Fox Pest Control
Rat Control
In McAllen
Free Inspections
McAllen Rat Control
Fox Pest Control’s McAllen Rat Exterminator Near You
Rats are large, disease-carrying rodents, and you do not want them in your home. Particularly if you have pets or children, a rat infestation can be dangerous. They are large, and like mice, rodents carry disease and destruction – and fleas and mites, along with them. They will come into your home and destroy practically everything, and touching a dead rat or rat droppings can be enough to transfer diseases to pets and children. They also are known to bite and transmit disease that way.
In the warmth and safety of your McAllen home, rats can live up to three years, and with the average female rat giving birth to 8-10 babies at a time, your home can be overrun quickly. Fox Pest Control, your local McAllen pest control company, is here to fight your rodent problems for you. If you have a rat infestation, calling a reputable rat control expert in McAllen, TX is important. Call Fox Pest today to receive prompt service and removal.
On this page: 🐀 Signs of Rats, What You Need To Know About Rats, Helpful Rat Prevention Tips, Rat Removal in McAllen, Rat Exterminator FAQs
Signs of a Rat Infestation
You might already know for sure that you have a rat problem. But here are a couple of the most common signs of a rat infestation in McAllen.
Droppings
The first sign of a rat infestation in your McAllen, TX home is their droppings. Larger than mouse droppings, Norway rat droppings are dark and cylindrical. Rats will usually find specific, hidden places to urinate and leave their droppings.
Gnaw marks
Because their teeth never stop growing, rats can chew through electrical wires, solid wood, hard plastic, and even metal, especially if there are large numbers in an area.
Noises
Rats may fight one another at night over food, territory, nesting material, or dominance. They might make scurrying noises or squeals.
Destroyed food
Always on the lookout for food, rats will chew through food storage containers or even solid wood to find food. Some rats may steal chicken eggs from coops or food from vegetable gardens.
What You Need to Know About Rats
- Rats in McAllen carry diseases like hantavirus, the plague, Lyme disease, and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
- Adult rats are bigger than adult mice, but young rats may be similar in size to young mice.
- A rat has “pointier”, less-rounded ears and a hairless tail, while mice have fine hairs along the length of their tails.
- You can identify a rat by its droppings. Rat feces are usually cylindrical or banana-shaped and quite large — relatively speaking. Since they’re intelligent creatures, they tend to take care of business in the same spot every time.
- Even more telling than the feces may be the bite marks on walls or food containers.
Helpful Rat Prevention Tips:
- Seal common entry points.
- Reduce food and water access.
- Reduce hiding places in the kitchen and yard. Clean up debris and trim bushes so they don’t come in contact with your home.
How Do I Get Rid of Rats Near McAllen, TX?
Step 1: Schedule
Call (956) 435-7142 for a free inspection. If you call before 2:00 pm, we can often come that day!
Remote locations & other conditions may require next-day service.
Step 2: Treatment
A certified technician will inspect your property & provide customized pest control treatment based on the inspection results.
Step 3: Follow Up
Each service provides a detailed report & helpful tips to keep pests away. We return regularly throughout the year, increasing protection with every visit.
Satisfaction Guaranteed!
If you see pest activity between your regularly scheduled services, we will return free of charge!
Service Areas
Fox Pest Control provides rat control services in McAllen, TX and the surrounding areas, including:
or to Schedule
Same Day* Service
in McAllen
Why Choose Fox Pest Control Near McAllen
- Locally Managed & Operated
- Free Inspection & Estimate
- Same Day* Service Near You
- Results 100% Guaranteed
- Fully Trained, Licensed & Insured Staff
Here Is Why You Should Call Fox Pest Control
Video Transcription
How To Get Rid Of Rodents | Fox Pest Control
Hey guys, Caleb here with Fox Pest Control.
As the winter approaches, your home is the perfect place for rodents to thrive
while escaping changes in the weather.
With the possibility of rodents carrying multiple diseases, it's best to get rid of them right away.
At Fox Pest Control, we have certified pest pros that are trained to find all rodent entry points.
After locating those areas, our pest pro will apply the appropriate treatment.
Then we will recommend how to eliminate conducive conditions
and work with you to create a plan that best fits your specific needs.
And don't worry.
If you continue to see rodents, we'll come back until the problem is gone.
Our Fox Pest Pros are licensed professionals with the expertise and experience for the best possible rodent control.
So if you suspect rodents are in your home, don't wait.
