Living in beautiful sunny South Florida, it’s easy not to notice those small lurking eyes hiding in the nearby shadows. Unfortunately, rodents are a real problem in our area and if left unchecked they can become a huge financial burden to your home.

The two main rodents local to our area are the Roof and Norway rat. These rodents breed quickly, I mean really quick. A female roof rat is sexually mature in just 2-3 months and can become pregnant with the possibility to have between 4-8 pups per litter. Did I mention that they can have between 4 to 6 litters a year and can become pregnant in less than 48 hours after giving birth.

A single female roof rat can give birth up to 48 pups in one year!

Rats like humans are looking for three main things to survive: food, water, and shelter. South Florida offers all three of these in bunches which makes the rodent problem a significant problem for our area. (If you ever had a neighbor or friend, tell you that they had a squirrel or mouse up in their attic in this area, it was most likely a rat). As South Floridians typically we don’t have to go more than 150 feet in any direction to find a mango tree, a canal, or some collection of scrub brush that can serve as a breeding ground for rodents. The best way to protect your home is to know what the signs are and to have a professional pest control professional ensure that your property is protected.

Major signs to be on the lookout for:

1. Noises coming from inside the home: Are you hearing strange noises in the walls or above the ceiling? If so, this may be a sign of rodent infestation, rodents are generally most active at night so if you are hearing unusual noises then you should reach out to a pest control professional to investigate.
2. Gnaw marks on food or other belongings: Have you woke in the morning and went to the kitchen to find a chunk of a banana with a Stuart Little size bite missing? If you answered yes to this question, then chances are you have some uninvited guests. Rodents’ teeth continually grow during their life, and they need to chew on tough surfaces to file them down. This can become an expensive problem for you, rodents have been known to chew through pipes and electrical wires causing thousands of dollars’ worth of damages.
3. Droppings: One of the most common signs of a rodent infestation is rodent droppings (feces). Rats will leave multiple rodent droppings in the areas that they are harboring in. These droppings combined with their urine can cause huge biological issues for us. Just a few of the diseases they can possibly carry are salmonella, hantavirus, and even the plague.
4. Tracks or rub marks: Rats have a greasy fur that collects dirt and grime as they are out in their environment. Rodents are creatures of habit and tend to use the same paths to come and go to their nest and food sources. Overtime these trails will leave black greasy marks which can be identified by the trained eye.
5. Smells and flies: Maybe you have seen those small black boxes along the exterior of a restaurant or next to your neighbor’s home, if you have those are what we call in the pest control industry, rodent monitoring boxes. These boxes can be installed with a toxic or non-toxic bait, that being said if they have a toxic bait, and you happen to have an open entry point on your home it could open you up to an unpleasant situation. What tends to happen is a rodent eats the toxic bait inside the box and then goes back to his home (your attic or walls) to die a few days later which leaves a very unpleasant smell. Within a short period of time, flies’ find the carcass and lay eggs which leads to a massive fly population breeding inside the home within a few days. If the rodent carcass cannot be found and removed, the smell can sometimes last for weeks.
6. A rodent: If you happen to have seen a rodent outside your home or in your neighborhood, we highly recommend getting your home and attic inspected. As said before these rodents can cause massive damage to a home if left untreated. They are known to destroy insulation, electrical systems, plumbing, and air conditioning systems. Unfortunately, none of these damages are covered by insurance companies in Florida and all expenses would come out of the homeowner’s pocket.

If you see any of these signs, reach out to a licensed pest control professional immediately to inspect your home and recommend a proper course of treatment for your property.