Roof Rat Extermination & Exclusion Richmond VA

When it comes to Roof rats, we aren't just talking about a pest that chews on some wires. These are the same rats that changed the course of human history. The Black Plague that wiped out millions of people was carried by the fleas that lived on the backs of Roof rats.

They are often referred to as "Ship Rats" because they were the primary rodents found on wooden ships for centuries. They are incredible hitch hikers, hiding in the ship cargo to spread across Europe and eventually into the Americas. While medicine has come a long way since those days, the habits of these rodents hasn't changed. They are still carriers of major diseases. In a Richmond home, a Roof rat is a walking health hazard to your family and pets.

• Leptospirosis: This is one of the most common. It’s a bacterial disease spread through rat urine. If a rat pees in your insulation or on a shelf in your atticand you touch it, the bacteria can enter your body through your eyes, nose, or even a tiny scratch on your skin. It can lead to kidney damage and liver failure if it isn't caught.
  
• Salmonellosis (Food Poisoning): Rats are incredibly filthy. They spend their time in sewers and trash, then they walk across your kitchen counters or inside your pantry. They leave behind Salmonella bacteria every time they poop. If you unknowingly eat food they’ve crawled over, you’re looking at severe stomach cramps, vomiting, and fever.
  
• Rat-Bite Fever: As the name suggests, you can get this from a bite or a scratch. But you can also get it just by handling a dead rat or eating food they’ve contaminated. It causes a heavy fever, joint pain, and a nasty rash on your hands and feet.
  
• Murine Typhus: This is specifically spread by the fleas that live on Roof rats. When an infected flea bites you, it passes the bacteria into your bloodstream. It causes high fevers and headaches that can last for weeks.

• Hantavirus & Seoul Virus: While rare in Virginia compared to the West Coast, it’s still a threat. The Seoul virus is specifically carried by Norway rats. You don't even have to touch the rat to get it; if you stir up dust while moving around boxes in your attic where rats have been nesting, you can breathe the virus in. It causes flu-like symptoms but can lead to much more serious kidney issues.
  
• Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis (LCMV): This is a viral infection that rats shed in their saliva and urine. It’s especially dangerous for pregnant women, as it can be passed to the unborn baby and cause serious birth defects or even miscarriage.

What you might not know is that a single rat can produce up to 50 droppings a day. If you have a small family of rats in your attic for a month, you are looking at thousands, scattered through your insulation.

This is why I always tell people: don't just sweep up the droppings. If you sweep them up, you are spreading those bacteria and viruses into the air where you can breathe them in. If your HVAC system is in your attic and there are unknown disconnections, you also run the risk of them spreading throughout the living areas of your home. Professional cleanup is just as important as the extermination itself.

Because Roof rats spend so much time outside in trees and brush, they act just like Richmond VAs own Pulse Buses for insects like:

•  Fleas: Even if you don't have pets, you can end up with a flea infestation. Fleas drop off the rat in the attic and hop down through floorboards or light fixtures into your living space. 

• Ticks: These rats bring ticks right into the structure of your home, where they can easily find their way to you or your kids.

• Mites: Bird and rodent mites are microscopic, but they bite humans. Once a rat is removed, these mites will often move downstairs looking for a new host to feed on.

In Richmond, Roof rats are the athletes of the rodent world. While the common Norway rat is chunky and stays in the basement, Roof rats are sleeker and built for climbing. Here is how you can tell you have a Roof rat:

• The Tail: This is the easiest way to tell them apart. A Roof rat’s tail is longer than its body. It acts like a balance pole for a tightrope walker, allowing them to run across thin power lines or fence tops without falling.

• Eyes and Ears: They have very large, prominent ears and big, bulging eyes.

• The Shape: They are thin and athletic-looking, usually dark grey or black in color.

• The Droppings: Their droppings are about 1/2 inch long and are pointed on the ends. (Norway rat droppings are blunt and capsule-shaped).

