From the First Phone Call
to a Permanently Quiet Attic

Day 0 — The call

Phone Triage — Species Confirmed Before We Arrive

Every job starts with a 5–10 minute phone call that most pest companies skip. We ask you to describe the sounds in detail: what time do they start, where in the house, what character — thumping and rolling, or light skittering? We ask about your home’s age, construction type, and what trees are adjacent. By the end of this call, we’ve confirmed species with 90%+ accuracy.

Why this matters: a roof rat job and a house mouse job require different trap types, different placement strategies, and different entry point thresholds. Arriving for a roofline inspection when the actual problem is ground-level mice wastes your time and ours. Phone triage is how we get there prepared.

→ Full species identification guide

Day 1 — Full roofline + attic inspection

GPS-Tagged Inspection — The Report Every Other Company Skips

The full inspection is what separates every job we do from what most Lakeland pest companies provide. We access the roofline by ladder and inspect every candidate entry point from above — where 80%+ of active roof rat entries are located. We then enter the attic and map grease runs, droppings distribution, nesting sites, and any wiring damage.

Every candidate entry point is GPS-tagged, photographed, and rated A (confirmed active), B (high-probability), or C (monitor). You receive a written report the same day. This report is the foundation for every decision that follows — scope, cost, treatment plan, and timeline are all derived from documented inspection findings, not assumptions.

→ Full inspection page — what the report contains

Days 1–14 — Trap-to-clear protocol

Mechanical Trapping — No Poison, No Dead Rats in Your Walls

Snap traps are placed immediately after inspection approval — same visit where possible, next-day at latest. Traps are positioned along confirmed grease runs in the attic and at transition points between the attic and the exterior entry infrastructure. This positioning isn’t arbitrary: traps placed on established travel routes catch animals on Days 3–5 (after the neophobia window clears) rather than sitting untouched for two weeks.

No rodenticide is used at any stage. No bait stations. The reason is unambiguous in Lakeland’s climate: poisoned rats die inside the structure, in wall cavities or unreachable attic corners, where they produce unbearable decomposition odor for 2–6 weeks in Florida’s summer heat. Mechanical trapping produces retrievable bodies at known locations, same-day removal, and zero decomposition odor risk.

→ Full roof rat removal process — why mechanical only

After 72-hour zero-catch confirmation

Exclusion Sealing — Permanent, Stainless, 20+ Year Materials

Sealing never happens before trapping is confirmed complete. This sequencing is non-negotiable: sealing with animals still inside creates a trapped colony that will chew through drywall attempting to exit. We seal only after 72 consecutive hours of zero trap catches confirm the interior is clear.

Every A and B entry point is sealed with 304 stainless steel hardware cloth — not galvanized (corrodes in 2–4 years in Polk County humidity), not expanding foam (rats chew through it in hours). UV-resistant polypropylene vent covers replace any failed ridge or eave vent caps. Every sealed point is photographed after sealing. The close-out report contains before/after photographs for every point sealed, organized by GPS coordinate.

→ Full exclusion sealing page — materials and methodology

After sealing — if contamination warrants

Attic Cleanup — Eliminating the Health Risk and the Scent Trail

Attic cleanup serves two distinct purposes that are both critical. The health purpose: dried roof rat droppings carry Hantavirus precursors, Salmonella, and Leptospira bacteria. An attic with significant contamination is an active health risk regardless of whether the animals are gone. HEPA vacuum removal and enzyme deodorizer application eliminate the contamination source.

The scent purpose: Rattus rattus marks established territory with pheromone scent trails that persist after the animals are gone. These chemical signals tell new animals entering from outside that this attic is established territory — accelerating re-colonization of any future entry points. Enzyme deodorizer breaks down these scent markers at the molecular level. A cleaned and sealed attic has no chemical recruitment signal for animals probing the exterior.

→ Full attic cleanup guide — health risks and protocols

Job completion day

Close-Out Report + 90-Day Return Protection — The Defined Endpoint

Every job closes with a written close-out report and the start of a 90-day return protection period. The close-out report is a complete job documentation package: before/after photographs for every sealed entry point organized by GPS coordinate, animal removal count and dates, attic condition before/after cleanup (if applicable), wiring damage notation for electrician follow-up, canopy trim status, and the specific 90-day guarantee terms.

The 90-day return protection is unconditional for every entry point we sealed: if Rattus rattus re-enters through any point we sealed within 90 days of the close-out date, we return and resolve it at no charge. No exclusions, no deductibles, no requirement to prove which point failed. The close-out date — not the first service date — starts the clock, ensuring the full job is complete before the guarantee begins.