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Rat Control in Atlanta

Young rat in a cage trap facing the camera after being trapped and removed from a house by a pest control company.

There are many species of rats, but the two pest rat species that are most often encountered by rat extermination companies in Metro Atlanta and throughout Georgia are the roof rat (Rattus rattus), and the Norway or brown rat (Rattus norvegicus).

Although both rat species are found in both urban and rural areas throughout Georgia, roof rats are slightly more common in wooded rural areas, and Norway rats are more common in urban areas such as Atlanta and Marietta.

Rid-A-Critter provides safe, non-chemical control of both Norway rats and roof rats throughout the Metro Atlanta area.

Roof Rats

In nature, roof rats (also known as black rats or tree rats) live in trees and spend most of their time aloft. In Atlanta and other cities throughout Georgia, roof rats are most often found in attics, roof soffits, drop ceilings, mechanical equipment rooms in commercial buildings, church steeples and bell towers, the tops of elevator shafts, and other elevated areas.

Roof rats are smaller and slimmer than Norway rats, have exceptionally good balance, are excellent climbers, and can chew holes through many building materials. Their biology and behavior, as well as the damage they do, are very similar to those of gray squirrels; but because roof rats are slimmer animals, they can get into buildings through smaller openings than squirrels need. They can also climb walls very well if they need to, and can travel inside wall and ceiling voids once they get into a building.

Norway Rats

Norway rats (also known as brown rats, sewer rats, water rats, or wharf rats) are burrowing animals by nature; but they're also happy to live in homes and other human-occupied buildings. They have powerful teeth and jaws and can gnaw through most building materials. They often burrow and gnaw their way into basements, crawl spaces, and gaps under sheds and storage buildings.

Once they're inside a building, Norway rats can make their way through wall and ceiling voids and may migrate upwards, especially if that's where the food is or if population pressures force them to move. Norway rats are also excellent swimmers and are often found in sewers and around wharves and piers. And yes, rats can swim up into a toilet.

In short, Norway rats usually start at the bottom of a building and work their way up if they have to, and roof rats usually start at the top and work their way down if they have to.

Rats and Human Health

Rats were the first species of wildlife known to spread diseases. Historical evidence suggests that rats have been associated with disease even before biblical times, and practically all epidemiologists believe that rats were a big part of the reason for all of history's great plague epidemics. Specifically, rats are reservoirs for Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that causes plague. The fleas that feed on the rats then vector the disease to humans. Rats are also associated with the transmission of leptospirosis, rat-bite fever, salmonellosis, and many other diseases.

Rat Extermination Without Poisons

Rid-A-Critter treats rat problems without using pesticides or poisons of any kind. Our safe, non-chemical approach is the best way to solve structural rat problems. We seal rats and other rodent pests out of your house, and use traps to eliminate the existing infestation. This organic approach to pest rat control has many advantages over chemical rat control, including:

Safe, permanent, non-chemical rat removal and exclusion is the safest, most-effective, and most-permanent way to eliminate a rat infestation.

Metro Atlanta Rat Control Gallery

Here are some randomly-selected pictures we've taken at the many Metro Atlanta rat-removal and rat-proofing jobs we've done.

