The signature problem
Where rats get into a New Orleans home
Two rats, two directions. Roof rats come down from above. Norway rats come up from below. A house that is only sealed at one end stays open at the other.
- Roof Soffit and fascia joints
A century of heat and damp separates the boards on older New Orleans houses. This is the single most common way a roof rat gets into an attic.
- Roof Gable, ridge and turbine vents
Screens rust out and covers work loose. An open vent is a doorway, and it is usually the easiest one to find and fix.
- Walls Trees, palms and cable lines
Live oak limbs over the roof, banana clumps against the wall, ivy on the brick and the cable line to the pole are all ladders.
- Under Open pier bays and skirting
Raised houses give a Norway rat a dry covered run the full footprint of the building. Lattice stops a dog, not a rat.
- Under Floor and pipe penetrations
Where water, gas and drain lines pass through the floor, plus the tub trap and the space behind the dishwasher.
- Ground Slab edge, weep holes and garage doors
On slab houses the bottom corners of the garage door fail first, then weep holes and AC line penetrations.
