Rats are a different animal than mice — literally. They gnaw through barriers that stop mice cold, burrow beneath foundations, and do real structural damage to wiring, pipes, and insulation. Eco Haven combines a rat-specific trapping program with rat-grade structural exclusion to end the problem instead of managing it.
The biggest mistake in rat control is treating a rat problem like a mouse problem. Different animal, different behavior, different damage — and it demands different materials and methods.
Rats have far more powerful jaws than mice and will gnaw through wood, vinyl, plastic, foam, aluminum, and even soft mortar. Mouse-grade mesh and sealants that hold up fine against mice are an afternoon project for a rat — rat-proofing requires heavy-gauge steel.
Norway rats are burrowers. They dig along foundation footings, under slabs, and beneath decks and sheds, then work upward into crawlspaces and walls. Sealing above-grade gaps alone misses the routes rats actually use.
Gnawed electrical wiring is a genuine fire hazard. Chewed PEX and plastic plumbing causes water damage. Add shredded insulation, contaminated storage, and grease-marked runways, and a rat problem costs far more than a mouse problem.
Rats are neophobic — wary of new objects in their territory. A few traps tossed in the attic rarely works. An effective rat program uses placement, pre-baiting strategy, and follow-up visits built around how rats actually behave.
Rat colonies entrench and rebound fast. Removing the rats without closing the burrows and entry points just clears the territory for the next colony — the same prevention-first principle behind all of our structural exclusion work.
We identify the species (Norway or roof rat), locate burrows, runways, grease marks, droppings, and entry points, and check wiring and plumbing for gnawing damage.
A heavy-duty trapping program designed around rat behavior and neophobia removes the population — no poisons, so nothing dies in your walls.
Entry points are closed with heavy-gauge steel rated for rats — including below-grade burrow routes and the siding-to-foundation transition.
We document gnawing damage to wiring, pipes, and insulation and flag anything that needs an electrician, plumber, or attic restoration before it becomes a bigger problem.
Follow-up visits confirm activity has stopped, traps have gone quiet, and the exclusion is holding.
Everything about our rat service is rated for rats — the materials, the traps, and the strategy.
Heavy-gauge galvanized steel where mouse jobs use mesh and sealant — because rats chew through anything less.
Norway rat burrows along foundations, slabs, and decks are excluded at the source with below-grade barriers.
Trap placement and strategy built around rat neophobia — not a handful of traps and hope.
Poisoned rats die in walls and crawlspaces and put owls, hawks, foxes, and pets at risk. We trap and exclude instead.
Rat-gnawed wiring is a fire risk. Every job includes a documented check of wiring, pipes, and insulation.
Exclusion work is backed by Eco Haven’s workmanship warranty, detailed in your service agreement.
A defined service with a consistent scope — built for how rats enter, behave, and damage a structure.
Humane removal first, then we seal every way back in so it stays out. Serving Upstate NY & Southwest VT.
Rat droppings are much larger (about ½–¾ of an inch), the sounds in walls and ceilings are heavier, and you may see greasy rub marks along baseboards, gnaw damage on wood or wiring, or burrow openings along the foundation. Dealing with mice instead? See our mice & rats overview — and either way, an inspection settles it.
No — and that’s the most common reason rat jobs fail. Rats chew through mouse-grade mesh, foam, and sealants, and they’re far more suspicious of traps. Our rat service uses heavy-gauge steel exclusion and a trapping strategy built around rat behavior.
No. Poisoned rats die inside walls and crawlspaces (the odor is severe and lasts weeks), and poisoned rodents put owls, hawks, foxes, and family pets at risk. We remove rats with a trapping program and keep them out with structural exclusion.
Gnawed electrical wiring is a real fire hazard — rodent damage is a leading suspected cause of unexplained house fires. Rats also chew PEX and plastic plumbing, shred insulation, and contaminate attics, crawlspaces, and stored goods. Every job includes a documented damage check.
Norway rats typically burrow along foundation footings and come in low — crawlspaces, slab edges, utility penetrations, garage doors. Roof rats climb and enter at the roofline. A rat only needs a gap the size of a quarter, and they’ll enlarge anything smaller by gnawing.
Eco Haven provides rat control, rat removal, and structural rat exclusion across Upstate New York and Southwest Vermont — homes, camps, barns, and commercial buildings.
Still not sure what you’re dealing with? Real local people answer — no call centers. Same-day help on urgent pest or wildlife calls.
The sooner a rat problem is inspected, the smaller the colony — and the damage bill. Tell us what you’re hearing or seeing and we’ll take it from there.
Free inspections. Transparent pricing. Local team.
Rat-proofing is structural. These Eco Haven Structural Exclusion Systems™ are the permanent half of every successful rat job — rated for rat gnawing and burrowing.
The below-grade barrier that stops Norway rats from burrowing beneath decks, additions, sheds, slabs, and foundations.
Learn moreHeavy-gauge custom-fabricated metal reinforcing the siding-to-foundation transition — the gap rats exploit first.
Learn moreWhole-home sealing of pipe penetrations, utility entries, and other entry points, paired with a trapping program.
Learn moreCustom metal reinforcement of dormers, soffits, and fascia transitions — where roof rats and squirrels get in.
Learn moreRidge vent protection that keeps roof rats, bats, squirrels, and birds out while the attic keeps breathing.
Learn moreExplore the full Eco Haven family of prevention-first, structural exclusion services for your home or camp.
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Rat colonies entrench fast and the damage compounds — wiring, plumbing, insulation. Call or text Eco Haven for a free inspection and a clear plan: trap the rats out, close the structure behind them.
