A rat exterminator controls rats by inspecting the property to find how they get in and where they nest, sealing those openings with rat-proof materials, trapping the rats already inside and following up until activity stops. Professional help is usually worth it once rats are inside walls, attics or crawl spaces, because rats avoid new objects and can keep slipping through gaps that store-bought traps don’t address. Saela Pest Control, a residential and commercial pest control company based in Orem, Utah, provides the best rat control for homes and businesses, built around rodent exclusion that repairs openings and traps rats already inside. This guide explains the risks, the signs, how professional rat control works and how to choose a provider.
Understanding the Rat Problem
Why Rats Are a Serious Concern
Rats matter because they damage buildings, contaminate food and surfaces, and breed quickly when food and shelter are steady. UC IPM’s pest note on rats notes that a Norway rat can have 4 to 6 litters a year and wean 20 or more young annually, so a small problem can grow within a season.
Their teeth also drive much of the damage. Rats gnaw constantly on wood, wiring and other materials, which leads to the property and health problems below.
Property Damage
Rat damage ranges from chewed food packaging to wiring and structural materials. UC IPM notes that rats gnaw on electrical wires and wooden structures, creating safety concerns that include electrical sparks and fires.
The most common types of rat damage include:
- Chewed electrical wiring, which can create a fire hazard
- Torn or soiled insulation in attics and walls
- Gnawed wood around doors, vents and framing
- Damaged stored belongings and new openings for other pests
Rats can also chew through plastic, foam, wood and caulk, so a hole you patched with the wrong material may reopen. That is why rat exclusion uses steel wool, wire screen or sheet metal rather than foam alone.
Health Risks
Rats can spread disease through their droppings, urine, bites and contaminated food. UC IPM lists typhus, leptospirosis, foodborne illnesses and rat-bite fever among the diseases rats can transmit.
Key health concerns include:
- Diseases spread through droppings, urine and bites
- Contaminated counters, stored food and pantry items
- Fleas and other parasites that rats can carry
- Dust from droppings and nesting material stirred up during cleanup
- Exposure while handling dead rats or contaminated materials
Cleanup is where many people are exposed, so do it carefully. CDC’s rodent cleanup guidance says not to sweep or vacuum droppings, urine or nesting material, because that can put virus-carrying droplets into the air. Instead, ventilate the area for 30 minutes, wear gloves, soak droppings with a bleach solution or EPA-registered disinfectant for 5 minutes, then wipe them up with paper towels.
Common Rat Species in North America
Two rat species cause most problems in and around homes in North America, and telling them apart changes where you look and how traps are placed.
Norway Rats (Rattus norvegicus)
Norway rats, also called brown rats, are the larger, stockier species, with a blunt muzzle, small ears and a tail shorter than the head and body. UC IPM notes that they build burrows along foundations, under trash piles and in woodpiles, and usually live in basements and on ground floors.
Norway rats prefer foods such as cereal grains, meats, fish and nuts. Look for burrows near the foundation and activity along basement walls.
Like roof rats, young Norway rats can squeeze beneath a door with only a ½-inch gap. Door sweeps and sealed foundation gaps matter for this species.
Roof Rats (Rattus rattus)
Roof rats, also called black rats, are smaller and sleeker, with a pointed muzzle, larger ears and a tail longer than the head and body. They usually nest above ground in shrubs, trees and dense vegetation, and indoors they favor attics, walls, false ceilings and cabinets.
Roof rats prefer fruits, tree nuts and berries, along with slugs, snails and bird eggs, and UC IPM notes they average 3 to 5 litters with up to 8 young each. Fruit trees and dense landscaping near the house can support them.
Because roof rats climb, they often reach homes along tree limbs, vines and utility lines. Trimming branches and removing climbing plants cuts off those routes.
Signs of a Rat Infestation
Rats leave signs long before most people see one, and catching those signs early makes rat exterminator services faster and simpler.
Visual Evidence
Seeing a live rat is the most obvious sign, but rats are mostly active at night, so droppings, gnaw marks and rub marks usually show up first. A rat seen in daylight can point to a larger population.
Look for these signs:
- Droppings along walls, in cabinets, in the attic or near food
- Rub marks: dark, greasy smudges where rats brush against beams and walls
- Gnaw marks on wood, wiring, food packaging and fruit
- Nests of shredded paper, fabric or insulation in hidden spaces
- Burrows near the foundation, under debris and in woodpiles, usually from Norway rats
- Tracks or tail marks in dust along regular paths
Spotting these signs early helps you deal with rats before they spread through the building. Saela’s guide to how mice and rats get inside walls shows where to check.
