Rat Control Service

Rat Control Service Guide

Please download the guide to review all general information and the section related to your specific pest.

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Contributing Factors to Problematic Rat Infestations

To successfully control rat infestations, the customer must remove the rats’ food source.

A rat that has been in the structure for a prolonged period. A rat familiar with its territory is less likely to go near unknown objects such as traps. Also, if it has been in the structure for an extended period, it has a reliable food source.
A rat that has gotten ahold of food. Rats cache food like squirrels store acorns. If this has occurred, the rats will likely avoid traps until their food reserves run low or they get hungry.
A rat with available food. If bird feeders are not removed outside, rats will likely feed off them instead of entering our bait stations. If pet food is not secured inside, rats are unlikely to stick their heads in a snap trap. This goes for any food source or potential food source. More on this later.
A rat that has set off traps. Rats become trap-shy if they set off a trap but are not caught. This is true for a rat that got caught on a glue board. Rats that have set off traps are unlikely to interact with items that look and smell similar.

*Rat removal often takes longer in any of the above situations.

How Much Does It Cost?

Three-Visit Rat Trapping Service

$500⁰⁰plus tax

Out of Service Area +100$
Additional Living Units +100$ per unit

• 90-day conditional warranty from date of initial service.
• Includes an initial inspection for entry points and placement of around 25 snap traps.
• If it is determined that the rats are entering from a hole in the exterior foundation, we include the same square foot of patchwork repairs as we do for mice.
• Interior repairs are quoted separately. A plumber may be required to make the repairs.
• Includes a second visit to remove the caught rat.
• The final visit is left until there is no current rat activity. This is usually another week.
• In most cases, only one rat is in the home. You will be notified during the initial visit if multiple rats need to be removed. This will incur additional visit fees.
• If you are not quoted for extra visits, we will provide free removal of additionally caught rats for homes with a warranty.
• Includes free visits if traps need to be adjusted or the control strategy changed.
• We cannot promise manual removal of injured or sick rats.
• A floating follow-up is scheduled one week after the first service. If no rat activity is reported, the home is reinspected.
• It is the customer’s responsibility to check the traps and report activity. Traps remain the property of Lakewood Exterminating LLC. Do not handle the traps or rats.

Schedule

Important Statement Regarding the Scope of Rat Service

Lakewood Exterminating LLC makes no guarantee that the service will prevent damage caused by rodents or that the purchaser or any persons at the service location will not be bitten by rodents, experience unpleasant odors, see rodents or flies, or become infected by rodent-transmitted diseases.

Rat Preparation Guidelines

Confirm that you are dealing with a rat. Rat droppings are the size of a tic-tac. Mouse droppings are the size of a rice kernel.
Call to secure service at the first sighting of a rat. The longer it is delayed, the more difficult it becomes to trap. “Trying to do a few things yourself first” can significantly complicate the efficacy of our service.
Secure any potential food source. This includes bird seed, tree nuts, and food placed outside to feed other mammals. Inside, there can be many things. Dog food left in dishes is the most common food source. Food waste in garbage cans, bread and produce left on counters, bags of chips, granola bars, and candy are other examples of food that must be removed/ secured.
Limit water. Rats need at least half an ounce of water daily to survive, so do not leave dishes in the sink, pet water bowls, or wet rags and sponges out.
Call a plumber if needed. Look in the basement at the drains and drainpipes. Call a plumber if there is a hole in them or the floor around them. In most cases, rats enter the home through the sewer.
Make sure there are no dry drain traps, including toilets.
Remove any traps, rodenticides, and glue boards. If a rat has consumed rodenticide before service, it is unlikely to become caught in a trap.
Do not disturb the area. Rats are neophobic, which means they fear new objects. Cleanup and removal of belongings are best left for after the trapping.
Plan to keep children and pets out of the trapping area. Rat snap traps are large and can injure people and pets. We usually set all our traps in the basement or crawlspace. Lakewood Exterminating is not responsible for children and pets that enter the serviced area.
Look under the dishwasher, stove, and refrigerator for food that the rat has stored. Remove any food cache found.

Information to Tell Your Technician

How long has the rat been inside of the home? Do you have dogs? Do you leave any pet food out, or do the pets consume the pet food all at once? Do you leave food waste in the trash overnight or when you leave the home? Where has the rat been spotted? Have you set traps yet? If so, what kind and where? Did the rat set off any traps without being caught?

Rat Service Warranty Terms

We do not warranty the service if two or more of the following three things are accurate.

The rat has been in the home for over two weeks.
Pet food or other food is or has been left out. (If the rat has had access to food.)
It has set off traps.
We do not warranty the service if there are unresolved plumbing issues or other entry points. In other words, if the recommended repairs are not completed by the time we remove the traps, you will not receive a warranty.

The warranty becomes void if rats access food inside after the initial visit.
In these instances, extra visits cost one-third of the initial service within 90 days of the first service.

Service Area

Our service area is inside the purple line. We service homes outside of the purple line. However, a “trip charge” will be incurred to account for longer drive times.

Out of Area “Trip Charge”

For locations outside the purple line- up to forty minutes from the office, a “trip charge” of $50 per visit applies for single services and non-warrantied follow-up visits. Add $100 for multi-visit service plans. We do not service homes over 40 minutes away. During the busy April-October season, we might be unable to service homes outside the purple line. We are likelier to take jobs to the West than jobs further away to the South or East.

