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Rat Removal and Rat-Proofing in North Georgia

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

At Rid-A-Critter, we make a science out of pest rat control.

Most rat exterminators kill rats by setting out rat poison. We don't. There are more reasons not to use rat poison than to use it, which we'll discuss a bit further down in this page.

The long and short of it is that with the exception of a few commercial accounts and other special situations in which exterior bait stations are required by law or industry standards, we don't use rodenticides to kill rats; and we never use rodenticides to kill rats inside of buildings. They're unnecessary and potentially harmful.

What we do is remove existing rats from your home or building non-chemically using various types of traps, and then seal your home or building to keep rats out. Our organic approach to rat extermination is safer, more environmentally friendly, and more permanent than using poisons.

Trying to control rats without sealing them out of a building is pointless. New rats will move in almost as quickly as the old rats are removed. You'll develop a lifetime relationship with your exterminator because the rat problem will never be solved. Your exterminator will show up every month to set out more poison, you will pay the exterminator every month to do it, and you'll still have a rat problem. Forever.

That's not how we do rat removal.

Rid-A-Critter is one of the largest and most well-established animal control companies in North Georgia, and we got that way by doing things differently. Unlike most pest control companies, we practice non-chemical rat control that doesn't rely on poisons, as is consistent with our philosophy and practice of Integrated Pest Management (IPM). We emphasize rat extermination using trapping, habitat modification, and rodent exclusion ("rat-proofing") to prevent rats from getting into your home or business.

Removing rats from your home without using poisons means reduced risk to humans, livestock, and pets, as well as less risk of rats dying inside your house and stinking it up. Non-chemical rat control is the smartest way to solve a rat problem, no matter how you look at it.

More Cutting-Edge Rat Control Technology

Thermal Imaging Picture of a Rats' Nest

We also use thermal imaging to help quickly locate hard-to-find rats' nests, so we can get to the root of the problem and solve it quickly -- and permanently. These pictures illustrate how this works.

The top picture was taken with the sheet rock still on the studs. The bright spot that's circled was the rats' nest. the bottom picture shows what it looked like once we opened it up and found the nest -- exactly where the thermal camera said it would be.

When needed, we also utilize other high-tech methods, such as motion-activated robotic cameras, to determine how many rats there are and just how they're getting into your home. Using the "Rat Cam" allows us to be absolutely certain that we've found and repaired every hole to be sure that we've sealed the rats out of your house.

Finally, we also clean up and sanitize after the rats, removing their droppings and applying disinfectants or insecticides as needed to kill parasites and germs that the rats left behind. Optionally, we can also replace the contaminated insulation.

Of course, not every rat extermination job requires such high-tech equipment. But it's good to know we have it for when those tough jobs come along.

Advantages of Non-Toxic Rat Control

In addition to being more environmentally-friendly, "green," non-chemical rat control has many practical benefits:

Non-toxic rat exclusion and trapping avoid all of these problems and provide the most effective, long-term rat control. Trapped rats don't wander off to die inside walls and structural voids and stink up your house. Instead, they are promptly removed from your home before they start to decompose and stink.

Integrated Pest Management and Rodenticides

There are a few rat infestation situations which require the selective and judicious use of rodenticides (rat poisons), even in the context of an IPM program. But even in these situations, non-chemical control should be the primary rat control method. Rodenticides should be used only when absolutely needed.

Some situations in which rodenticide use is justified include:

Rat Control Gallery

Here are some randomly-selected pictures of rat pest control jobs we've done in North Georgia.