Auditory Clues
Rats are often heard before they’re seen. Listen at night for scratching, gnawing or scurrying in walls, ceilings and under floors, especially in attics where roof rats nest.
Other Indicators
Other signs include pets fixating on one wall or cabinet, a musky smell in enclosed spaces, chewed food packages and pet food that disappears overnight. Gnawed fruit on trees or in the yard is a common roof rat sign. If you’re unsure whether you have mice or rats, see Saela’s comparison of the difference between mice and rats.
DIY vs. Professional Rat Control
Small, recent rat problems can sometimes be handled with snap traps and sealing, but established infestations usually need a professional. The main differences are in how completely the rats are removed, how safely it’s done and whether entry points get closed.
Limitations of DIY Approaches
DIY rat control often stalls for four reasons:
Incomplete Elimination
Rats are cautious of anything new in their environment. UC IPM explains that this neophobia means rats often avoid traps and baits for the first several days, and maybe weeks, so a few traps set for a weekend may catch nothing. Meanwhile the colony keeps breeding.
Safety Concerns
UC IPM notes that all rodenticides are toxic to nontarget species, pets and people, and that poisoned rodents can cause secondary poisoning of pets and wildlife that eat them. CDC’s guidance on trapping rodents recommends using poison or bait stations only for infestations that persist, and only according to label instructions. Rats that die inside walls can also leave odor problems.
Treating Symptoms vs. Cause
Trapping without sealing treats the symptom. If entry points, food and shelter remain, new rats move in to replace the ones you caught.
Time and Frustration
Rat control takes steady effort over weeks, including checking traps daily. Many homeowners give up before the job is finished.
Benefits of Professional Rat Exterminators
A professional brings a systematic inspection, exclusion work and follow-up that are hard to replicate on your own.
Comprehensive Approach
A professional starts by working out how rats are living on the property, not just where one was seen. Every Saela plan includes a 50+ point property inspection covering entry points, nesting sites and attics.
During the inspection, a technician identifies:
- How far the activity extends through the building
- Current and likely entry points
- Food and water sources supporting the rats
- Nesting and hiding areas
- Which species is present, which changes trap placement
That information lets the plan address both the rats inside and the reasons they got in.
Professional-Grade Tools and Methods
Professionals use the same basic tools recommended by extension and public-health agencies, such as snap traps and tamper-resistant bait stations, but they know where and how to place them. They also have the equipment to reach attics, crawl spaces and wall voids and the materials to seal openings rats can’t chew through.
Safety Expertise
Professionals follow label directions, place any bait in tamper-resistant stations away from children and pets, and use protective equipment around droppings and nests. They also know when bait isn’t appropriate, such as where poisoned rats could be eaten by pets or wildlife.
Long-Term Solutions
Long-term control depends on exclusion and follow-up rather than trapping alone. Saela’s rodent exclusion service includes inspecting for access points, repairing openings and placing traps for rodents remaining inside.
How Professional Rat Exterminator Services Work
Professional rat control follows a predictable sequence, which helps you know what to expect at each visit.
Initial Inspection and Assessment
The first visit maps the problem: rat pathways, nesting areas, entry points, food and water sources, damage and the species involved. The technician checks inside and out, from the foundation and crawl space to the attic and roofline.
Expect the technician to explain what was found and why it matters. Saela uses an integrated pest management cycle of identification, activity monitoring, targeted treatment and evaluation, adjusting the plan based on results.
Customized Treatment Plan
The plan combines exclusion, trapping, any baiting and habitat changes, matched to the species and the building.
Exclusion Measures
Sealing entry points is the step that keeps rats from coming back. UC IPM recommends steel wool, wire screen or sheet metal for openings, because rats can chew through plastic, foam, wood and caulk. CDC’s guide to sealing out rodents adds lath screen, cement, hardware cloth and metal sheeting for larger holes and lists places to check, including rafters, gables, eaves, soffits, vents and utility lines. Door sweeps close the ½-inch gaps under doors that young rats use.
Trapping Methods
Snap traps are the main tool: UC IPM calls them the safest, most effective and most economical way to trap rats. CDC recommends placing them perpendicular to the wall with the baited end against it, using a small amount of chunky peanut butter, checking traps daily and avoiding glue traps and live traps. For Norway rats, traps go close to walls and in dark corners; for roof rats, they go on ledges, shelves, branches and fences. Because of neophobia, pre-baiting unset traps for a few days improves results.
