Rat removal in St. Petersburg, FL
St. Pete’s palms, citrus trees and overhead power lines give roof rats an easy climb onto your house. Critter Guys handles rat removal in St. Petersburg, FL by trapping inside, guarding the outside and sealing the gaps in between.
- Roof rats and Norway rats
- Exterior bait station boxes
- Every gap sealed after
Rats overhead? Book an inspection
Tell us what you are hearing or seeing. We will get back to you, set up a visit and give you a straight answer on what it takes.
- Firm quote before any work starts
- Call, text or email, your pick
- Licensed and insured in Florida
Quick answer. Critter Guys provides rat removal in St. Petersburg, FL for roof rats, Norway rats and house mice. After an inspection, we set traps inside the attic or walls, place tamper-resistant bait station boxes outside where needed, and seal the small gaps rodents use to get in. We can also clean and sanitize soiled insulation. Licensed and insured in Florida. Call or text (321) 203-6963.
The palm-and-power-line problem in St. Petersburg
Roof rats are the rat you’ll most often find in a St. Pete attic. They’re excellent climbers and they don’t need a tree touching the roof. A queen palm or coconut palm near the eave, a mango or citrus tree dropping fruit in the yard, or a utility line running from the pole to your house is plenty. Many older neighborhoods in the city have rear alleys with overhead lines, and those wires work like a highway along the back of every lot.
Norway rats are a different story. They stay low, burrowing under sheds, slabs, seawall backfill and woodpiles, and they’re more common in the crawl spaces of raised homes. Both kinds follow food, so bird feeders, pet food on the lanai and fallen fruit all pull them in. If something bigger is in the attic, our St. Pete raccoon removal page may be what you need.
Local snapshot
- Queen and coconut palms near eaves
- Overhead lines along rear alleys
- Backyard citrus and mango trees
- Pinellas County
Telltale rat signs in St. Pete homes
Rats are good at staying hidden. These are the clues that usually give them away.
Middle-of-the-night running
Fast, light pitter-patter above the ceiling or inside a wall, most often between about midnight and 4 a.m.
Droppings in the garage or attic
Roof rat droppings are dark and spindle-shaped, about the size of a grain of rice or a bit bigger, often along walls and on top of boxes.
Half-eaten fruit in the yard
Hollowed-out oranges still hanging on the tree, or chewed mangoes on the ground, are classic roof rat feeding.
Greasy rub marks
Dark smudges where rats squeeze along a beam, through a gap or around a pipe, from the oil in their fur.
Chewed wiring or AC line insulation
Rats gnaw constantly. Look at the foam insulation on the AC lines outside and any wiring in the attic.
From recent jobs
Common rat entry points on St. Pete houses
Roof rats only need a gap about as wide as your thumb. On St. Petersburg homes, these are the spots we find open most often. Sealing them is the part of rat removal that actually keeps the problem from returning, and it overlaps with our St. Pete wildlife exclusion work.
- Gaps around the AC refrigerant line where it enters the wall
- Roof returns and the corners of soffits
- Torn gable vent or soffit screens
- Open ends of barrel tile and ridge caps
- Plumbing and dryer vent penetrations
Rat removal feedback from St. Pete
4.9
141 reviews on Google
★★★★★
I’d choose 10 stars if it were an option. Mike at Critter Guys did such a great job for us. We made only 1 phone call to get rid of the mice (and a few rats). Mike took over from there. He stayed on top of the problem, kept checking in with us by phone and even came out almost every other day to double check that the problem was solved. He climbed into every nook and cranny in our attic space multiple times, in the worst heat, ever making sure that everything was sealed up tight. I happily say that we are now critter free. Mike’s fantastic and he won’t let you down. Thank you again Mike.
Russell SmalleyGoogle review
★★★★★
Craig from Critter Guys was wonderful! Very responsive with great communication. We had a rat issue he came right out the next day to access the problem. If you have a critter concern look no further Critter Guys is awesome!
Christine FerkileGoogle review
★★★★★
These guys are absolute professionals 10 out of 10 service. We would definitely recommend.
Joanna ErricoGoogle review
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How Critter Guys handles rat removal in St. Pete
Rodent work is a combination of removal and prevention. Doing one without the other is why rats come back.
Inspect inside and out
We check the attic, garage, crawl space and exterior for droppings, runways and entry gaps.
Trap the rats inside
Traps go on the runways in the attic or walls and get checked on a schedule. We use traps inside the house so rats don’t die in a wall where you can’t reach them.
Bait stations outside
Where there’s outdoor pressure, we place tamper-resistant bait station boxes along the exterior to cut the population feeding the house.
Seal and clean
We seal every opening we found, then can remove droppings and nesting, sanitize and replace soiled insulation if needed.
Roof rats vs. Norway rats in Pinellas County
Knowing which one you have tells us where to focus.
| Roof rat | Norway rat |
|---|---|
| Slim, long tail, great climber | Heavier, shorter tail, digs burrows |
| Lives in attics, walls, palms | Lives under sheds, slabs, crawl spaces |
| Enters at the roof line | Enters low, at foundation gaps and pipes |
| Eats fruit, nuts, pet food | Eats garbage, pet food, seed |
Health risks and why cleanup matters
Rodent urine can spread leptospirosis, and droppings in attic insulation carry bacteria and odor that don’t go away on their own. You don’t need to panic, but you also shouldn’t sweep it up with a broom or leave it for years over your bedrooms. After the rats are gone, our St. Petersburg attic cleanup service removes contaminated material and sanitizes the space.
Rat removal elsewhere in Pinellas
More St. Petersburg wildlife help
St. Petersburg rat removal questions, answered
Still wondering about something? Call or text (321) 203-6963.
Why are there so many roof rats in St. Petersburg?
Mature palms, fruit trees, overhead utility lines and mild weather make it easy for roof rats to live and travel here year-round. Older homes with tile roofs and wood soffits also give them more ways in. It’s a common issue across Pinellas County, not a sign that your house is dirty.
How much is rat removal for a St. Pete house?
It depends on how many entry points need sealing, the size of the attic, how many rats there are and whether insulation needs cleaning. We go over it with you before starting.
Will you put rat poison in my St. Pete attic?
No. Inside, we use traps so rats don’t die in a wall or ceiling where the smell lingers. Bait goes only in tamper-resistant station boxes outside, where it makes sense.
How many weeks until the rats are gone?
Most homes need a few weeks of trapping and checks, with sealing done as early as possible. The sooner the gaps are closed, the faster the numbers drop.
Can rats get into my house through the AC lines?
Yes, the gap where the refrigerant line enters the wall is one of the most common rat entry points we see. It’s often loosely foamed or not sealed at all, and rats chew right through foam.
Should I worry about mice too?
House mice do get into St. Pete homes, usually lower in the house, in garages and kitchens. We handle mice the same way: find the entry, trap and seal.
Stop the 2 a.m. scratching in your St. Pete home
Call or text (321) 203-6963 or use the form to book an inspection. See our full rat removal process, or our nearby Pinellas Park rat work, and how we handle the whole St. Petersburg area.