Call us today for a free quote, or to schedule same-day service.
Why not have one less thing to worry about?
Fox Pest Control. No Bugs. Simply Better.
Rat Exterminator & Control FAQ
How did rats get in my house?
Rats have an extraordinary ability to squeeze themselves into tiny spaces. Rats can fit into a gap or crack about the size of a quarter and then wiggle their way through.
Why are rats in my house?
After gaining access, rats are likely to look for hiding places, food and water, and material for nests. Often, the kitchen, basement, or other places with food storage are the most obvious hiding places.
Do rats destroy houses?
Rats commonly destroy property by gnawing on walls, chewing up papers or fabrics, and generally causing a mess with their nests, urine, and feces.
Can rats have rabies?
Small rodents like rats and mice are not known to carry rabies or transmit it to humans.
How do I know if I have rats in the house?
Typical signs of rats may include:
Gnaw marks in walls, near the corners of doors, or in food containers.
Squealing and scratching sounds. Rats will fight one another for dominance or food, so you may hear rustling or squealing noises at night.
Nests. You might discover a rat nest, which is often made of ripped pieces of paper, cloth, wall insulation, or pillow stuffing.
Droppings. Even though rats try to find a good hiding place to do their business, you may discover where they discard their droppings, such as an area that is hidden out of the way.
Footprints. Finding tiny rat footprints in spilled food, dust, or dirt is also possible.
Unusual pet behavior. Finally, some pets may show alert behavior when they hear or smell a rat nearby.
Do rats like cheese?
Even though we’ve seen the cartoons, most rats would actually prefer other types of food besides the blocks of cheese we buy at the store.
What do rats like to eat?
Rats have a keen sense of smell, which they use to identify food that they most enjoy, which can range from fruit and nuts to vegetables, meat, and garbage. Rat species like the Norwegian rat are scavengers, so they can eat many different sorts of food, including decaying material or trash.
Rats enjoy foods with high energy, like high-sugar foods or high-protein foods. If they can, they willingly dig into pet food, bird seed, peanut butter, or other foods.
Do rats avoid traps?
Unlike mice, rats are smart enough to be extremely cautious around things that are new to their environment, a fear called “neophobia.”
Are rats intelligent?
They also are intelligent enough to figure out whether or not something presents a hazard. For example, if one of the rats finds a trap or something dangerous, the other rats will notice the problem and avoid it.
What’s the difference between a mouse and a rat?
Body Size. Mice are smaller than rats, although a juvenile rat may look similar to an adult mouse.
Ears. Mice ears are more rounded, while rats have a slimmer ear shape.
Tail. Mouse tails are longer than their bodies, while rat tails are generally shorter. Mouse tails also have small hairs, while rat tails are completely bald.
Droppings. Mice feces are about the size and shape of a grain of rice. Norwegian rat droppings are pill-shaped, and roof rat droppings are banana-shaped. Mice spread their droppings everywhere, but rats are more careful and use a specific hiding spot as a “latrine.”
Fox Pest Control McAllen Reviews
Rosa Gonzalez
Our home has been serviced by Fox Pest Control for more than 2 years already, and they have never let me down with their great service. They always listen to what my concerns are, they are prompt in their response time, I receive ample notifications of when my service is to be performed, and each and every one of the servicemen delivers excellent customer service and attention to detail.
Rene Garcia
Fox pest has been servicing our home for the past 4 years and have always done a wonderful job. Never have any issues with pest since I started using their service and love the way they make billing, scheduling and treatments so easy.
To ensure our customer's safety, we insist on a thorough screening process for all Fox Pest Control Technicians. They also complete extensive training in the classroom and on the job with an experienced mentor before servicing alone.
See photos of our team by visiting the Meet Our Team page for your branch.
Money Back Guarantee
If a Fox Pest Control customer has an infestation of covered pests in their McAllen, TX home or business between regularly scheduled Home Protection Plan treatments, we will come back and perform targeted treatments to get rid of the pest at no charge. If Fox Pest Control cannot resolve the problem after three such targeted treatments, we will cheerfully refund the customer’s last monthly subscription fee, as long as all other terms of the agreement have been met.
And if you see any pest activity between your regularly scheduled treatments, simply give our McAllen office a call; we'll come back at no additional charge.
*Call us today before 2 p.m. (Monday-Friday) for a same day, zero-obligation inspection and estimate or to provide McAllen pest control & extermination services near you.