Surrey Rat Removal

Rat extermination has quickly become one of the most common call-outs for pest control services across Canada. These resourceful pests are not picky about where they lay their heads and this means big trouble for property owners. Don’t learn to live with these gnawing nightmares when you can call Toodaloo instead. Our Surrey rat removal services can be applied to homes, commercial properties and even strata spaces.

Understanding Your Rat Infestation

In addition to being master scavengers, these rodents are experts at gaining entry into homes and other structures. Instead of waiting for an opened door, these pests are able to run, jump and squeeze into openings as small as a nickel. “Expanding” rib cages make tight spaces into revolving doors while excellent balance makes navigating roof lines a breeze. Understanding entry points is key to proper rat control in Vancouver area properties.

Once they gain access to the great indoors, rats spread disease and cause thousands of dollars in property damage. These pests are able to chew through nearly any material, up to and including drywall, insulation, siding and electrical wiring. If left unattended, even a small rat population can lead to water damage, costly replacements and even electrical fires. This is why it is so important to grab that phone and call Toodaloo at the first signs of rats. More than just removal, our Toodaloo technicians deal with your pest problems and work to prevent rats from coming back by sealing up the active points of entry to ensure that your home or business stays rodent free.

The Toodaloo Technique

When you need to get rid of rats, it is important to know your enemy. Here are some identifiers to help you distinguish what species of rat you are dealing with:

Roof Rats: The roof rat is usually black to light brown in colour with a slick coat of hair. A typical adult roof rat can be up to 12”–18”in length, including a 6”–10” tail.  Roof Rat’s are adapted for climbing and moving along wires and ledges making it quite easy to gain access into attic spaces from trees or overhead wires. The female Roof Rat lays 3-4 litters per year, with4-8 young in each. Juveniles reach sexual maturity in about 3 months and have a life span of 1-2 years on average.

In Canada, Roof Rats are scavengers and will feed on almost anything they can find, such as other rats, food debris, compost and household garbage along with berries and nuts.  Sanitation plays a huge roll in rat and mice elimination as well as exclusion. Roof Rats can usually be found in attics and ceiling voids making them an extremely troublesome pest as this is where electrical wires are placed. If you here scratching, gnawing or any type of activity, give Toodaloo a call to remove rats at any stage of the life cycle.

Norway Rats: The Norway Rat has coarse hair that is usually brown or dark grey in colour. They are usually 8” to 10” in length, with the tail being the same length as the body.  The Norway Rat has very sensitive hearing and are also sensitive to ultrasound. Also referred to as sewer or street rats, these rodents have a shorter snout and a “huskier” look than its cousin.

Nests are normally made by burrowing into the ground around garden beds, rockery, retaining walls, foundations etc. Within the nest, there will also be one or two escape routes for emergency purposes. As scavengers, these animals will feed on almost anything that they can find. While these opportunists prefer grains and nuts, they have no problem diving into anything from leftovers to pet food.

Managing an established rat infestation means doing more than laying down bait stations. The ease of rodent baits might make them seem like a good option, but you will never get the same results as professional removal.