As temperatures start to fall reports of rats are on the rise in Las Vegas. You may recall back in April a Henderson woman contacted 13 Action News after she was mortified to discover a backyard tree had become a literal rat's nest.
Pest control expert Trent English of Truly Nolen met up with our crew in northwest Las Vegas where he has worked to rid homes of rats.
"If there was any species of pests that I would deem to have superpower characteristics it would be a roof rat," said English.
English said they are a super nuisance, surviving just about anything including a fall of 50 feet and treading water for days without drowning.
"When it comes to these plumbing lines and storm drains they've been known to swim up through the sewer lines and come up through people's toilets," English said.
They climb any surface.
"Their incisors are what make them indestructible," he said.
They also chew through aluminum, sheet rock, wood and even brick. With cooler temperatures and more construction upending their natural habitat they make their way into your home.
Droppings are an obvious sign of infestation, but so is evidence of burrowing in insulation. And where there's one rat there are likely to be many more.
"It takes strategy and know how in order to find the points of entry, removing the conducive conditions that are bringing them and then sealing off a home," said English.
They are attracted to fruit trees, but anywhere there is water, vegetation and shelter they are likely to go.
English suggests trimming trees away from your roof line and avoiding excessive shrubbery to reduce your chances of an infestation.
