CHANDLER, AZ — It’s the busy season for roof rats and pest control experts say they’re plaguing neighborhoods across the Valley.
Roof rats are common throughout the state but Zach Jolley with Lunar Pest Control says the East Valley is seeing a huge boom in their population, and their calls for service are also through the roof.
Jeff Hacker and his neighbors in Chandler started seeing them run around their neighborhood.
“People are complaining, seeing them all over the place," Hacker said. "They’re not pleasant.”
So when he heard them crawling around in his home’s walls, he immediately called Jolley.
Jolley is now back at Hacker's home, checking in after recently performing an indoor-outdoor roof rat extermination.
“It’s important to remember roof rats can climb anything," Jolley said. "They can climb pipes. They can climb stucco.”
Jolley says a new concerning trend is the roof rats not just climbing, but also entering homes through the sewage system.
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“You can have them come up through the toilet, or chew through the pipes. It is disgusting,” Jolley said.
Jolley says neighborhoods with multiple fruit trees and homes with pools are particularly vulnerable to roof rats.
“Generally you’ll see some type of citrus that has a completely hollow hole in the middle, and that’s them eating it," Jolley said.
Since the first visit, Hacker says it's been quiet.
“Zach came out in an hour, laid the traps, and I haven’t had them since," Hacker said.
Jolley says homeowners should call a pest control company the moment they have rats. He’s seen problems left untreated that end up costing people tens of thousands of dollars in damages.
“They’ll chew through electrical, chew through pipes, which can cause leaks, fires, and a lot of detrimental things to a house," Jolley said.
Some tips for homeowners to prevent roof rats include keeping your home clean and not leaving food out. Trimming any branches or plants outside that may be touching your home can also help prevent roof rats.
