It usually starts after midnight. A scratch over the bedroom. A skitter across the ceiling. Something that sounds like it is rolling an acorn from one side of the house to the other.
It might be a squirrel. But in The Woodlands, a lot of the time it is a roof rat. And the reason it found your house is the same reason you picked this town: the trees.
The trees are the highway
Roof rats are climbers. The University of California's pest guide calls them "very agile climbers" that nest up high, in attics, wall voids and ceiling voids. At night they run along utility lines and fence tops, and they use tree limbs the same way. UC IPM Pest Notes: Rats
Now look up from your driveway. Pine and oak limbs hang over the roofs on most streets here. To a roof rat, that is a road with an on ramp at every house.
Texas A&M AgriLife says the roof rat seldom burrows. It nests in double walls and attics. If the nest is high, it is usually a roof rat. AgriLife Extension: Controlling Rats and Mice
How to tell it is rats
Noise at night. Rats are mostly active after dark, so the attic gets loud right when you are trying to sleep.
Droppings. Look in the attic, along the beams, and around the pet food bowl or the bag it lives in.
Greasy smudges. Dark rub marks on beams, rafters and pipes, where they run the same path every night.
Chewing. Gnawed wires, shredded insulation they pull into nests, or chewed fruit and nuts under your trees.
Why it can't wait
This is more than a noise problem. AgriLife lists chewed wires, which can start fires. UC's guide says the same about roof rats in an attic: the gnawing and the nest building can cause electrical sparks and fires. Rats also contaminate what they touch and can carry disease.
What to do this week
Walk the roofline. Look for limbs touching or hanging over the roof. UC's guidance is to take out overhanging limbs within 6 feet of the roof. That one cut removes the on ramp.
Find the gaps. A young rat can squeeze under a door with a half-inch gap. Check soffits, gable vents, roof vents, and anywhere a pipe or cable goes into the house. UC says to cover vents with half-inch galvanized metal mesh.
Close the buffet. Bring pet food in at night. Pick up fallen fruit and nuts. Keep bird seed sealed.
Trap, don't guess. AgriLife says traps work as well as poison but take more skill. They go on the paths the rats already use.
Seal it after. UC calls building them out the most successful, longest-lasting fix. Trapping without sealing just makes room for the next family.
If you are hearing it now, get the attic looked at this week. Here's what a local deal could look like.
🏠 LOOP LOCAL DEALS · EXAMPLE AD: THIS SPOT COULD BE YOURS
Pine Hollow Rodent & Wildlife (example): $49 attic inspection, normally $149
A full roofline and attic check for Woodlands homeowners: entry points, droppings, chewed wiring, and the overhanging limbs rats use as on-ramps. Loop readers would also get 10% off any seal-up work booked this month.
Pine Hollow Rodent & Wildlife is a made-up business, shown so you can see what a Loop Local Deal looks like. Own a local business in The Woodlands? This spot goes to Loop readers every week. Hit reply to claim it.
Hearing something up there? Hit reply and tell me which neighborhood. I'm curious how far this goes.
The Looper 👋
