Rodent control in Richardson, Texas

Richardson is right below Plano. About two-thirds of it is in Dallas County and the northern third is in Collin County. It grew early: from about 1,300 people in 1950 to nearly 17,000 by 1960, when Plano was still a small town. So a lot of Richardson's houses are older than most of Plano's.

UT Dallas on Campbell Rd. and the Telecom Corridor businesses along US 75 round out the city, with apartments and student housing around both.

Older ranches

Houses from the 1950s and 1960s mean old garage seals, attic vents with brittle screen and sixty-plus years of tree growth. Roof rats and mice both do well there. Additions built decades after the original house can leave gaps where the two meet, and converted garages sometimes have a seam at the old door opening. An inspection sorts out where they're getting in.

Apartments and student housing

Renters near UT Dallas and along the main roads should report droppings to the landlord in writing. The building's owner usually handles sealing, and the tenant and landlord guide explains the Texas notice rules. Owners of rental houses can ask about prevention visits between tenants.

Mature trees and alleys

Richardson's older neighborhoods have some of the biggest trees in the area, and many blocks have rear alleys like Plano's. Roof rats run the fences and climb into the canopy, then drop onto the roof. Trimming limbs back from the roof is the single most useful thing an owner can do here, and a provider should point out every branch that touches the house.

Crawl spaces and pier and beam

Some of Richardson's earliest houses sit on pier-and-beam foundations instead of a slab. That leaves a crawl space under the floor where mice and rats can nest out of sight. Broken vent screens and gaps in the skirting are the usual way in. A technician should look under the house as well as in the attic.

Around Richardson: UT Dallas · Arapaho Rd. · Campbell Rd. · US 75 · President George Bush Turnpike (ZIP 75080, 75081, 75082)

Other service areas: West Plano, East Plano, Downtown Plano, Legacy West and Legacy, Willow Bend, Los Rios, Hunters Glen, Deerfield, Russell Creek, Allen, Murphy, Frisco, Wylie, Parker, Carrollton, The Colony.