How to Rat-Proof a Miami House

A large mango tree at the Fruit and Spice Park in Homestead — A mango tree at the Fruit and Spice Park. When the fruit starts dropping, pick it up every day.

Rat-proofing comes down to two jobs: take away what draws rats to your yard, and close every opening into the house. You can do most of the yard work on a Saturday. The roof work is usually a job for the provider.

In the Yard

UF/IFAS lays out the yard side plainly: keep trees from touching the house and each other, prune so the ground under trees is open, and use or remove fallen fruit. On a Miami lot that means:

Pick up fallen fruit every day in season
Have dead palm fronds cut off instead of left hanging as a skirt
Trim branches and vines back from the roof, wires and fences
Bring pet food in at night and keep bird seed off the ground
Thin hedges at the base so you can see the ground underneath
Clear junk, lumber and old pots out of the side yards

Garbage and Recycling

Keep the lid shut. Miami-Dade's waste guide asks residents to make sure everything fits in the cart and the lid closes completely, and not to stack bags beside it. If your city runs its own pickup, the same habit helps. Rinse food containers before they go in recycling, and don't put bulky trash out days early.

On the House

These are the openings to check, or have checked:

Tile ends at the eaves on barrel and S-tile roofs
Soffit and gable vent screens
Gaps where a porch roof or addition meets the house
Holes around AC line sets, cable, gas and plumbing
The garage door bottom seal and corners
Door sweeps on side and back doors

Noises in the ceiling or chewed fruit in the yard? One call puts you through to a licensed provider who works your part of Miami-Dade.

Call (305) 413-4203

Materials That Hold Up

Close small gaps with copper or steel mesh and sealant, and use hardware cloth or sheet metal for anything bigger. Rodent exclusion explains what a provider uses and why foam alone fails.

After a Hurricane

Storms loosen tiles, bend flashing and rip soffit panels. After any big storm, walk around the house and look for new gaps. If you're having roof repairs done, ask the roofer to close the tile ends and check the soffits while they're up there. The roof rat guide explains why rats find those gaps so quickly.

Questions From Callers

Do peppermint oil or mothballs keep rats away?

UF/IFAS says no repellents are registered for roof rats. Sealing and cleanup are what work.