Do you hear rats in your drop tile ceiling? Having rats in your drop tile ceiling is more dangerous than you might think.

How do you know if rats may be in the drop tile ceiling? Typically you will hear scratching, clawing, chewing, or gnawing on the ceiling tiles.  If you hear these types of noises, don't procrastinate. Get a professional out to check and see if you have a rat or mice infestation. The longer you wait to get help the worse it will get.

Rats and mice may be small, but they can do a lot of damage in a short amount of time. Did you know that if a rat doesn't constantly chew, its teeth will grow up to SIX INCHES LONG in only one year? Imagine a rat with teeth like a walrus.  That's one image that's hard to forget! 

A rodent's teeth are constantly growing so they have to chew to keep them to a manageable size. If they grow too long they will not be able to eat.  This is why you find so many holes and chewed areas around the exterior area of your home.

It also does not help that they birth more rapidly than just about any other wild animal. The female rat will go into heat every 4 days. The gestation period for rats is 21 to 23 days and their litter is around 6 to 12 young. Once the female gives birth she can mate again 1 to 3 days after having her litter. You can see just how quickly a few rats can grow into a major infestation in a very short amount of time.

These juvenile rats will mature around a month and are fertile once they reach 3 months of age. Did you know that just two rats can produce up to 1500 babies in a single year?  That's right, just those two rats!  And their offspring an produce even more.  A rat or mice infestation can quickly get out of hand and become uncontrollable. This is why it is so important for you to immediately take action. As soon as you see signs of rodents in your home get help right away.

Some signs of mice or rats in your home are noises in your ceiling and walls. You may hear something running across the ceiling or up a wall. Typically, you can hear when they are chewing or gnawing on wood or piping in your home. You may even start to see small holes in the ceiling or outside of your home.

If there is urine in the insulation or on the drop tiles it can seep through.  You will see this on the ceiling. It also produces a strong odor. Once there is enough moisture, it can also create mold.

Leaving rodents alone, and not taking care of the issue immediately, can result in potential dangers in other areas of your home. If not taken care of immediately, rats and mice will start to chew on plumbing, water lines, and electrical wires. Any electrical line that gets chewed can result in sparking which could create a house fire or power outage. If water starts to leak it can flood your home and create wood rot.

If a water leak occurs and goes unnoticed mold can start to grow and create a health hazard. This can be extremely expensive in more ways than one. It's much easier to take preventative measures than deal with the problem after the damage is done.

Apex Wildlife Control offers an interior and exterior inspection for commercial and residential properties. A technician will come to your property and go inside the attic or crawl space and look for fecal droppings to determine the species.

The technician will also check for chewed wiring, damage to your HVAC, duct-work, and see if there is damage to your insulation. He will take pictures of all of our findings so you can see the damage for yourself. The technician will then begin the exterior inspection. He will look from the bottom of your foundation to the top of your roof. The technician will be looking for all possible and actual entry points all around your home. 

Following the inspection, the technician will put together a detailed estimate of what needs to be done to your property. This will include sealing and trapping the wildlife currently in your home. A detailed breakdown of the cost will also be provided.  You will also receive all the pictures to go with your quote. This estimate will have a validity period of 7 days. This will allow you a full week to make an informed decision. 

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 nfected 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.

At Apex Wildlife Control, we also offer a fecal cleaning and deodorization service.  Our technicians can have your home feeling clean and fresh again in a few short hours. If your insulation is ruined then we will let you know this upfront.  Our company does offer fecal cleanup, but we do not currently offer attic restorations. An attic restoration may be required if you have heavily soiled insulation from rat fecal and urine.

 So if you have rats or mice scratching around in your drop tile ceiling, give us a call today!  Our skilled technicians are here to help!