Baiting Strategies
Rodenticides are a second-line tool, used only when an infestation persists and the label allows it. UC IPM recommends tamper-proof bait stations kept away from children and pets, and warns that dead rodents can carry several lethal doses, which can poison pets and wildlife that eat them. A professional weighs those risks against the benefit before placing any bait.
Habitat Modification
Reducing food and shelter around the property makes it less attractive to rats. UC IPM recommends removing climbing plants from buildings, pruning tree limbs within 3 feet of the roof, leaving at least 2 feet between shrubs and buildings, and collecting garbage and garden debris often in containers with tight-fitting lids. Pick up fallen fruit and nuts, and feed pets only what they will eat at one feeding.
Implementation and Monitoring
Once the plan is set, the technician seals entry points, sets traps along active runways and records what was done. Expect a written record of each visit, including where traps and any bait stations were placed.
Follow-up visits check and reset traps, look for new activity or openings, and adjust the plan if rats are still getting in. Saela plans include no-charge return visits for covered pests between scheduled services.
Final Assessment and Prevention Plan
When activity stops, the final visit confirms that entry points are sealed, removes or adjusts devices, and leaves recommendations for prevention. Saela also offers attic and crawl-space clean-outs after rodent activity; confirm the cleanup and repair work included in your property-specific quote.
Ongoing service keeps watch for new activity so small problems are caught early. Ask whether rats are covered under your plan and how often the property will be inspected.
Selecting the Right Rat Exterminator
The right rat exterminator is licensed, explains its approach in writing and includes exclusion and follow-up rather than traps alone.
Qualifications and Expertise
Check that the company and its technicians hold current state pest control licenses and that the company follows integrated pest management. Saela’s protocols are developed by Dennis Weiss, Saela’s board-certified entomologist, who also trains its technicians and audits service quality.
QualityPro’s accredited-company directory lists Saela. Any reputable company should show proof of licensing on request.
Methods and Approach
Ask each company how it handles rats specifically: how it finds entry points, which materials it uses to seal them, where it places traps and when, if ever, it uses rodenticides. A plan that relies only on bait stations around the outside of the house skips the exclusion work that keeps rats out.
Choose an approach that fits your household, especially if you have pets, small children or nearby wildlife. Ask how the company protects them.
Reputation and Reviews
Read reviews that mention rodent work specifically, since experience with insects doesn’t always carry over to rats. Saela’s customer reviews page republishes selected Google reviews, and on Google, Saela’s Kansas City, Missouri location is rated 4.7 out of 5 from 2,795 reviews as of October 2026.
In a February 2024 Google review, kay mccallop reported that Saela identified rodent-prevention issues and repaired them that day.
Guarantees and Follow-up Services
Ask what happens if rats return: whether follow-up visits are included, what they cost and what the written terms say. Get the guarantee and the scope of exclusion work in writing before work begins.
Be wary of anyone promising instant or permanent results. Rat control takes time, and prevention needs ongoing attention.
Cost Considerations
Compare written estimates on the same scope: inspection, exclusion, trapping, follow-up visits and any cleanup. Saela doesn’t publish one universal price; its pricing page explains that quotes are based on pest type, location, property size, visit frequency and treatment products.
The lowest bid isn’t the best value if it leaves out exclusion or follow-up. Those are the parts that keep rats from coming back.
Preventing Future Rat Problems
After treatment, prevention comes down to keeping rats out and leaving them nothing to eat or hide in.
Exterior Maintenance
Outside the house, focus on the routes and shelter rats use. Saela’s rodent prevention guide covers the steps in more detail.
Key exterior steps include:
- Inspecting the foundation, vents and rooflines each season for new gaps
- Leaving at least 2 feet between shrubs and the house
- Pruning tree limbs within 3 feet of the roof and removing climbing vines
- Storing firewood and lumber off the ground and away from walls
- Picking up fallen fruit, nuts and birdseed
- Keeping garbage in containers with tight-fitting lids
Interior Prevention Practices
Inside, the goal is to remove food, water and nesting spots. These habits make a home far less attractive to rats.
Effective interior steps include:
- Storing food and pet food in sealed, rodent-proof containers
- Cleaning up crumbs, spills and dirty dishes promptly
- Feeding pets only what they will eat at one feeding
- Keeping indoor trash in bins with tight lids
- Fixing plumbing leaks quickly
- Reducing clutter in storage areas, garages and basements
Seasonal Awareness
Watch closely in fall and winter, when rodents look for warm shelter and food indoors. In spring and summer, roof rats feed on ripening fruit and nuts, so pick up fallen fruit and keep trees trimmed back from the roof.
