Rat Control Service
Rat Control Service Guide
Please download the guide to review all general information and the section related to your specific pest.
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
- Out of Service Area +100$
- Additional Living Units +100$ per unit
• 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.
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.
For multi-family homes (duplexes and apartment buildings), extra units can be added for $50 for single services or $100 for multi-visit service plans (per additional unit).
Customers can purchase multiple services to be performed during the same visit. When bundled, receive 20% off the lesser service. An example of this is mouse control coupled with an ant treatment.
Allow an arrival window of a half-hour before and after your scheduled appointment time.
Depending on your service, you should receive an email/ text reminder 3 days or 1 day before your scheduled service. However, our software sometimes fails to send these reminders. You are responsible for keeping track of any appointments that you plan.
- For initial/ single services, if we arrive at the job site and cannot gain access to the property (if required), there will be an $80 missed appointment fee. This must be paid before scheduling any future service.
- If access is required but not provided for any follow-up visit, the warranty becomes void and counts as one of the follow-up visits. In this case, extra visits can be purchased within the 60 or 90-day service period for 1/3 of the original cost.
- Follow-up visits must be scheduled within the service period (60 or 90 days). It is the customer’s responsibility to make sure all visits are scheduled.
- As with all appointments, allow an arrival time of half an hour before and after the scheduled appointment time. We wait for unavailable customers for 15 minutes before counting the visit as a missed appointment.
Most pest control services have a warranty or come with half-price follow-up services within 60 days. Except for rats and wildlife, please allow two weeks for control before requesting follow-up service (one week for ants).
- Most pesticides have a residual, which means they keep working after they dry. The average lifespan of a residual pesticide application is 20 days. Most of our pesticides cannot be reapplied for 2-4 weeks.
- Pests also have a lifecycle, which means it can take time to see results. For example, sprays don’t kill newly laid bed bug eggs. Likewise, flea pupae are immune to most pesticides. It can take two weeks for ant and yellowjacket colonies to collapse.
- If ants go away after the treatment, but return within the warranty period, please allow 3-5 days before requesting a follow-up. The new ants often encounter the previously applied product and dissipate a few days later. If we have left you with a bait station, please place this device where you see the activity.
Different pests are active during certain times of the year, and pesticide applications only last so long. This is why we offer maintenance plans to manage your pests year-round.
We will inform the customer during the initial service if sanitation or other factors compromise the warranty.
- For any pesticide application, keep children and pets out of the treatment area until the treatment has dried/ settled out of the air. Depending on the application, this can take 45 minutes to 4 hours.
- Please secure dogs so they cannot physically contact our technicians.
- It is the customer’s responsibility to provide all responsible parties (tenants) with the preparation guidelines. They are also responsible for providing access and ensuring occupants are ready to vacate the premises if needed.
- Please follow all customer preparation guidelines and instructions. For more details, see the section related to your service.
Suppose a customer or other structure(s) occupants believe they are or may be sensitive to pesticides/termiticides or their odors. In that case, the customer must notify Lakewood Exterminating LLC in writing before service, including whether the customer or other occupants have consulted with a medical doctor or other healthcare provider regarding such sensitivity. Upon receipt of such notification, Lakewood Exterminating LLC reserves the right to deny or terminate service. Failure to provide notification represents the customer’s assumption of risk and waiving of claims against Lakewood Exterminating LLC in connection with such sensitivity.
- After completing the service, we will return to our vehicle to write up your invoice. Here, you will find information such as our time on site, weather conditions for exterior pesticide application, inspection findings, materials we used for control and their locations, completed repairs, documented notes, and recommendations. This will be sent to the phone number and email address on file.
- We ask that you pay at the time of service. We accept checks, cash, or credit cards. We require a signed invoice and credit card on file if you cannot pay at the time of service. If you are a landlord or responsible party but will not be present for the appointment, please put a card on file during the scheduling process. Payments will be run after the initial service is complete. Receipts are sent via email. If you have used our services with a history of timely payments, you may be invoiced/ pay online. If we invoice you, payment is due in 2 weeks.
- For large commercial properties and apartments with more than six units, the cost per service starts at $200 per hour of labor- plus materials costing over $30.
- Small offices and stores are generally priced the same as homes.
- Restaurants and similar establishments require an on-site visit to provide an estimate. There is usually an initial service fee plus a monthly maintenance fee, which starts at $100.
- If you are receiving a pesticide application, remember that employees, customers, and other occupants must stay out of the treatment area for a few hours until the spray dries. Our available times for treatments are generally 9 a.m.- 5 p.m.
- For rentals, the customer is responsible for coordinating with the tenants, providing access upon arrival, giving tenants the preparation guidelines, and ensuring they properly prepare and vacate.
- Tenants cannot schedule service without the landlord’s permission. The only exception is if the lease states that pest control is the tenant’s responsibility.
- For any rodent or wildlife issue, the customer must be the landlord.
- We require a credit card on file if the landlord is absent for the appointment.
Exterior Pesticide Treatments are performed from March through November, weather permitting. At all other times, an interior treatment will be applied for most common household pests.
Many pest problems can be diagnosed over the phone or by email for free. If you are unclear about which service your problem falls under, please email pictures to support@lakewoodexterminating.com. Our owner also provides phone consultations upon request. Please reach out through the contact form on our website to speak with our Owner.
If you require a site visit to diagnose a pest issue, there is a $99 plus tax fee. This includes an inspection/ consultation. A price quote will be provided to remedy problems as needed.
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.
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.
Cleveland Pest Control Services
Child And Pet-Friendly Treatments From Trusted Exterminators
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Lakewood Exterminating, 13443 Detroit Ave., #8, Lakewood, OH 44107
Cleveland Pest Control Services
Child And Pet-Friendly Treatments From Trusted Exterminators
Lakewood Exterminating, 13443 Detroit Ave., #8, Lakewood, OH 44107