Rat populations are predictably high in large cities, and Seattle is no exception.

Consequently, rats are the most common animal that I deal with. The most crucial part of solving a rate or mice problem is an in-depth home inspection to determine the full scope of the problem. Locating active entry points often only solves half the problem. During the home inspection, I am also looking to identify other areas vulnerable to future intrusion to decrease the possibility of an ongoing problem. Most pest control companies treat a rat or mouse problem like they treat insects: monthly contracts and poison. My main concern would be to fix the problem of how the rats/mice are gaining access to the house from the outside. Rats are surprisingly intelligent animals and often find creative ways to get into your crawlspace, attic, basement, or living space.

It is always recommended that you deal with your rat situation immediately. 

Rats are highly prolific and can multiply quickly. A mother rat can produce up to 12 pups! Rats' teeth are constantly growing, so they need to chew a lot to file their teeth down. This means they like to chew on things soft enough to sink their teeth into but hard enough to sharpen when they pull them out. This can mean chewing on wood, the plastic coating on electrical lines, Pax plumbing lines, and, in rare cases, they will even chew on lead in old sewer lines. My exclusion methods are crafted to resolve the current problem and help eliminate the necessity for ongoing treatments. Depending on the situation, I use humane snap traps and sometimes live traps where snap traps aren't an option. I personally consider poison to be a dangerous and ineffective form of eradication, so this is not a service that I provide. I offer different solutions for rats outside the house, such as gardens, sheds, chicken coops, etc.

Rats can carry a host of different diseases, viruses, and contaminants.
The most common are:
• Hanta Virus
• LCMV
• Salmonella
• Tularemia
• Leptospirosis
• Toxoplasmosis