Left pointing arrow. Right pointing arrow.
Droppings scattered among bits of chewed up foam insulation on the concrete floor are evidence of Norway rats in the crawl space of a house in Acworth, Georgia.
Evidence of rats in a crawl space in Acworth
Tree rats started with a fingertip sized gap between the frieze board and the brick wall, and gnawed at it until it was just big enough for them to get into the attic of a house in Alpharetta, Georgia.
How tree rats got into a house in Alpharetta
A rat control technician using an inspection mirror to check a gap between the bottom row of siding and the foundation where Norway rats were getting into a house in Madison, Georgia.
Norway rat inspection at a house in Madison
A handyman attempting to seal Norway rats out of a house in Snellville, Georgia applied sealant around a heating duct with no matrix to hold it place, which allowed the rats to gnaw through the sealant and into the duct system.
Handyman rat-proofing attempt in Snellville
An air conditioning installer cut a gap about four inches high by three inches wide through the foundation vent lattice to pass the pipes through, which also allowed Norway rats into a Dahlonega, Georgia home.
Man-made rat hole into a house in Dahlonega
A hole in a concrete foundation wall about two inches across where a pipe used to pass through and with rat rub marks under it that allowed Norway rats into a house in Dahlonega, Georgia.
Rat hole in a foundation wall in Dahlonega
Greasy stains around a gap in the wooden siding at a roof junction from roof rats that were getting into a house in Alpharetta, Georgia.
Roof rats stains at a house in Alpharetta
The bottom four inches of the wooden garage door frame are basically gone because of water rot, which allowed Norway rats into a house in Jasper, Georgia.
Water rot allowed rats into a house in Jasper
The clothes dryer vent hood fell off the brick wall, exposing the dryer duct and allowing Norway rats into a house in Roswell, Georgia.
Rats got in through the dryer duct in Roswell
Tail prints in the dust on an insulated heating duct are evidence of a roof rat infestation in the attic of a house in Ellijay, Georgia.
Rat tail prints in the dust in Ellijay
A small section of the steel siding was cut out to pass an electrical wire into a commercial building in Woodstock, Georgia, which allowed Norway rats used the gap to get into the building.
Man made rat hole into a building in Woodstock
Bout an inch or so of the rubber weather seal of the garage door broke off next to the door track, creating a gap that allowed Norway rats to squeeze into a Winston, Georgia home.
Rat gap in a broken garage door seal in Winston
Norway rats burrow through the soil under a plywood crawl space door at a house in Temple, Georgia.
Rat burrow into a crawl space in Temple
A gap under a bunch of P V C pipes and some wires where they pass through the wall of the house that allowed Norway rats into a house in Hiram, Georgia.
Rat gap under a bunch of pipes in Hiram
The screen behind the lattice of a metal foundation vent is corroded and detached from the vent, allowing rats into a house in Snellville, Georgia, and there is ivy growing on the lattice.
Detached screen at a Snellville rat control job
A gap under a pipe passing through a hole in the concrete foundation more than twice its diameter that allowed Norway rats into a house in Snellville, Georgia.
Rat gap under a pipe into a house in Snellville
A gap of about two inches between the crawl space door and the bottom of the overhanging wooden siding that allowed Norway rats into a house in Canton, Georgia.
Rat gap behind the siding at a house in Canton
Droppings and urine on top of the vapor barrier in the crawl space are evidence of Norway rats that need to be trapped and removed from a house in Hiawassee, Georgia.
Evidence of rats in a crawl space in Hiawassee
A handyman used insulating foam around the air conditioning pipes where they pass through the siding to try to seal rats out of a house in Acworth, Georgia, but the rats chewed through the foam.
Handyman rat-proofing attempt in Acworth
A Norway rat gnawed a hole through the sill plate and the adjacent side support of an outdoor wooden staircase to get into a house in Big Canoe, Georgia.
Rat hole through the sill plate in Big Canoe
Rats gnawed through the vinyl trim of the driveway frame to capitalize on a fist sized hole in the concrete where it crumbled to get into the garage of a house in Alpharetta, Georgia.
Rat gap in the driveway of an Alpharetta home
Looking up at a gap of about two inches between the back of the bottom row of siding and the brick foundation that allowed Norway rats to climb up behind the siding and into a house in Blue Ridge, Georgia.
Rat gap behind the siding at a Blue Ridge home
A gap about an inch and a half square at the bottom of the wooden garage door frame that allowed rats into a house in Carrollton, Georgia.
Rat gap under the garage door frame in Carrollton
Rat droppings on the lip under the lid of a washing machine in the basement of a house in Hiawassee, Georgia.
Rat droppings under a washer lid in Hiawassee
The top of the wooden crawl space door frame settled over time, opening up a gap of about an inch and a half between the frame and the bricks that allowed Norway rats into a Temple, Georgia home.
Norway rat gap over a crawl space door in Temple
Norway rats gnawed away about a foot and a half length of the bottom few inches of an exterior wall that was already water damaged to get into a house in Snellville, Georgia.
Water and rat damage to the wall in Snellville
The dryer vent hood fell off the wall, allowing Norway rats to get into a house in Suwanee, Georgia through the open duct.
Rats got in through the dryer duct in Suwanee
A freshly poured concrete band about ten inches wide adjacent to the base of an air-conditioning unit to keep rats out of a commercial building in Alpharetta, Georgia.
Rat proofing outside a retail store in Alpharetta
Someone stuffed an old rag into the gap around an air conditioning pipe where it passes through a hole in the brick wall in an unsuccessful attempt to keep rats out of a house in Oxford, Georgia.
Homeowner rat control attempt in Oxford
About four inches of the rubber seal on the bottom of the garage door right next to the track broke off, and the gap allowed Norway rats into a Snellville, Georgia home.
Rat gap into the garage of a Snellville home

