Roof rats or Norway rats? How they get into Lowcountry houses

If the noise is overhead at night, it is almost always a roof rat. If it is under the floor or in the garage, it is more likely a Norway rat. Both live in Charleston, and they get in differently.

Roof rats

Slim, dark and excellent climbers. They run along power lines and palmetto fronds, then in through gaps where the roof meets the soffit, at roof returns and around vent pipes. A gap the size of a quarter is enough.

Norway rats

Heavier burrowers that come in low: crawlspace vents, gaps around pipes and doors that do not close tight. You will often see burrows along the foundation or under a shed.

Why we seal first

Poison inside the house means a rat dying inside a wall. We seal every opening with steel mesh and flashing, trap what is already inside and warrant the seals for a year. In our records, houses we seal stay quiet; houses that only get bait call back.