Rat Control in Pinecrest
Pinecrest became a village in 1996, but its look goes back further, to ranch houses built on one-acre lots in the 1950s and 1960s and set back under heavy landscaping. The village has planted more than 10,000 street trees since then. It's best known for Pinecrest Gardens, which opened as the original Parrot Jungle in 1936.
Big lots, big trees and fruit in nearly every back yard make Pinecrest prime roof rat territory. Most calls from here are about attics, and many come in summer when the mangos and avocados ripen.
Ranch Houses on Big Lots
A 1950s or 1960s ranch has a long, low roofline with a lot of eave to check, and many have been added onto. Rats get in where an addition meets the original roof, through soffit vents and under tile at the eaves. A good inspection on a house like this takes time. Expect the tech to walk the whole perimeter and spend a while in the attic. See rodent exclusion.
Fruit Trees and Hedges
Pinecrest yards often have mangos, avocados, lychees and citrus. Rats eat the fruit on the tree and off the ground. Pick up dropped fruit every day in season and harvest early if you can. Thick hedges along the property line give rats cover, so keep the base thinned out. The rat-proofing guide has a yard checklist.
Around Pinecrest: Pinecrest Gardens · US 1 (Pinecrest Pkwy.) · Red Road
Questions From Callers
Do avocados draw rats as much as mangos?
Rats eat both. Any fruit left on the ground overnight is food, so pick it up daily in season.
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