Rats are incredibly adaptable, thriving even in Arizona's desert climate. However, they’ll gladly move indoors to escape the blazing summer heat or chilly winter nights when given the chance. Attics are a favorite nesting spot, especially unfinished ones, offering a safe, secluded area away from predators. While attics don’t usually provide food or water, they’re the perfect place for rats to hide and build their nests. Want to know how rats get into your attic, what they’re doing up there, and how to keep them out? We’ve got you covered. If you’re already dealing with a rat problem, our SMART rodent control solutions at Northwest Exterminating are ready to protect your home in Phoenix, Tucson, and Southern Arizona.

pack rat near phoenix home

What do Arizona rats do in your attic?

Two types of rats commonly invade attics in Southern Arizona—roof rats and pack rats. Roof rats, also known as house rats, are black and prefer high spaces, like your attic, where they can nest comfortably near the roofline. Pack rats, or wood rats, are brown and typically nest outdoors in trees and bushes. However, they won’t hesitate to move into attics if the space offers protection and opportunities to hoard debris. Both types of rats can cause significant problems once inside. Here are a few things that both roof rats and packrats will do in your attic:

  • Gnaw holes in rooflines and roof penetration seals
  • Chew and claw stored items to collect materials for their nests
  • Gnaw on wiring and pose a fire hazard
  • Rip up insulation with their claws
  • Soil insulation and stored items with their droppings and urine

Rats often use attics as a safe place to nest, venturing out to nearby areas for food and water. However, they don’t always stop there. These clever rodents may navigate through your walls to access your kitchen or pantry, contaminating food and surfaces. This activity makes it even more critical to address rat infestations quickly and prevent further damage to your home.

How rats find their way into attics

Roof rats and pack rats are expert climbers, capable of scaling trees, utility poles, pipes, and even rough building exteriors with ease. Once they reach a roof, they’ll exploit any weakness to access your attic or home. Common entry points include:

  • Roofline holes created by or beneath clay roof tiles.
  • Broken or damaged tiles.
  • Gable vents with flimsy or damaged screens.
  • Seals around plumbing vents, wiring conduits, or other roof penetrations that they can damage and squeeze through.
  • Wooden soffits or fascia, which they gnaw through.
  • Gaps around windows, allowing access into wall voids.

These climbing and chewing abilities make roof and pack rats particularly challenging pests. To avoid costly damage and infestations, it’s crucial to take preventative measures before they have the chance to move in.

Rodent prevention tips for Arizona homes

As a homeowner, your best defense is a good offense. We recommend focusing on home repairs and rodent-proofing. Here are some examples:

  • Trim branches away from your rooflines to deter rats from getting up there.
  • Install rodent guards on tree trunks or pipes that run up exterior walls.
  • Install rodent guards on wires that run from nearby utility poles to your roof.
  • Apply hardware cloth to gable vents.
  • Apply expanding foam in clay tile roof lines.
  • Repair window frames and apply caulking to seal your frames.

Along with targeted deterrents like these, you may also apply pest maintenance. Here’s how this works:

  • Keep trash cans covered.
  • Pick up junk piles in the yard.
  • Trim dense vegetation near your exterior.
  • Remove bird feeders or place them far from your exterior.
  • Pick up fruit from the ground.
  • Protect fruit trees with rodent guards.
  • Protect other food sources in your yard.
  • Remove water sources.

As you set your mind to accomplishing these tasks, remember you’re not alone. Desert Guard from Northwest Exterminating can take some of the burden off your shoulders.     

What is Desert Guard?

Our Desert Guard program is tailored specifically for Southern Arizona’s desert environment, offering targeted solutions to protect your home from pests and rodents. Here’s how we safeguard your property:

  • Thorough inspection: We identify attractants, access routes, and entry points that pests use to invade your home.
  • Sealing gaps and cracks: We use professional-grade materials to close off your home’s exterior vulnerabilities.
  • Reinforcing key areas: We fortify critical spots with pest-proof materials to block entry.
  • Weephole protection: We secure weepholes to prevent pests from using them as entry points.
  • Weatherproofing: We apply weatherstripping and other materials to eliminate small gaps rodents might exploit.

Every home is different, and our Desert Guard program provides customized protection to meet your home’s specific needs.

How professional home pest control services can help  

Desert Guard isn’t the only way we help Southern Arizona residents keep rats out. We also offer Smart Defense, which comes with a SMART monitoring system for rodents. Check out our home pest control services to learn about our digital rodent control technologies. It is the most innovative and convenient way to stay ahead of rodent problems.

To get rid of rats in your attic or elsewhere in your home, contact Northwest Exterminating today!