Dealing with roof rats in Tampa Bay is a common headache for local homeowners. These agile climbers use our lush tree canopies to reach your roof and find a way inside. If you hear scratching in your attic at night, you likely have a roof rat infestation that needs professional attention before it causes real damage.

Tampa recently ranked as the 50th most rat-infested city in the country. Our warm weather and abundance of fruit trees make the Tampa Bay area a perfect habitat for these pests.

At ProHealth Pest Control, we know exactly how these rodents behave in our unique coastal environment. that’s why we’re the best option for roof rat control in Tampa bay.

Effective rodent control in Florida requires more than just traps; it demands a strategy of removal and permanent exclusion. ProHealth Pest Control identifies entry points (some as small as a nickel) and seals your home to prevent a roof rat problem from returning. This protects your property and your family’s health.

Rat control is a multi-step process:

• Inspection: We find every gap in your soffits, vents, and roofline.
• Exclusion: We use high-grade materials to seal those gaps permanently.
• Trapping: We remove the rats currently nesting in your roof rats’ nest.
• Sanitation: We clean up droppings to remove pheromones that attract other rats.

A single pair of roof rats can produce up to 40 offspring in one year. That is why simple DIY traps fail. You have to stop the cycle by “building them out” of the house. We focus on rodent control services that last.

Also known as “citrus rats,” roof rats are sleek, dark-colored rodents with tails longer than their bodies. Unlike the ground-dwelling Norway rat, roof rats prefer nesting in high-altitude spaces like attics, soffits, and palm tree canopies across Clearwater and Tampa.

Physical Traits and Signs of Rat Activity

These pests are smaller than the common brown rat. They weigh between 5 and 9 ounces and have large, nearly hairless ears. You can spot a roof rat infestation by looking for these signs:

1. Grease Marks: Dark stains along rafters or walls where their fur rubs.
2. Nocturnal Noise: Heavy scratching or scurrying sounds after the sun goes down.
3. Chewed Fruit: Hollowed-out citrus on the ground in your backyard.
4. Droppings: Small, spindle-shaped droppings in the attic or near food sources.

In neighborhoods like South Tampa, where citrus trees are everywhere, these rats are very active. They love to eat the fruit and then use the branches to jump onto your shingles.

Roof rats pose a dual threat to your tampa bay home: structural damage and disease. Their constant need to gnaw leads them to chew through electrical wiring, creating fire hazards. Their droppings can transmit dangerous pathogens like Leptospirosis and rat bite fever to your family and pets.

Health Risks and Contamination

Rats contaminate food and surfaces quickly. They often chew through food packaging and get into pet food stored in garages or pantries. The CDC warns that rodents spread diseases like Salmonellosis and Murine Typhus through their waste.

Why Your Wiring is at Risk

Roof rats have teeth that never stop growing. They have to gnaw on hard materials to keep them filed down. In an attic, your electrical wiring is an easy target. This is a leading cause of house fires in Florida that investigators cannot otherwise explain.

Feature	Risk Factor
Wiring	Fire hazard from exposed copper
Insulation	Soiled by urine and droppings
Health	Spread of rat bite fever and parasites
Pantry	Ruined food packaging and waste

From the historic bungalows of Seminole Heights to the waterfront estates of Bayshore Boulevard, every neighborhood faces unique pressures. Our local technicians understand how Florida’s construction styles (like barrel tile roofs) provide easy access for these pests.

In Hyde Park, the massive, mature oak trees act as “rat highways” directly to your gutters. In newer suburban spots like Westchase, rats often move from retention ponds into attic spaces.

DIY methods often fail because the Florida humidity makes cheap sealants brittle. We use metal mesh and high-quality sealants that stand up to our heat.

Pro Tip: Trim your tree branches at least 6 feet away from your roofline. Roof rats can jump up to 4 feet, so a 6-foot gap is the safest way to prevent roof rats from reaching your home.

We are the local experts in pest control for the Tampa area. We don’t just set a few traps and leave. We offer a full exclusion guarantee. If a rat gets back in through one of our sealed spots, we come back and fix it.

Our team uses family-friendly protocols to keep your home safe. We also offer attic restoration and sanitation that was ruined by a roof rat nest. We will also work around the removed insulation before it is replaced by an insulation company.

Do not wait for a small roof rat problem to become a massive roof rat infestation. Protecting your Tampa Bay home starts with a professional inspection. ProHealth Pest Control provides the permanent rat control you need.

Contact us today to request a Free Quote and take back your attic.