A Roof rat’s teeth grow about 4 to 5 inches every year. Because of this, they have  to gnaw on hard objects to file their teeth down. If they don't file them down, their teeth will eventually grow into their own skulls. In your attic, this means they will chew on your electrical wiring, PVC plumbing lines, and even the wooden support beams of your roof.

Roof rats don't just nest in attic insulation; they ruin it. They are creatures of habit, which means they pick one specific corner of your attic to be their bathroom. This creates an area of concentrated urine and feces. Over time, the piss soaks through the insulation and into the drywall of your ceiling, eventually creating a yellow stain and a terrible odor. Aside from the smell, this urine-soaked insulation loses its R-value, meaning your home won't hold heat as well in the winter.

Roof rats prefer to be up high in the attic. They don't usually dig holes in the yard; instead, they use their agility to find a way in from above. Theyll use:

• Overhanging Trees: Any branch within 3 or 4 feet of your roof acts as a bridge. They are also called "Citrus Rats" because they love fruit and nuts. If you have a fruit tree or a bird feeder near your house, you are running a 24-hour buffet that leads them right to your gutters.

• Roof Gaps: They look for gaps in the soffit, loose shingles, or un-screened ridge vents. They only need a hole the size of a quarter to squeeze inside.

• Utility Lines: They will follow power lines or communication wires right to where they enter the house. If the hole leading in isnt big enough, theyll just chew it wider.

Exactly like their cousins in the basement, Roof rats are neophobic (scared of new things). They are highly social, so if you hear heavy scurrying or thumping over your head at night, call Optimal Termite & Pest Control Richmond VA

Getting rid of Roof rats isn't a ground game. While the process for Norway rats focuses on foundations and sewer lines, Roof rat control is about thinking in three dimensions and its often a much longer process.

Unlike a basement job, I start by looking up. I’m looking for entry points where different roof peaks meet. Roof rats love these areas because they are often hidden from view. I specifically check:

• The Ridge Vents: That long vent running across the peak of your roof. In older Richmond homes, these are often just plastic. A Roof rat can chew through them in minutes.
  
• The "Quarter Rule": If I can fit a quarter into a gap in your soffit or under a shingle, a Roof rat can get in.

• Grease Trails on Pipes: Just like their cousins, Roof rats have oily fur. I look for dark, rub marks on exterior utility pipes or downspouts—this tells me exactly which "highway" they are using to reach your gutters.

Because Roof rats are gymnasts, they don't just run on the floor. They travel along the tops of walls and the rafters in your attic. This presents a unique challenge: if I set a snap trap on a 2x4 rafter and it snaps, it will fall right off the wood and into your insulation where I can't find it.

• The Pro Fix: I actually secure the traps directly to the rafters using zip-ties or screws. This ensures the trap stays exactly where the activity is and makes removal much cleaner.

• Hoarding Behavior: Roof rats are notorious for hoarding. They will often grab a piece of bait and try to run back to a safe zone to eat it. This is why foam on the bait hook is even more important here—I force them to engage with the trap trigger right where it sits.

This is the part that requires your help. A Roof rat can launch itself up to 4 feet horizontally. If you have tree branches touching your roof, you are essentially rolling out a red carpet.

• I recommend trimming all trees at least 8 to 10 feet from the house. Also remove all high growing ivy attached to the house.

• If they can't jump to the roof, they have to climb the walls, which makes them much more likely to enter my bait stations or traps at the ground level around tree bases.

Because Roof rats are so persistent, I don't use standard steel wool. I use galvanized steel weldmesh. It’s thick enough that they can't gnaw through it, and it won't rust out in the Virginia humidity. I install this over attic vents and at the gaps in the eaves where the roof meets the walls.

Because of the disease risks and the "hitchhikers" like mites and fleas we talked about earlier, I don't just pull the traps and leave. Once the rats are gone, the attic needs to be sanitized.