Left pointing arrow. Right pointing arrow.
A gap over a pair of pipes where they pass through a crudely made hole in the brick wall that allowed Norway rats into a house in Stone Mountain, Georgia.
How rats got into this house in Stone Mountain
Norway rats gnawed a hole a couple of inches wide through the rubber bottom seal of the garage door to get into a house in Newnan, Georgia.
Rats gnawed their way into a garage in Newnan
The screen behind the metal lattice of the foundation vent is badly corroded and has detached itself from the lattice, and that allowed Norway rats to get into a Dunwoody, Georgia home.
Detached screen at a Dunwoody rat control job
A gap over a bundle of pipes and wires where they pass through a mortar patch in a brick wall that allowed Norway rats into a house in Peachtree City, Georgia.
Norway rat gap through a wall in Peachtree City
There is a gap of about two inches between the bottom of the wooden garage door frame and the concrete driveway that allowed Norway rats into a house in Sandy Springs, Georgia.
Rat gap under a door frame in Sandy Springs
A gap over the air conditioning pipes and wires where they pass through a fist sized hole in the cinder block foundation that allowed Norway rats into a house in Lilburn, Georgia.
Rat hole through a cinder block in Lilburn
A metal clothes dryer vent attached to some loose bricks that are ready to fall out of the wall created gaps in the brick work that allowed Norway rats into a house in Doraville, Georgia.
Rat gaps in the brickwork in Doraville
The space around a bundle of wires passing through a four inch diameter hole in the foundation wall allowed Norway rats into a house in Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia.
Man-made rat hole into a Chattahoochee Hills home
The gap around a steel pipe passing through a hole twice its diameter in a brick wall that allowed Norway rats into a house in Decatur, Georgia.
Rat gap around a pipe in a brick wall in Decatur
Norway rats bent the louvers in a thin metal foundation vent to create a gap a little over an inch high and get into a house in Atlanta.
Rats bent a foundation vent cover in Atlanta
Rats gnawed through the insulating foam that an air conditioning installer applied around the pipes where they pass through the brick wall of a house in Smyrna, Georgia.
Man-made rat hole through the bricks in Smyrna
Steel wool and insulating foam that a handyman installed in a gap in the brick wall where some pipes pass through in an unsuccessful attempt to keep Norway rats out of a house in Chamblee, Georgia.
Handyman rat-exclusion attempt in Chamblee
Rat droppings and rub marks on the wooden crawl space door frame are evidence that a house in Cedartown, Georgia has a Norway rat infestation in the crawl space.
Evidence of rats in a crawl space in Cedartown
Norway rats gnawed away one of the bars of a circular plastic vent pipe cover to get into a house in Covington, Georgia.
Rats gnawed through a vent cover in Covington
A galvanized steel hood over a gaping hole in the siding where the air conditioning lines pass into the house and that allowed Norway rats to get into a house in Atlanta.
Man-made rat hole through the siding in Atlanta
A hole about three inches across that Norway rats gnawed through an insulated vapor barrier to get into the crawl space of a house in Atlanta.
Norway rat hole through a vapor barrier in Atlanta
A gap of about five eighths of an inch between the frieze board and the brick wall that allowed tree rats to get into the attic of a house in Stonecrest, Georgia.
Roof rat gap behind a frieze board in Stonecrest
The mortar under a metal foundation vent crumbled away, leaving a gap of a little more than an inch under the vent cover that allowed Norway rats into a house in Stone Mountain, Georgia.
Rat gap under a foundation vent in Stone Mountain
About six inches of the lower weather seal of a garage door broke off and allowed Norway rats into the garage of a house in Stockbridge, Georgia.
Rat gap in a garage door seal in Stockbridge
Droppings on top of a cardboard box in a storeroom are evidence that a retail store in Tucker, Georgia needs rat control.
Rat droppings in a storeroom at a store in Tucker
The space around a cable television wire passing through an approximately two inch hole in the wooden siding that allowed Norway rats to squeeze into a house in Dacula, Georgia.
Rat hole in the siding at a house in Dacula
A gap of about an inch between the soffit and the brick wall that allowed roof rats to get into the attic of a house in Marietta, Georgia.
Roof rat gap behind the soffit in Marietta
The gap around a bunch of pipes and wires passed through the lightening holes of a sideways cinder block that allowed Norway rats into the crawl space of a house in Lilburn, Georgia.
Norway rat gap through a cinder block in Lilburn
A homeowner stacked a cinder block in front of the foundation vent to try to keep Norway rats our of their Lithonia, Georgia home.
DIY Norway rat control attempt in Lithonia
The air conditioning installer put a metal hood over the hole where the pipes go through the siding, but he didn't seal around the pipes themselves to keep rats out of a house in Conyers, Georgia.
Rat gap around the pipes at a house in Conyers
Norway rats chewed away about four inches of the lower seal of a garage door and the adjacent seal over the door track to get into a house in Marietta, Georgia.
Rats gnawed their way into a garage in Marietta
Tail prints in the dust on an insulated heating duct are evidence of a roof rat infestation in the attic of a house in Atlanta.
Rat tail prints in the dust in an Atlanta attic

