This is due to the fact that wild rats in centuries past adapted to be active at night as a way to avoid predators.
Do rats sleep in the attic.
During the day roof rats prefer to make their nests in high up places like attics ceilings and trees.
A rat can die inside your walls and slowly decay leaving an intense odor for months.
14 rats in the attic won t just stay in the attic and will often create damage by moving around in the wall cavities and other difficult to reach areas of the building.
Rat poison seems like the easy solution to a rat invasion.
Homes are built the way they are to keep heat in during the winter and cool air in during the summer.
Needless to say the rest of the vacation was not that great.
The rats or mice or flying squirrels burrow down into the insulation until they are in contact with the topside of the sheetrock which won t be nearly as hot as the ambient in the attic.
The first we knew about it was when we looked between 2 chairs in the dining room and saw it looking up at us.
If you have rats in the attic do not think they will stay there and not visit the rest of the house.
Never use rat poison in your attic.
In loose fill fiberglass insulation you can sometimes see their tunnels.
Then you hear them above your head.
Rats will be chewing items in your loft to use as bedding.
Blocks of rat poison.
When you are sure that you have a rat in your attic you will need to take action very soon.
It is late at night.
If rats are in a situation where they can sleep during the day and be active at night that is what they will choose to do.
The smell is offensive.
Roof rats and norway rats are night time loving creatures that try to hide during the day.
The lights are out and everyone is in their beds.
People have this idea that rats are attracted to poor sanitation and garbage but having rats doesn t necessarily mean your house is dirty.
The little scratches and clicks of a rodent which has plagued mankind for centuries the rat.
In fact on a recent vacation we had at least 2 rats living in the attic.
So much for pleasant dreams.
They will also be gnawing at wooden beams to keep their teeth sharp.
Why do rats nest in attics.
Norway rats like to stay on the lower ground floors where there are cellars basements gardens floor foundations and exposed tree roots.
Where they die becomes the problem.
You are just settling down to go to sleep.
Rat poisons are best used outdoors and only with a rat bait station.
This is one of the things that make a rat very dangerous.
People don t like to share their space with rats.
If you put out poison rats will indeed die.
After the rats are gone many experts recommend taking extra measures to clean up around your property and inside the attic so other rats won t be attracted to the scent of the rats that used to live there.
And do rats leave the attic during the day.
The night is blissfully quiet.