, how can you keep them out?
Roof Rat Prevention Tips
Keeping roof rats out shouldn’t be time-consuming. Your best bet is to make your house as unattractive to roof rats (and other rodents) as possible. Prevent rats by the following:
- Clear home clutter: if your house has a lot of mess around it, such as piles of clothes or trash, rats will camp out and start their nests there.
- Lock your food and trash: if your home has a lot of food sitting out, an unlocked pantry, or open access to trash bags, rats have every incentive to move indoors.
- Cap your chimney: roof rats often get inside from the chimney, but you can prevent this by placing a roof cap to keep rats from coming in.
Despite these prevention efforts, roof rats still make their way inside Orlando’s properties. If all else fails and a roof rat has nested inside your home, contact Orlando’s local roof rat experts right away. Green Flag Services will make sure these furry pests stay out of your home and ensure your family’s safety.
Tags: rat prevention | health hazards from rats | rat extermination |
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I've been with Green Flag for a few years. Important to me was pet safe pest control, which they provide. They have always been extremely responsive to our needs, followed up with our satisfaction and offered increased services to make sure the job is done right. All of the techs have been professional and friendly and I am glad I found them. I always recommend if someone is looking.
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