Rodent control for Henderson and Las Vegas homes

Rodents in the Las Vegas valley

Roof rats are now common across the Las Vegas valley. They are slender, dark, and agile, with a tail longer than their body, and they prefer to live up high: in attics, palm trees, dense ivy and oleander, and along block walls and roof lines. They are drawn to backyard citrus and fruit, bird feeders, pet food, and pool water.

House mice are smaller and tend to nest low, in garages, under appliances, in stored boxes, and inside wall voids near the kitchen. A mouse can get through a gap the width of a pencil.

Pack rats, also called woodrats, live in the desert and show up most often in homes that border open ground or washes. They build bulky nests of sticks and debris in engine compartments, sheds, block wall caps, and under decks, and they are known for carrying off shiny objects.

All three gnaw constantly, which is where the real damage comes from: chewed wiring, insulation, irrigation lines, and air ducts. Droppings and urine contaminate anything they touch.

Signs you have rodents

• Scratching, scurrying, or gnawing sounds in the attic or walls after dark.
• Oranges, lemons, or pomegranates on the tree with a neat hole and the inside eaten out.
• Droppings: roof rat droppings are about half an inch long and spindle shaped; mouse droppings are smaller, like dark grains of rice.
• Greasy rub marks along baseboards, rafters, or block walls, and gnaw marks on wood, plastic, or wiring.
• Pet food or birdseed disappearing overnight, or a dog or cat fixated on one spot in the house.
• A stick nest in the engine bay, the shed, or behind stored items, which points to pack rats.

What our rodent service does

Trapping alone treats the symptom. Rodents keep coming until the entry points are found and the food, water, and shelter that attracted them are addressed, so our service covers all three.

1. Inspect. We walk the whole property: exterior, block walls, landscaping, garage, and every place pests get in.
2. Plan. You get a plain explanation of what we found and exactly what we recommend before any work starts.
3. Treat. Treatment targets where the pests live and travel, not a blanket spray of every surface.
4. Follow up. Follow-up is scheduled for the pest and the property, with a short list of what to watch for between visits.

What that means for rodents

• Inspection of the roof line, attic, vents, eaves, garage door seals, utility penetrations, and the landscaping that gives rodents a path to the roof.
• Trapping and removal, with trap placement based on the rodent and where it travels. Trapping avoids rodents dying inside walls, which is a common problem with poison baits used indoors.
• A written list of entry points and the materials that will close them, from gaps under garage doors to unscreened roof vents.
• Advice on the attractants we find: fruit left on trees, open pet food, bird feeders, and standing water.

What you can do between visits

• Harvest fruit as it ripens and pick up what falls.
• Trim trees and palms so branches are several feet off the roof and away from the walls.
• Store pet food, birdseed, and pantry goods in sealed containers, and bring pet bowls in at night.
• Replace worn garage door bottom seals and add screens to roof and foundation vents.
• Clear ivy, dense ground cover, and debris piles along fences and walls.