Seal Your Home From Rodents

Getting rid of the rodents in your home is only the first step in getting control of your rodent problem. To truly get rid of rodents for good, you need more than just rodent control; you need to rodent–proof.

When a rodent manages to get into your home, it leaves a trail of pheromones along the way. This trail acts like a map, letting all the other neighborhood rodents know the fastest way to get inside your house. That means that even if you get rid of every rodent inside, you’ll always have more coming in. The only way to truly get rid of your rodents is to block their trail by sealing off your home.

Learn More About Rodent Proofing

Rodent control services in Cleveland, Ohio.

A Rodent Infestation Can Quickly Get Out of Control

First, let’s talk about the health side of things. Rats carry diseases like leptospirosis, hantavirus, and salmonellosis. The worst part? You don’t even have to come into direct contact with a rat to get sick. These illnesses can spread through rat urine, rat droppings, or even breathing in air contaminated by rat waste. The longer those rats stick around, the more waste builds up and the higher the chances of someone in your home getting ill.

But it’s not just about health—rats can also do a number on your house itself. They chew constantly to keep their teeth from overgrowing. And they’ll gnaw on just about everything in your home. Electrical wires, structural beams, insulation, you name it.

So, the longer you let a rat infestation go on, the more damage they can do and the higher the health risks climb. The other thing to remember is that rodent populations can quickly get out of control. While you might only have to deal with one or two rats at first, they breed and grow quickly, meaning that if you let it go on, you could end up dealing with an expensive and dangerous situation.

That’s why tackling the problem as soon as you think you might have rats is important. The sooner you act, the easier it is to eliminate them and enjoy your rodent-free home.

Our Comprehensive Rat Control Services

At Lakewood Exterminating, we know that no two rat infestations are alike. What works for your neighbor might not be the best solution for you. That’s why we don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, we tailor our rat control services to your unique situation. It all starts with a thorough inspection of your home, from top to bottom, inside and out. How are the rats getting in? Where are they nesting? What’s attracting them to your place? Once we’ve figured that out, we’ll put together a custom treatment plan that targets the root of your rat problem.

Indoor Rat Removal: Safe & Effective Trapping Methods

When it comes to getting rid of rats inside your home, we believe in using trapping methods over poisons. While rodenticides may seem like an easy solution, they can actually create more problems than they solve. If a rat ingests poison and then dies in a hard-to-reach place (like inside your walls) it can lead to unpleasant odors and even more potential health risks. That’s why our team uses strategic trapping techniques to eliminate indoor rat populations quickly and humanely. We place snap traps in areas where rats are most likely to travel, use expanded trigger traps for a quick and humane kill, and take the time to pre-bait the traps so rats become accustomed to them before they’re set.

Targeting the Source with Outdoor Rat & Pest Control

Did you know that outdoor rat populations are often the source of indoor infestations? That’s why our rat removal service starts a comprehensive inspection of your property’s exterior. We pay close attention to areas prone to rat activity, such as porches, decks, and crawl spaces. From there, we take a multifaceted approach, which includes:

Exterior bait stations to reduce population numbers
Burrow baits to target rats where they live.

We’ll also help you identify and address common outdoor attractants, like bird feeders or areas with fallen tree nuts, to make your property less inviting to rats.

Sewer Line Inspections to Find the Entry Points

If you have broken sewer lines or missing drain strainers, rats can easily make their way inside, often going undetected until the infestation has taken hold. As part of our comprehensive rat removal service, we inspect your sewer lines for any such vulnerabilities.

Exclusion & Rat-Proofing to Preventing Future Rat Invasions

Getting rid of the rats currently in your home is a big step, but it’s only half the battle. To truly solve your rat problem for the long term, we need to make sure they can’t find their way back inside. That’s where our exclusion and rat-proofing services come in.

This process can involve a variety of tactics, depending on your situation:

Repairing broken sewer lines under basement slabs
Installing and repairing basement drain strainers
Sealing where downspouts enter the ground
Addressing gaps in foundation blocks, especially under porches, which tends to attract rats

In some more complex cases, we may need to get creative to fully rat-proof your home. This could involve creating special access points to seal hard-to-reach areas in your foundation walls. No matter what it takes, our goal is always the same—to create a barrier that keeps rats out, giving you lasting peace of mind.

Ongoing Monitoring and Follow-Ups to Prevent Future Infestations

We know that getting rid of an infestation is a process, and we’re committed to seeing it through to the end. After our initial treatment, we’ll schedule follow-up visits to assess the success of our efforts. We’ll check our traps, monitor for signs of new activity, and make any necessary adjustments to our approach. We won’t consider our job done until we’re confident that your home is completely rat-free.

But our comprehensive approach to rat removal services doesn’t stop there. We want to make sure you have the knowledge and tools to keep rats away for good. That’s why, during our visits, we’ll share our expertise on rat behavior and biology. It’s all to help you better understand what attracts rats to your home in the first place and what you can do to make your property less appealing to them. Whether it’s properly storing food, sealing potential entry points, or reducing outdoor attractants, we’ll provide you with practical, actionable advice to prevent future infestations.

Rat Removal, Done Right

We know you have choices when it comes to rat control services. So why pick Lakewood Exterminating? It’s simple: it’s not just about what we do. It’s about how we do it. From our initial inspection to our final follow-up, we’ll keep you informed, answer your questions, and address your concerns every step of the way.

Ready to take back your home from rats? There’s only one thing left to do—request a quote from Lakewood Exterminating! Click the button let us show you how we can make your rat problem a thing of the past.

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