Roof Rat & Mouse Control in Duluth, GA
Scratching in the ceiling after the house goes quiet, droppings behind the pantry shelves, or noise that seems to come through the wall from the townhome next door? Roof rats and mice get into Duluth homes from the roof down and the foundation up. Call us and tell us about the job — we will confirm the local crew for your county before any work starts.
Rodents in your Duluth home
The roof rat is the main rodent problem in Duluth's wooded neighborhoods. It's slim, has a long tail, is active at night, and is an excellent climber. It travels along tree limbs, power and cable lines, fences and gutters, and it gets into houses high up, through gable vents, roof seams and small gaps at the eaves. Trimming trees back won't solve it on its own, because roof rats can also climb brick and siding. In older homes they often get in through worn vents and trim. In newer townhomes, rats that get into one unit can sometimes travel through shared attics and walls to the next.
House mice usually come in at ground level, through crawlspace vents, gaps around pipes, and spaces under doors and along the sill plate. Both rats and mice breed all year here, contaminate food and insulation with droppings and urine, and chew on wiring. In the Southeast, roof rats are also linked to murine (flea-borne) typhus. The fix that lasts is to find every opening, seal it with metal, and then trap the rodents that are already inside.
Which rodent is it?
The plan depends on the animal. Roof rats climb and live in the attic and upper walls. Norway rats are heavier, dig burrows, and stay low in crawlspaces and along foundations. House mice are small and leave droppings in cabinets and pantries. Timing helps tell them apart from squirrels: rodents are active at night, while squirrels are active in the morning and late afternoon. Droppings are the other big clue, and a pro uses both to know where to look.
Older homes vs. townhomes
Rats get into Duluth's different kinds of homes in different ways. In an older house, the openings are usually from wear: rusted crawlspace vent screens, loose gable vent louvers, gaps around old pipes and wires, and chimney flashing that has pulled away. In a newer townhome, the issue is often how the building was put together. Shared roof planes, attic spaces that connect between units, and utility openings that were never fully sealed can let rats move from one unit to another. Sealing only your unit helps, but the pro should also check the walls and rooflines you share with neighbors.
Signs rodents leave behind
Rats and mice leave clear signs. Droppings build up along the paths they travel and near their nests. Dark, greasy rub marks appear where they repeatedly squeeze through the same gap or run along the same beam. Fresh chew marks on wood, wires or pipes show where they're active now. Pros use these signs to find entry points and decide where to set traps. Cleanup matters for health reasons: rodent droppings and urine can spread salmonella and other germs, and roof rats in the Southeast are linked to murine typhus.
Why bait alone doesn't work
Poison bait is the most common do-it-yourself approach, and it rarely fixes the problem. Bait doesn't close any openings, so new rodents keep coming in after the first ones are gone. A poisoned rat also often dies inside a wall or under the floor, and then you have a smell that lasts about two weeks. Rodent problems are a job for a wildlife company, not a regular pest control service, because sealing the openings is what actually solves it.
How the job is done
A rodent job follows the same steps every time. First, the pro inspects the house to find every opening, high and low. Then they seal those openings with metal: steel mesh, hardware cloth, and flashing that teeth can't chew through. After that, they set traps to catch the rodents still inside and keep checking until the activity stops. Larger infestations can take longer, and the technician should be able to give you an estimate. Last, contaminated areas are cleaned. If you trap without sealing, new rodents keep coming. If you seal without trapping, you trap rodents inside your walls.
Mice: lots of small gaps
Mice need much smaller openings than rats, and they get in low: around a gas line, under a garage door, along a dryer vent, or through a gap in the foundation. In older Duluth homes with crawlspaces, the crawlspace is usually the main way in. In newer homes, gaps around plumbing and wiring where they pass through walls are the most common problem. A mouse job usually means sealing many small gaps instead of a few big ones, and the result depends on how thoroughly those small gaps get sealed.
Common rodent questions in Duluth
I hear scratching in my walls at night in Duluth — is it rats?+
What's the difference between roof rats and squirrels?+
Will poison or bait get rid of my rats?+
How do roof rats get into the attic?+
Are rats and mice a health risk?+
How much does rodent control cost in Duluth?+
Other Duluth problems that come with rodents
Our wildlife crew handles these closely related problems — the ones that most often turn up with a rodent issue.
Got more than rodents in Duluth?
A gap big enough for a roof rat is big enough for other animals, and on a Duluth home with trees nearby, they'll find it. See everything we handle locally on the Duluth wildlife removal hub, or jump to Georgia wildlife removal.
Want the background before you call? Read our statewide guide: Roof rats in Georgia: why bait alone never ends it.
One call to your Duluth rodent crew
Rats and mice breed all year in Georgia's mild weather, so the problem grows every week they're in the house. Call us and tell us about the job — we will confirm the local crew for your county before any work starts.
- Local to Gwinnett County. Georgia DNR-compliant handling — call to ask about licensing and insurance.
- Seal it, then trap it. Every entry closed with metal, then trapping to clear out the rodents inside. Bait is not the main solution.
- Done right. Removal, exclusion and cleanup.