Rat Control in San Francisco
San Francisco has two rats, and they split the building between them. The Norway rat stays low. UC's Integrated Pest Management program says it digs burrows along foundations, under woodpiles and around gardens, and indoors it mostly keeps to basements and ground floors. The roof rat goes high. It nests in ivy, shrubs and trees outside, and in attics, wall voids and ceilings inside.
So the first useful question is where you're finding signs. Burrows along the back fence, droppings by the garage door and gnawing at the bottom of a basement door point to a Norway rat. Running in the ceiling and a rat on the fence top at night point to a roof rat. Whichever it is, the phone call is the same.
Telling Them Apart
UC IPM describes the Norway rat as the bigger, stockier one, about 7 to 18 ounces as an adult, with a blunt nose and small ears. The roof rat is sleeker, 5 to 10 ounces, with a pointed nose, bigger ears and a tail longer than its head and body. Most of the time you'll see one for only a second as it runs, so where you saw it tells you more than what it looked like.
- Norway rat: burrows, ground floors, garages, basements, garbage
- Roof rat: ivy, fruit trees, fence tops, attics and ceilings
- Both: droppings near pet food, chewed bags, noise at night
How the Job Usually Goes
The company starts with a look around: the base of the building, the garage, any crawl space or basement, the backyard and the roofline. UC IPM calls snap traps the safest, most effective and cheapest tool for most rat problems. For Norway rats, traps go along walls with the trigger end nearly touching the wall. For roof rats, they go up off the ground too, on ledges, beams and fence rails.
Poison is a different story in California. UC IPM says most anticoagulant rodenticides are prohibited in most areas, and what's left is limited. Our guide on rat poison rules in California explains what that means for you. Trapping and sealing the building do most of the work now.
Who's Responsible in a Rental
If you rent, tell your landlord in writing. The health department's pest prevention guidance says building owners should look into a tenant's pest report within 72 hours and keep a written log of reports. Tenants are expected to keep garbage and pet food stored properly. See rodents in apartment buildings for more.
Questions We Get
I saw a rat in the backyard once. Is that a problem?
Not always. If you're also finding droppings, chewed fruit or holes along the foundation, call. A single sighting with nothing else is worth watching for a week.
Will the company use poison?
Probably not much. UC IPM says California limits rodenticides, and most anticoagulants are prohibited in most areas. Expect traps and sealing.
Serving Mission District, Bernal Heights, Noe Valley, Pacific Heights, Marina, SoMa, Richmond District, Sunset District, Nob Hill, Russian Hill, Bayview, Excelsior, Glen Park, Castro.