 

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If you're curious about how rats got into a brick house in Stone Mountain, Georgia, it was through a gap over a pair of pipes where they pass through a crudely-made hole in the brick wall. Our rodent pest control crew is patching the hole to rat-proof the house, and using traps to non-chemically treat the existing infestation.
by Webmaster
Jun 09, 2023 10:01:14 am.

The reason we're doing Norway rat control in Newnan, Georgia today is because the rats gnawed a hole a couple of inches wide through the rubber bottom seal of the garage door to get into the house. We'll be replacing the seal, as well as finding and sealing off any other other potential ways that rodent pests might get into the house.
by Webmaster
Jun 09, 2023 09:56:33 am.

The screen behind the metal lattice of the foundation vent is badly corroded and has detached itself from the lattice, which is why he have a rodent pest control team doing Norway rat control at a Dunwoody, Georgia home today. They'll install new screens over the vent to make them rat-proof.
by Webmaster
Jun 09, 2023 09:40:54 am.

Multiple stops in the Newnan and Sharpsburg area today for rat trapping and removal.
by Jason McFarland
Jun 09, 2023 08:06:22 am.

We’re doing a Rat Exclusion In Atlanta this morning! Easy Friday!!!
by Brandon C.
Jun 09, 2023 07:01:11 am.

Just finished a rat removal and exclusion in Smyrna.
by Jason McFarland
Jun 08, 2023 12:05:40 pm.

Quoted 2 in LaGrange, Ga. one for bats and the other for snakes. Next stop, Newnan Ga for mice.
by Jason Arruda
Jun 07, 2023 12:02:36 pm.

We should be finishing up a Peachtree City rat control job some time this afternoon. All the rats have been trapped and removed from the house, and the holes they were using to get inside have been sealed. Right now we're replacing the insulation between the joists in the crawl space now where the rats were traveling between the insulation and the subflooring.
by Webmaster
Jun 07, 2023 09:50:25 am.

A Gap Between the Bottom of the Garage Door Frame and the Concrete Driveway is Why We're Doing Rat Control at this Sandy Springs, Georgia Home
by Webmaster
Jun 07, 2023 09:45:40 am.

This afternoon we'll be starting a non-chemical Norway rat control job at a Lilburn, Georgia home. The rat problem started with a gap over the air conditioning pipes and wires where they pass through a fist-sized hole in the cinder block foundation of the house. The gap was filled with mortar; but the mortar crumbled and fell out, allowing the rats to get in.
by Webmaster
Jun 07, 2023 09:37:58 am.

A metal clothes dryer vent attached to some loose bricks that are ready to fall out of the wall is the reason we have a crew trapping and removing Norway rats from a house in Doraville, Georgia. Rats' bodies are squishy, allowing them to squeeze through holes only slightly larger than their heads.
by Webmaster
Jun 07, 2023 09:30:29 am.

The space around a bundle of wires passing through a four-inch diameter hole in the foundation wall is the reason why we have a crew doing Norway rat control in Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia.
by Webmaster
Jun 07, 2023 09:19:58 am.

When you pass a pipe through a hole twice its diameter in a brick wall, you're asking for a rodent problem. That's why a crew from our Metro Atlanta office is doing rat control in Decatur, Georgia this morning.
by Webmaster
Jun 07, 2023 09:15:08 am.

Keeping rats out of a house without using poisons requires that high-quality materials be used to rodent-proof the house. For example, Norway rats bent the louvers in a thin metal foundation vent to create a gap and get into a house in Atlanta. Our rat control specialists will replace the vent with a sturdier one.
by Webmaster
Jun 07, 2023 09:08:00 am.

Stuck in traffic trying to get to a rat removal in Sandy Springs.
by Jason McFarland
Jun 06, 2023 09:32:29 am.

