Rat control in Plano, Texas

A brown Norway rat eating at the edge of the water, the heavy burrowing rat found near creeks — A Norway rat. Heavier than a roof rat, smaller ears, and it digs.

Not every Plano rat is up in the attic. The Norway rat is the heavy brown one with small ears and a thick tail. It lives on the ground, digs burrows and stays close to food and water. It shows up along creek greenbelts, under backyard sheds, around compost and behind restaurants.

If the rat you saw was slim and dark and you hear it overhead, go to roof rat control instead. If the droppings are tiny and pointed, it's mice. If you've found holes in the yard, the rat burrow treatment page covers that part of the job in more detail.

Burrows, runways and big droppings

A Norway rat burrow is a round hole a few inches across, usually with loose dirt fanned out in front and a smooth worn path leading to it. Look along the slab edge, under the shed floor, beneath the deck steps and along the fence line. Other signs:

Droppings around three-quarters of an inch long, blunt on the ends
A beaten path through the grass along the back fence
Chewed holes at the bottom of the shed door or the trash cart
Dug-out spots under the AC pad or the patio
Rats near the dumpster or the compost bin at dusk

What a thorough Norway rat job includes

Norway rat work happens mostly outside and at ground level. Ask whether the provider's plan includes:

A walk of the whole yard, fence line and outbuildings, with burrows counted and marked
A look at what's feeding the rats: bird seed, pet food, compost, fallen fruit, trash
Traps on runways and near burrow openings, covered so pets and birds can't reach them
Any outdoor bait in locked, anchored stations
Gaps into the garage, shed and house closed at ground level
Burrows collapsed and filled once they go inactive

Something in the attic or the garage?

Want a local rodent technician to look at it? Same-day appointments are often available. (972) 325-9652

Step by step

The technician walks the yard and the outside of the house, counts burrows and figures out where the rats are eating. Traps go along the runways and near the burrow openings, covered so pets and birds can't get at them. Any bait outdoors has to be in a locked station anchored in place. Nobody should be dropping loose pellets down a burrow.

Once the burrows go quiet, they get collapsed and filled. Gaps into the garage get sealed, and a shed sitting on dirt may need a skirt of hardware cloth buried several inches into the ground. Rat jobs usually take a few visits. The provider quotes it after walking the property.

Where Norway rats turn up in Plano

Water and cover. Lots that back onto Rowlett Creek, the Russell Creek greenbelt and the smaller drainage channels see the most. So do yards with open compost, chickens, a koi pond or a bird feeder that spills all day. Retail strips and restaurant rows have their own rat traffic around the dumpster pads.

In Russell Creek the creek-side yards come up most, and around Los Rios it's the lots on the park side. Downtown, the alleys behind the restaurants on 15th Street are the usual spot, which the Downtown Plano page covers.

Plano's clay soil makes this harder. It cracks open in a dry August, and rats use those cracks along the slab and the fence footings as ready-made tunnels.

Your part

Take away the food. Rake up bird seed, close the compost bin, feed pets indoors and keep the trash cart lids shut. Move firewood and lumber up off the ground. Leave the burrows open until the technician sees them, since they show how big the problem is. If rats have been in the garage, see garage and shed rodent control.

Questions to ask before you hire

Norway rat jobs vary a lot from yard to yard, so the questions matter more than the first number you hear. Ask these on the phone or during the walk-through, and get the answers in the written quote.

How many burrows did you find, and where?
Will you use traps, bait stations or both, and where will each go?
How do you keep my dog and the neighborhood cats away from the bait?
When will you fill the burrows, and who does it?
Is sealing the garage and shed part of this price?
How many follow-up visits are included?

Common questions

Do Norway rats get in the attic?

Sometimes, but they'd rather stay low. Rats in a Plano attic are much more likely to be roof rats.

Should I fill in the burrows myself?

Wait until the technician has seen them. Then collapse and fill them once they go inactive.

Are rats near the creek the city's problem?

Rats on your lot are yours to handle. If a neighboring property is feeding or sheltering them, the Plano reporting guide covers how to file a Fix It Plano request.

Is it safe to have rats near a vegetable garden?

Rats can contaminate produce with urine and droppings. Wash everything you pick, and don't eat anything a rat has gnawed.

How long does it take to clear Norway rats?

A few weeks is common. Rats are cautious around new traps, and burrows have to go inactive before they're filled.

Can rats get in through the toilet?

It's rare in a slab house with a working sewer line, but rats can swim through pipes. A rat in a toilet usually means a broken or open sewer line nearby, so call a plumber too.

Ready to have someone look?

Call and describe what you're seeing. Same-day appointments are often available. (972) 325-9652