Scheduling an inspection before cold weather lets you seal gaps before rats try them.
Ongoing Monitoring
Keep checking the places where you found activity before: along walls, in the attic, in the garage and around the foundation. New droppings, gnaw marks or rub marks mean rats are active again, and a snap trap placed along a wall will confirm it. Check door sweeps and vent screens, since damage there is often the first sign of a new attempt to get in.
When to Call Rat Exterminators Again
Call again as soon as you see new signs, because a returning rat problem is easiest to fix early.
Signs that it’s time to call include:
- Seeing a rat indoors, especially in daylight
- Finding new droppings in places that were clean
- Hearing scratching or movement in walls, ceilings or floors again
- Noticing pets focusing on one wall, cabinet or vent
- Finding new gnaw marks or damage to wiring or stored items
- Hearing that neighbors are dealing with rats
Annual inspections are a reasonable habit even without signs, because they catch new openings before rats find them.
Special Considerations for Rat Control
Different properties need different approaches, from restaurants to apartment buildings and farms.
Commercial Properties
Businesses face inspections, customer perception and food-safety requirements, so rat control has to be documented and discreet. Saela offers commercial pest control programs for food service, hospitality, multifamily housing, offices, retail, schools and government facilities, and it uses PestWatch for pest-activity maps, service logs and reporting.
Those records support monitoring and audits, though they don’t by themselves guarantee regulatory compliance. Saela’s commercial customers also receive a dedicated account manager and a commercial support team.
Multi-Unit Housing
Apartment buildings and condominiums need a building-wide plan, because rats move between units through shared walls, pipe chases and trash areas. Coordinating access, sealing shared structural gaps and keeping trash rooms clean all require the property manager, maintenance staff and residents to work together.
Saela’s multifamily pest control program is designed for that kind of shared building.
Historic Properties
Older buildings often have more gaps, deteriorated materials and hidden voids, which gives rats more ways in and more places to nest. Exclusion has to protect original materials while still using rat-proof barriers such as metal screening and sheet metal where they can be fitted discreetly.
A careful inspection and a written plan help balance preservation with control.
Rural Properties
Farms and rural homes face steady pressure from rats living in fields, barns and feed storage. Store grain and animal feed in rodent-proof containers, clean up spilled feed, and keep outbuildings sealed and free of clutter.
Be especially careful with any bait around livestock, working dogs and wildlife, given the secondary poisoning risk.
What Good Rat Control Looks Like Today
Good rat control today relies on proven basics used consistently: inspection, exclusion, trapping and follow-up, with rodenticides kept for situations that need them.
Tools That Work
The tools that matter most are simple and well tested. Public-health and extension guidance points to the same short list.
The core tools are:
- Snap traps placed along walls and runways, checked daily
- Tamper-resistant bait stations, used only where infestations persist
- Steel wool, wire screen, hardware cloth and sheet metal for sealing
- Door sweeps and vent screens to close common entry points
- Written service records to track activity over time
Using these tools well matters more than any single new product. Ask any provider which tools it uses and why.
Integrated Approaches
Integrated pest management combines exclusion, sanitation, trapping and careful baiting, then checks the results and adjusts. That approach addresses the reasons rats are on the property, not just the rats themselves, which is why it tends to hold up over time.
Environmental Considerations
Relying first on exclusion and trapping reduces the risk to pets and wildlife. UC IPM’s warning about secondary poisoning is the main reason to keep rodenticides in tamper-resistant stations and use them only when needed.
Conclusion
Rat control works when it covers the whole problem: inspection, exclusion, trapping, careful cleanup and follow-up. DIY can handle a recent, small problem, but established infestations in walls, attics or crawl spaces usually need a professional.
Watch for droppings, gnaw marks, rub marks and sounds at night, seal gaps with rat-proof materials, and keep food, water and shelter out of reach. The sooner you act, the easier the problem is to solve.
When you compare providers, look at licensing, approach, exclusion work and follow-up terms, not just price. If you’re seeing signs of rats, book a call with Saela to schedule an inspection.
This article is for general information. For an inspection and a plan for your property, book a call with Saela Pest Control.
Who wrote this article?
Devin Hutchings (Marketing Director at Saela Pest Control) wrote this article.
Devin leads Saela’s marketing and growth strategy. He brings more than 15 years of marketing experience across Uber, C.R. England, Lugg, and Neighbor. His background spans customer acquisition, retention, and developing marketing channels for service businesses and consumer marketplaces.