Atlanta rats are huge
by Bin P.
Jun 06, 2023 08:08:32 am.

We’re doing an Exclusion in Atlanta this morning to clear out critters in her attic!
by Brandon C.
Jun 06, 2023 08:04:49 am.

On the road again
by Chad W.
Jun 06, 2023 06:33:36 am.

The insulating foam that the air-conditioning installer applied around the pipes where they pass through the brick wall failed to keep Norway rats out of a house in Smyrna, Georgia. Rodent pest control specialists from our Metro Atlanta office are properly sealing the gaps to make the house rat-proof.
by Webmaster
Jun 05, 2023 10:05:50 am.

The steel wool and insulating foam that a handyman installed in a gap in the brick wall where some pipes pass through failed to keep Norway rats out of a house in Chamblee, Georgia. That's why we have a crew of rodent pest control professionals at the house doing non-chemical rat control this morning.
by Webmaster
Jun 05, 2023 09:15:59 am.

The droppings and rub marks on the wooden crawl space door frame were evidence that a house in Cedartown, Georgia had a Norway rat infestation. Our rodent pest control technicians are in the crawl space setting traps to catch and remove the rats without using any chemicals.
by Webmaster
Jun 05, 2023 09:02:49 am.

Headed to quote a house near the Atlanta Zoo this morning. Hopefully it’s a raccoon like the homeowner suspects and not a tiger from the zoo.
by Chad W.
Jun 05, 2023 06:05:55 am.

It’s a beautiful day to catch some critters
by Chad W.
Jun 03, 2023 05:20:31 pm.

Marietta rats
by Bin P.
Jun 02, 2023 07:32:36 am.

Stuck in traffic trying to get to a rat removal in Sandy Springs.
by Jason McFarland
Jun 01, 2023 08:50:25 am.

Norway rats gnawed away one of the plastic bars on a circular vent pipe cover to get into a house in Covington, Georgia. Our rodent pest control crew will replace the vent cover with a metal one to rat-proof the house, and use trapping and removal to treat the existing rat infestation without using any poisons.
by Webmaster
Jun 01, 2023 07:21:58 am.

Sold a exclusion in Gray Ga for bats now to Griffin Ga for a dead animal smell in a commercial building then to Meansville Ga for a quote for animal exclusion, possibly more bats.
by Jason Arruda
May 30, 2023 12:31:31 pm.

Sealing a metal roof on Lake Oconee this morning then back to the Atlanta area to check some traps. Happy Friday
by Chad W.
May 26, 2023 06:47:18 am.

The galvanized steel hood may have hid the gaping hole in the siding where the air-conditioning lines passed into the house from humans, but Norway rats found it and used it to get into a house in Atlanta. The rat control crew will seal the hole as part of the rodent-proofing job.
by Webmaster
May 25, 2023 10:21:52 am.

Oglethorpe Ga customer having issues with something entering her crawlspace. Headed out to do a inspection.
by Jason Arruda
May 25, 2023 10:06:56 am.

Critter truck getting maintenance then it’s off to Gray Ga for noises in the attic.
by Jason Arruda
May 24, 2023 10:23:13 am.

Headed to Covington Ga this morning to quote a rat infestation. Then to Social Circle Ga to look at a house on a church property that has squirrels.
by Chad W.
May 24, 2023 06:06:53 am.

The Atlanta, Georgia office of Rid-A-Critter provides rat extermination and removal in all of Metro Atlanta including the City of Atlanta and the communities of Berkeley Lake, Buckhead, Cartersville, College Park, Conyers, Decatur, Douglasville, Duluth, Dunwoody, Fayetteville, Hull, Johns Creek, Kennesaw, Lithonia, Loganville, Mableton, Marietta, McDonough, Newnan, Norcross, Peachtree City, Powder Springs, Sandy Springs, Smyrna, Stone Mountain, and Vinings. We are fully licensed and insured.

#rat #removal #control #MetroAtlanta #georgia

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