Rat Inspection - How Are They Getting In?

This is the key - you will never solve your rodent problem in a building until you can find out how the rats are getting into the building in the first place. They can get in via so many areas - they only need a hole the size of a quarter, or a gap that is about 3/4 of an inch. Heck is seems like even 5/8 inch is fine. Check every vent - gable vents, roof vents, ground-level crawl space vents, even the laundry vent. Check all doors and windows. Check every part of the roof, especially the fascia, and wherever an eave meets the roof. Check all roof lines. If you have a tile roof, you've got a TON of entry spots. Check plumbing stacks, air conditioner chases, power line enry points, basically, EVERY SQUARE INCH OF THE HOUSE.

Here are four small examples of easy-to-spot rat entry points. In the upper-left, there's a hole that's been chewed out at the end of a gable intersection with a roof. Roof edges, and anywhere where roof meets roof is a rat entry hot spot. In the upper-right, a very obvious chewed-open ridge cap plug. The open ridge cap goes right into the attic, of course. This is a popular rat and mouse entry point. In the lower-left, it's some wires going into a gable vent, and only a flimsy screen blocks access. You can see how easy it is for the rats to chew through and slip into the attic. In the lower-right, it's a chewed out hole by a soffit vent. Never mind that the cover is in place, rodents can gnaw a hole open in the wood. Read about What can rats climb?

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SAFETY CONCERNS

If you're not experienced with ladders, and you MUST use ladders to check all of the critical roof points, then be careful! Wear a safety harness, and have a spotter. Same with working on the roof, which you must do. An experienced guy like me can scramble all over a steep roof with no trouble, but I wasn't that way as a beginner. When you go in the attic or under the house, wear a respirator, and maybe even a protective suit. I also always wear gloves, and a head lamp is very helpful in dark attics and crawl spaces.

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WHY IS THE INSPECTION IMPORTANT?

You have to find out how rats are getting inside the building. This is absolutely crucial! Those rats are entering your home and attic somehow. You will NEVER solve your rat problem unless you find ALL the entry points. Every single last one. One little failure, one missed spot, and you will have rats in your attic or house forever. You must inspect the whole structure, from the ground up, including all portions of the roof, and the plumbing system. Check vents, eaves, roof joints, plumbing stacks, AC chases, the chimney, EVERYTHING. You must be completely thorough. An intimate knowledge of rat behavior and building architecture helps a great deal. Know what signs to look for - brown staining and grease at entry points, gnawing, etc. Also, inspect in the attic, where you will see rat trails that will help you identify entry points, and you'll spot rat damage that you'll want to fix, such as gnawed wires or pipes.



The above photo reveals a pretty easy rat entry point. You can see what happens. Rats love to find small holes and climb pipes and wires up walls and into the attic. But most entry points are not this obvious or easy to reach. Sometimes rats can get in under the house, even by digging. Read about Do rats dig holes? Do they burrow under houses? How deep?

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IT AINT ALWAYS EASY

I often have to crawl in very tight spots in order to find all the rat entry points. I also, more importantly, have to know exactly what I am looking for, and why. Follow the trails of grease marks and droppings. Use an ultraviolet light to see rat urine glowing in the dark. Sniff around. Think like a rat. Well, I don't mean that in some lame redneck trapper way, I just mean that you have to be willing to carefully inspect anything a rat might be able to use, and understand rat behavior. There are also many little tricks, such as getting a full understanding of where the rats are making noise. Click here for more info about rats making noise at night, and you can gain some clues about the entry areas.

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THE SAME APPLIES TO MOUSE REMOVAL

Although I wrote this site with rats in mind, such as the Roof Rat and Norway Rat, the same principles apply to other rodents, such as the house mouse. Mice behave very similarly to rats, they're just smaller. Email me if you have any questions about inspecting a house for mice. In short, they can get into much smaller holes, like the size of a dime, or a 3/8 inch gap.

Read more articles about rats:
Do rats destroy insulation in an attic?
Do rats chew on wires? Why?
What can rats chew through?
Will a rat chew through the ceiling?

It is absolutely frustrating to find out that your beautiful home is infested with rats. However, do not panic! This is a common problem and there are many ways for you to get rid of it. One of the best strategies you can do at the onset is to patch up entry holes. In this article, you will learn about the effective ways to find these openings and how to repair them.

1. Read up on the behavior of rats.

This tip must sound very geeky and boring to you but it is the same as what you are doing right now - do your research. By getting more information about the type of rat that you are dealing with, you can get specific clues on how you can better locate the cracks and gaps that they use as entry points to your home. 

2. Know the architectural design of your home.

It is important to know the design of your home to identify hidden holes or openings that can serve as entry points for rats. Some openings can be obvious like vents, wall holes, and chimneys while some can be tricky to spot. You may have damaged walls that you are unaware of. Take a closer look at your house’s blueprint and identify possible rat entry points. 

3. Look for chew marks and shavings.

These rodents chew on almost everything. If you see scratch marks or tooth marks on the surface of any wooden or light material, there is a good chance that there are wall cracks or holes nearby. 

Keep in mind that this is a game of patience and thoroughness. The only way you can successfully get rid of rats in your property is to patch up the holes that they use as entry points. 

4. Look for urine and rat droppings.

Rat droppings are notably more pointed compared to other rodent droppings. It can measure to about ⅛ inch long. Rat urine has a pungent smell and can leave stains on wooden cases like cabinets, doors, baseboards, and windows. Once you spot these rat wastes, check for holes in walls, windows, and the roof.

5. Listen to rat noises.

Up your detective game by taking advantage of the night to observe the movement of rats in your home. Listen for squeaks, chirping, and scratching sounds. The best-case scenario is for you to catch them in the act of passing through an entry point. This way, you can patch it up right away and prevent them from coming back. 

6. Check for trails and rat tracks.

Rats have poor eyesight so they are highly dependent on routes that they create to guide them in and out of their nest. Look for tracks and follow the trail. It should lead you to some type of hole or opening that they use as an entry point.

7. Search for any small dugouts.

Widen your search by also looking into entryways, foundations, and corners. These are favorite spots for rats. They like hanging out in dark and unsanitary parts of the house so be prepared to get your hands dirty. Use gloves and masks and protect yourself from all possible contact with rats.