Rat control in Memphis, TN
Scratching over the ceiling, droppings in the attic, a rat running the fence line at dusk. Call to reach a local rodent technician who can find where the rats live, remove them and close the way in.
- Memphis and Shelby County
- Rats and mice only
- Independent local providers
Rat control in Memphis: what you are dealing with
Memphis has two rats, and they live in different parts of the house. The roof rat is the slim, dark climber with a tail longer than its body. It travels along tree limbs, fences and utility lines and nests up high, usually in the attic or the top of a wall. The Norway rat is the heavier brown rat. It digs burrows along foundations, under slabs, sheds and woodpiles, and gets into houses low, through crawl space vents, gaps around pipes and broken foundation blocks.
The two species call for different trap placement and different sealing. A rat problem in a Midtown attic and a rat problem under a Whitehaven slab porch are close to opposite jobs. That is why a good provider confirms the species before setting a single trap.
Rats cause real damage while they are inside. They chew wiring and HVAC duct wrap, flatten and soil attic insulation, and leave urine and droppings wherever they travel. A pair that gets in during the fall can turn into a colony by spring, because breeding does not stop in a mild Memphis winter.
What a thorough rat job includes
A rat job that lasts has three parts, and the third one gets skipped most often.
- Inspection of the attic, roofline, crawl space, foundation and yard to confirm the species and find runways, nests and every entry point
- Removal with snap traps or enclosed traps placed on the paths the rats actually use, checked on a set schedule
- Exclusion: sealing the gaps with hardware cloth, sheet metal, mortar or copper mesh so new rats cannot follow the scent trail back in
- Yard work that cuts off the bridge and the food: trimming limbs off the roof, moving woodpiles, tightening trash and pet food habits
- Follow-up visits until the traps stay empty and the droppings stop
- Cleanup advice, or a separate cleanup service if the attic or crawl space is heavily soiled
Ask any provider which of these the quote covers. A low price that only covers trapping usually means paying again in a few months.
How a rat job usually goes, step by step
- You call and describe what you hear or see, where, and for how long. The provider sets a visit time.
- The technician inspects inside and out: attic, eaves, soffits, gable vents, crawl space, foundation, slab edges, sheds and fences.
- You get a plan in writing with the species, the entry points found, the trapping setup and the sealing work, with a price for each part.
- Traps go in along runways. Roof rat traps go up on rafters, top plates and ledges. Norway rat traps go along walls and in the crawl space.
- The technician returns to check and reset traps, usually over one to three weeks, and removes any rats caught.
- Once activity drops, the entry points get sealed. Sealing too early can trap rats inside a wall, so timing matters.
- A final check confirms no fresh droppings, no new gnaw marks and no noise. You get notes on what to watch for.
Want a technician to look at your place?
(901) 256-2861Why rats are harder to get rid of in Memphis
Memphis gives roof rats everything they want. The older neighborhoods have tall oaks and magnolias that hang over rooflines, and overhead MLGW lines run from pole to house on most streets. A roof rat can go from a neighbor's tree to your gutter without touching the ground. Many homes in Midtown, Central Gardens and East Memphis were built between about 1900 and the 1950s, with wood soffits, gable vents and roof framing that have had decades to shift and open up.
Norway rats have their own advantages here. The city has a lot of ground-level cover: bulky waste piles waiting for pickup, overgrown vacant lots, and creek and river corridors along the Wolf River, Nonconnah Creek and the Mississippi. Rats that live in that cover move into the nearest crawl space or slab gap when the weather turns or the food runs out.
Then there is the climate. Long, humid summers and short winters let rats breed for most of the year. A small problem in October rarely fades on its own. Expect a good provider to spend as much time on the roofline and foundation as on the traps.
What you can do while you wait for the visit
A few steps make the technician's job faster and do not interfere with trapping:
- Bring pet food and birdseed inside, or store them in metal cans with tight lids
- Keep garbage cart lids shut, and roll the cart back from the curb on time
- Pick up fallen fruit, pecans and acorns under trees close to the house
- Clear boxes and clutter away from the attic hatch and the crawl space door so the technician can get in
- Skip loose poison inside the house; rats that eat it often die in a wall or attic and cause an odor problem
Write down where and when you hear noise or find droppings. That record helps the technician place traps on day one. For more on telling the two rats apart, see roof rats vs Norway rats.
What to say when you call
Your call goes to an independent rodent control provider serving Memphis. Two minutes of detail up front gets you a straighter answer on timing and price.
Tell them
- ✓Rats or mice, if you can tell. Mouse droppings are rice-sized; rat droppings run about half an inch or longer.
- ✓Where the activity is: attic, ceiling, walls, kitchen, crawl space, garage, yard or under the slab.
- ✓How long it has been going on, and whether the noise or droppings are getting worse.
- ✓The building: brick ranch, Midtown bungalow on a crawl space, townhome, apartment, restaurant or warehouse.
- ✓Your neighborhood or ZIP code and the times that work for a visit.
- ✓Anything already tried, like snap traps, store bait, foam in a gap or a past service.
Ask them
- ?Is the company chartered by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture (or licensed in Mississippi, for DeSoto County)?
- ?Will the technician seal the entry points, or only set traps and bait?
- ?How many return visits does the price cover, and what does an extra one cost?
- ?Can I see the plan and the quote in writing before work starts?
- ?What goes inside the house, and how is it kept away from kids and pets?
Rat control questions
How do I know if I have roof rats or Norway rats?
Noise in the attic or upper walls at night, and droppings about half an inch long with pointed ends, usually mean roof rats. Burrows along the foundation, droppings around three quarters of an inch with blunt ends, and activity in the crawl space or garage point to Norway rats. A technician confirms it during the inspection.
How long does rat control take?
Most homes need one to three weeks of trapping with follow-up visits, then sealing. Large attics, heavy infestations or several entry points can take longer. Ask the provider how many visits the quote includes.
Why do rats come back after I trap them?
The entry point is still open. New rats follow the scent of the old ones through the same gap. Trapping without sealing the roofline, vents and foundation gaps tends to repeat every few months. See why rats come back.
Is rat poison a good idea inside the house?
Most providers avoid loose bait indoors. A poisoned rat often dies in a wall void or attic, which leads to a strong odor for weeks. Traps let the technician remove the rat. Outdoor bait, if used, belongs in locked, tamper-resistant stations.
Can the city or county handle rats on my property?
Shelby County's rodent control program responds to complaints about rodent activity and can bait outdoors where it finds serious infestations, but it does not work inside private homes. The reporting guide explains what each office handles.
Do I need to be home for the visit?
For the first inspection, usually yes, since the technician needs the attic and crawl space access and wants to hear what you have noticed. Ask the provider about follow-up visits if the traps are all outside or in the crawl space.
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