We don’t think NIMH has opened up a new branch in Houston, but we’ve been offering rodent removal services in the city for over ten years now, and we’ve noticed something very weird.
The rats are smarter than they were ten years ago.
Fortunately, we’ve kept up with them. Becoming one of the best rat removal services in Houston means keeping a close eye on their behavior, and updating our technology and methods so we continue to use what works.
What are the signs that Houston’s rats have gotten smarter?
They’ve adapted to common exclusion methods!
Ten years ago, we used to use hardware cloth and expansion foam to close off every area where a rat could get into the house.
These days? Rats have figured out they can chew through expansion foam.
In and of itself, this isn’t entirely surprising. Rats can chew through lots of things. They can eventually wear down concrete. We’ve seen them eat holes into manhole covers. Their teeth never stop growing. That’s why rodents are called rodents…it comes from the Latin word rodere, which means to gnaw. They have to gnaw to keep their teeth from becoming uncomfortably large.
What’s surprising is they figured out they could do it. In the past, they’d look at the closed off hole, decide they couldn’t get through it (or, perhaps, that it wasn’t worth the trouble), and they’d go away.
What is the best exclusion method for rats in Houston, TX?
These days, we’ve upgraded to a mortar and resin mix. While rats can probably chew through that too, it’s harder for them to get their teeth on it in the first place. They’re willing to chew to get into your attic, but they’re not willing to chew forever.
One of the nice things about this mix is that we can match any color. We can make it look like it’s meant to be there.
The most likely spot for rat entry is the gap under the eaves that we see in many Houston homes, a code issue that we’ll cover in a future blog post. Homeowners really appreciate that this method can blend seamlessly with their homes, without advertising that there was ever a rat problem to worry about.
So far it’s been impenetrable, with one exception: if you replace the roof we have to reapply it, because it bonds to your existing roof. Replacing the roof opens up those gaps again, which means you’re likely to get rats again.
Don’t ignore sounds in the attic!
You may have rats. You may have a different animal, like a raccoon. Sometimes you have both (did you know raccoons feed on rats)?
Two things are guaranteed. First: no critter is ever going to leave your home of its own accord. Rats like your house. They like your house as much as you do.
Second, no critter is ever going to be a polite houseguest. Their urge to chew will do a number on your wood. They’ll go right for the wires, cause they have learned to detect electricity and have decided they absolutely love the chewy texture of modern wire insulation. It even tastes good to them…a lot of modern wire insulation is made with soy, which means we’re basically running our power through a long line of rat candy bars.
Fortunately, we know what to do. Did you just hear a thump? Unlike Mrs. Brisby, whatever you’re hearing is probably not up for a conversation. Contact us to schedule your free inspection today.