Do you have rats chewing through your screening? If you have rats chewing through the screening of your home, we can help. Rats are some of the smaller wildlife we deal with, but sometimes they can do the most damage. They are small and can fit in hard-to-reach places that can go unnoticed for long periods of time. They usually aren’t heard until a lot of damage has already taken place.   This is why people often refer to properties with rats in them as an infestation.

Rats and mice can chew through various materials. Their teeth are constantly growing. They have to chew constantly to keep their teeth filed down so they can chew properly. Chewing on materials inside of your attic helps to regulate the size of their teeth. If they didn't regulate their teeth size they would get too long and hinder them from getting necessary food. Rats and mice often chew wires, wood, duct-work, plastic, and just about any other material they can get to. If they chew through the wiring in your ac chase it can disrupt your service. Then you will have to call an a/c repairman to fix and rewire everything which can end up being very costly.

It also does not help that they can reproduce faster than most animals. Rats and mice breed all year long. A female can produce 7 litters a year and can have anywhere from 2 to 14 young in a litter. The gestation period for the female is around 21 to 26 days. She can mate again shortly after giving birth. Baby rats are born blind and furless and they grow rapidly. They can be weaned in just 3 weeks.

A successful pair of rats can produce up to 1500 young in a single year.  And that's just those two rats!  Their offspring can produce even more rats. They commonly will live together in groups so it is easy for their numbers to become overwhelming. This is why you often hear people refer to it as an infestation. Their numbers can rapidly increase in a short amount of time.

This is how a rat infestation can happen quickly in homes and businesses.  Rats and mice can quickly overwhelm a single home. It is always best to address the problem as soon as you notice any signs of wildlife on your own property.

Some signs to look out for around your home for rats are chew marks on the corners of your foundation. Holes in the wood can be the size of a golf ball. They can squeeze through gaps by your roof line or go into open vents. If you hear any scratching, chewing, gnawing, or scampering sounds in your walls or ceiling, this is a clear sign of having rats in your home.

Rats tend to be heard mostly in the middle of the night or very early in the morning. They are nocturnal, but will sometimes come out during the day as well. One good measure to prevent this from happening is to cut down any tree limbs hanging close to your home. Also,  trim bushes away from your foundation, and clean up any leftover food or garbage. If you have seen or heard any of these signs it is best to call a professional.  We can come out and design a plan to remove the wildlife and keep them off of your property.

You may see chewed screening around your windows and screened-in porches because of this. We check for all of these damages and more while doing inspections.

Apex Wildlife Control offers internal and external inspections for any wildlife problems you may be experiencing. One of our technicians will come out to your property and look in your attic to check for droppings. That helps us to verify the species in your home and see if there are more than one species. They will also check for chewed wiring, HVAC, and duct work damage, and see if you're insulation is stained. We take pictures of our findings so you can see the damage to your property and what we need to fix.

Afterward, they will start the exterior part of your inspection and look from the bottom of your foundation to the top of your roof for all possible and actual entry points. Once we have finished our inspection the technician will give you a quote showing all the work that needs to be performed to seal your property from wildlife reentry and how we will trap the wildlife that is currently on your property.

The quote will also explain all of our fees and pricing with a detailed explanation of what needs to be done. The only thing we do not do is rotted wood. If there is any rotted wood on your property then we will need to have a carpenter come out to your property before we can fully seal your property up and we can help to suggest some good companies to help with that area.
To seal your property we use a combination of metal flashing and hardware cloth that the rats cannot chew through and that can help to keep your screens protected from the rats chewing holes through them.

Rodents can carry several types of bacteria and germs that can make you and your family very ill.

Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) is a severe illness caused from exposure to the droppings or urine of deer mice that carry the virus. About 1- 5 hantavirus cases are reported each year in Washington State and about one third of the cases have been fatal. It is important to take precautions when cleaning up an enclosed space such as a shed, cabin or trailer where mice have nested or rodent droppings are present.  

Leptospirosis is a disease caused by bacteria called Leptospira that infects both humans and a wide range of animals. It occurs worldwide but is more common in temperate and tropical areas of the world. Some people infected with leptospirosis will have no symptoms at all, and some people will become severely ill. Some wild and domestic animals, such as cattle, pigs, dogs, raccoons, and rodents, carry the Leptospira bacteria and pass them in their urine. Soil or water contaminated with infected urine are the most common causes of human infection.



Plague is a serious infection of humans caused by a germ called Yersinia pestis. It is usually caused by the bite of a flea that has fed on an infected wild animal, such as a rat, chipmunk or prairie dog. It usually causes large sores and abscesses in the glands of the arms and legs. Dogs, and especially cats, can also become infected and can spread the disease to their human companions. People and domestic animals like dogs and cats could be bitten by infected fleas while traveling to other areas of the country. Plague is treatable with antibiotics.



Tularemia is a bacterial disease caused by Francisella tularensis and is most commonly found in wild animals (e.g., wild rodents, squirrels, rabbits, hares and beavers). People and their pets can become ill from tularemia by coming into contact with infected dead or ill animals through animal bites and exposure to contaminated blood or raw meat. Tularemia can also be transmitted by the bite of an infected arthropod (e.g. ticks, biting flies), exposure to contaminated water or soil, and inhalation of bacteria. One to 10 cases of tularemia in people are reported every year. To prevent exposures to tularemia, don't handle dead or ill animals; avoid animal bites, tick and deer fly bites; and avoid direct bare-hand contact with blood and raw meat from wild animals. Don't drink untreated water in areas where tularemia is known to occur in wild animals.

If we completely seal the property we can guarantee against re-entry. The way we seal and trap together we can guarantee the removal of the wildlife. Once we seal your home the animals must go to our traps for a food source.

We would love to hear from you and help you out with all your wildlife problems. All of our staff are very knowledgeable and can answer any of your questions. Knowledge is power and we never want our customers to feel powerless. We want to give you all the information necessary to make an informed decision. We appreciate your consideration and we hope to hear from you soon!

 So if you have rats or mice chewing your screening, give us a call today!  Our skilled technicians are here to help you get rid of those rodents for good!