Professional inspection, targeted treatment, full exclusion, and confirmation. Stop the scratching for good.
It started with something in the garage. A bag of birdseed with a hole gnawed through the corner. A dark smear along the baseboard that wasn't there last month. You set a trap, caught one rat, and assumed that was it.
Two weeks later, something is scratching in the wall again.
Rat infestations in Cortland residential properties are not single-animal problems. Where there is one rat, there is a population — and that population has a supply chain built around the entry points, food sources, and harborage within and beneath your home that enabled it in the first place.
Shahan Pest Control provides pest control for rats in Cortland with the methodology that the situation actually requires: a full assessment, calibrated treatment, exclusion of every viable entry point, and follow-up that confirms the population is gone — not just reduced.
Rats are cautious animals. They are highly adapted to coexisting with human structures and extremely responsive to changes in their environment. These behavioral characteristics make them more resistant to simple trap-and-bait approaches than most people expect.
Full assessment of attic, crawl space, basement, garage, and exterior. Species identification (Norway vs Roof rats) and documentation of all entry points.
Calibrated to species and location. Pre-baiting for neophobia, tamper-resistant stations, and population monitoring during follow-up.
Professional sealing with copper mesh, hardware cloth, and appropriate materials. Documented with before-and-after photos.
Assessment of contamination in attic insulation. Honest advice on remediation if warranted. Rat droppings and urine create persistent health concerns.
Don't let the problem grow — early action saves time and money
Rat infestations left unaddressed produce predictable and significant consequences:
The longer a rat infestation runs in a Cortland home, the larger the colony, the more extensive the damage, and the more exclusion work is required.
Droppings are the clearest indicator. Rat droppings are substantially larger than mouse droppings — capsule-shaped, about three-quarters of an inch long, and blunt at both ends. Our inspection will confirm species for your Cortland property.
Active population reduction typically shows meaningful progress within two to three weeks. Full population elimination and exclusion completion typically requires three to four weeks total.
DIY trapping rarely resolves the problem without professional exclusion work. It doesn't usually make the professional engagement significantly more difficult.
Our service includes follow-up visits and warranty coverage for exclusion work. If activity recurs through a sealed point within the warranty period, we return.
Pricing depends on property size, species, extent of infestation, and exclusion scope. We provide written estimates after inspection.
The trap addresses the symptom. The entry point is the cause. Until the entry is found and sealed, the cause keeps producing new symptoms.
Gaps around utility pipes, crawl space vents, foundation junctions.
Roofline gaps, soffit damage, tree branches, utility wires.
Shahan Pest Control provides pest control for rats across Cortland — full inspection, evidence-based exterminator treatment, documented exclusion, and follow-up confirmation that the problem is resolved.
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