Author: Kurt Treftz, Cascade Pest Control
Do you hear noises at night in your attic or crawlspace?
Rats and rodents are very active at night and can be in a home or building structure for years, before even being noticed!
What might be going on in your attic or crawlspace at night?
Playtime & Exercise – Rats are nocturnal, or most active at nighttime. Since rats are very social creatures, most of their activity and playtime will be at night. One thing to note on these social creatures: they tend to live in packs of various sizes – so where there is one, there will many more!
Feeding – Rats spend a large part of their time foraging for food. Being opportunists, rats will come out in the middle of the night, but most rats prefer to feed at dusk and again just before dawn. And because their teeth never stop growing, they are forever gnawing to trim their teeth!
Nests – Rats will gnaw, burrow, and shred any materials they find available in your attic or crawlspace, such as insulation, cardboard, soft wood to make their nests.
Communication – Because of their highly social nature, rats use high-frequency ultrasound communication to locate and ‘talk’ with other rats. This ultrasound communication is for females to locate and communicate to her babies, males and females mating ‘call’, and sounds for pain or distress.
What should you do if you hear rats at night?
Keep in mind, that rats can cause life-threatening diseases to humans – spreading directly and indirectly. In addition, rats cause structural damage to homes and business with the never-ending need to gnaw and chew.
That is why it is so important to have your crawl space and attic checked out on a regular basis.
We at Cascade Pest Control offer a routine rodent and rat service that includes a yearly check of those places where rodents are active. Get started today by calling 888-989-8979