Identify rat activity in your roof, this is an age old question and gets rather foggy answers from all over the internet. Rats are extraordinary Rodents and capable of jumping, climbing and pretty much able to survive and adapt to most situations. Mice and Rats are of the more common Pest Species found here in Johannesburg, hence the question: “How to identify rat activity in your roof.”
Spring has finally sprung, bugs such as Mosquitoes and Flies have decided to emerge, birds such as starlings and pigeons are making nests and having chicks. There is so much going on in the life of a Pest Control technician at the moment. Because its silly season we have decided to write an article to help our Clients identify rat activity in your roof as supposed to Bird activity in your roof. These two could be similar to the untrained eye, especially if a previous Rodent Infestation was present.
Johannesburg Pest Control has easy steps to follow to identify rat activity in your roof.
Droppings, Smear Marks, Urine Pillars, strange sounds and nests are some of the more common ways to distinguish Rodents from Birds. Lets go through some of these more common signs in a bit more detail.
Sounds that keep you awake: Most commonly found Pest Rats, and Mice found throughout greater Johannesburg are nocturnal, this means they are active throughout the night. Birds that nest in roofs this time of the year are diurnal. Rats tend to make sounds mostly between sunset and sunrise, they rarely squeak unless they are fighting. They rely on their stealth to hide from predators such as Owls and Cats. Birds such as Starlings however are mostly active an hour before sunrise and hungry chicks chirp throughout the day. The bottom line it, if you hear scurrying during night hours and the activity is not constant like clock work you should investigate further.
Rat and Mouse Droppings: To identify rat activity in your roof could be more than just staying up a couple hours listening to your goonies and ghosties lurking above your head. Sounds could be tricky, that’s why droppings are a sure fire way for successful identification. Weather your a Bird, a Bat or a Rat, if you gotta go toilet you gotta go. Rats and Mice aren’t any different, their dropping differ between size and shape. Mice droppings are small and roughly the size of rice. Rat droppings are larger and the size of raisins.
All mammals of the same species and similar size have droppings that are tapered at the ends and differ slightly in appearance depending on their diet. Insect droppings such as those from some larger Cockroaches may be mistaken for Mouse droppings. The difference lies in their shape, though subtle there is a difference. Insect droppings are constant, near perfectly cylindrical and are of the same substance where as Rodents differ depending on their diet. To identify rat activity in your roof may not be for the faint of heart when it comes to rat poop.
Smear Marks and Urine Pillars: Rat poop in one thing, but it gets even worse… Smear marks and urine pillars are also tell tail signs of Rodent activity. Rodents rely on their keen sense of smell and vibrations for navigation rather than their rather poor eyesight. Rodents are creatures of habit, this means they use the same trails for foraging foods. Smear marks are often left behind on electrical conduits, electrical wiring or tight gaps they squeeze through regularly. To identify rat activity in your roof by smear marks you need a strong flashlight and inspect all smooth light color surfaces for a brown/black grease build up. This build up is better known as smear marks.
Urine pillars are rare but may be present in high levels of Rodent activity, these are basically the acid build up of urine from Rats that spend a lot of time running along the same tracks. These are most common on non porous surfaces where Rats run along an electrical wire a few centimeters above a ledge. The urine cakes up and forms pillars beneath their runs.
Identify rat activity in your roof is simple if you know what too look for.
Rats Mice and rodents are a serious problem here in Johannesburg, the need for extermination far out weighs the cost of it. Weather you are sure of rodent activity or not, give Johannesburg Pest Control a call for a free no obligation quotation. Alternatively if you have questions feel free to comment below of use our contact form in hte side bar.
We are always happy to answer any Pest related questions weather its how to identify rat activity in your roof or even how to get rid of your cockroaches. Although we are full of hints and tips, its always advisable to consult and use the service of a Professional Pest Control Company this guarantees results and minimizes a negative environmental impact.
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