Rid-A-Critter has locally-based rat control specialists living, working, and keeping rats out of houses throughout North Georgia. We have the tools and personnel to handle any rat control or mouse control job, so please call us today for a professional inspection and consultation.

 

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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.

Droppings scattered among bits of chewed-up foam insulation on the concrete crawl space floor were evidence of Norway rats that needed to be trapped, removed from, and sealed out of a house in Acworth, Georgia. A rat control team from our North Georgia office is on it.
by Webmaster
Jun 07, 2023 10:12:56 am.

Tree rats started with a fingertip-sized gap between the frieze board and the brick wall, and gnawed at it until it was just big enough for them to get into the attic of a house in Alpharetta, Georgia. A rat control crew from our North Georgia office is trapping and removing the rats from the attic and rodent-proofing the house.
by Webmaster
Jun 07, 2023 09:53:24 am.

We have an inspector heading out to check out a house in Madison, Georgia for Norway rat control. The rats apparently are getting into the house through a gap between the bottom row of siding and the foundation.
by Webmaster
Jun 06, 2023 09:22:08 am.

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

A handyman attempting to seal Norway rats out of a house in Snellville, Georgia applied sealant around a heating duct with no matrix to hold it place. That allowed the rats to gnaw through the sealant and into the duct system. Don't waste your time hiring handymen for rodent pest exclusion. Very few of them know how to do it right.
by Webmaster
May 31, 2023 09:00:28 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.

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.

The air-conditioning installer cut away enough of the foundation vent lattice to create a gap about four inches high by three inches wide that he passed the pipes through. Unfortunately, the gap also allowed Norway rats into the Jasper, Georgia home. We have a rat control crew at the house screening the vents to keep the rodents out.
by Webmaster
May 24, 2023 11:22:34 am.

A hole in a concrete foundation wall about two inches across where a pipe used to pass through allowed Norway rats into a house in Dahlonega, Georgia. The stains on the concrete under the hole told us that this house has needed rat control for a long time.
by Webmaster
May 24, 2023 11:17:25 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.

Zebulon, Thomaston, Butler, Ellaville, Americus, Albany and Moultrie Ga cities I’ll be today quoting wildlife removal services.
by Jason Arruda
May 23, 2023 10:22:46 am.

Greasy stains around a gap in the wooden siding at a roof junction made it easy to tell how roof rats were getting into a house in Alpharetta, Georgia. The rat control crew is repairing the damage and sealing the house to non-chemically treat the rat problem and prevent future infestations with rodent pests.
by Webmaster
May 22, 2023 09:58:18 am.

Exclusion sold in Gray Ga. Going to be another satisfied customer.
by Jason Arruda
May 18, 2023 04:00:20 pm.

Was able to squeeze another customer in today in Gray Ga. Issue is bats.
by Jason Arruda
May 18, 2023 02:58:01 pm.

In Tyrone Ga on a few exclusion quotes, then to Fayetteville Ga. Bats, squirrels and attic noise
by Jason Arruda
May 18, 2023 10:01:35 am.

Sealed a house in Atlanta this morning then another in Duluth this afternoon. Chad 2. Rats 0
by Chad W.
May 16, 2023 04:23:31 pm.

Sealing another rental home for a repeat customer in Douglasville this morning
by Brandon C.
May 16, 2023 07:25:54 am.

The bottom four inches of the wooden garage door frame are basically gone because of water rot, which allowed Norway rats into a house in Jasper, Georgia. Non-chemical rat control at this house will begin with addressing the water problem and repairing the door frame to seal rats and other rodent pests out of the house. The existing rats will be treated by trapping and removal.
by Webmaster
May 16, 2023 05:06:55 am.

There's a reason why our pest control crew will be heading out to a Roswell, Georgia rat control job in a little while. The clothes dryer vent hood fell off the brick wall, exposing the dryer duct and allowing Norway rats into the house. We'll be replacing it with a rodent-proof cover that will keep rats out of the house.
by Webmaster
May 16, 2023 04:57:19 am.

Finished sealing a house for roof rats in Braselton. Quote for mice in Woodstock now off to Loganville Ga to check out a house with bats.
by Chad W.
May 11, 2023 03:25:43 pm.

Doing inspections/quotes in Butler Ga., Thomaston Ga., and Griffin Ga. today from Snakes in a crawl space, bats in a gable and squirrels in the attic.
by Jason Arruda
May 11, 2023 11:04:31 am.

A rodent control crew doing roof rat control in Ellijay, Georgia is installing a metal animal barrier under the shingles and over the roof fascia to keep rodent pests and nuisance wildlife out of the attic.
by Webmaster
May 10, 2023 10:27:18 am.

Someone cut a notch in the bottom of the steel siding to pass an electrical wire into a commercial building in Woodstock, Georgia; and Norway rats used the gap to get into the building. The rat control crew is setting traps to catch and remove the rats from inside the building, and sealing the outside perimeter to prevent future rodent infestations.
by Webmaster
May 10, 2023 09:50:08 am.

Wildlife Crews across Georgia and Alabama sealing homes, removing animals and insulation replacement. Be safe out there. Making customers happy!
by Jason Arruda
May 10, 2023 09:06:09 am.

Bout an inch or so of the rubber weather seal of the garage door broke off next to the door track, and that was enough space for Norway rats to squeeze into a Winston, Georgia home. Our rat control crew is replacing the weather seal to keep rodent pests out of the house.
by Webmaster
May 09, 2023 09:39:55 am.

Norway rats burrowed through the soil under a plywood crawl space door to get into a house in Temple, Georgia. Our rat control crew is pouring a cement saddle and replacing the door and frame to keep rats and other rodent pests out of the house.
by Webmaster
May 09, 2023 09:22:47 am.

Going to be in Macon Ga all day today quoting animal exclusions. Bats, squirrels and snakes.
by Jason Arruda
May 09, 2023 09:13:28 am.

Rid-A-Critter provides non-chemical pest rat extermination in all of North Georgia, including Athens, Atlanta, Alpharetta, Canton, Carrollton, Cartersville, Cumming, Dacula, Doraville, Ellijay, Flowery Branch, Gainesville, Jasper, Lawrenceville, Loganville, Macon, Milton, Norcross, Rome, Roswell, Suwanee, Villa Rica, Winston, Woodstock, Young Harris, and everywhere in between.

#rat #removal #control #NorthGeorgia

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