Signs You Have Rats in Your Long Island Home
As a rat exterminator on Long Island, we tell homeowners they have rats around the house if they see capsule-shaped droppings roughly the size of a raisin, greasy rub marks along foundations, chewed holes in garage or basement doors, or fresh dirt piles at burrow entrances in the yard. Norway rats favor ground-level travel and dig burrows under decks, sheds, and along foundations, especially in South Shore towns with sandy soil. Roof rats are less common on Long Island but do show up near shoreline restaurants and older commercial strips. Neighbors reporting activity, active construction nearby, and dumpsters within 100 feet all raise the odds substantially. A single sighting during the day usually means an established population.
How Bobby Bugs Treats Rats
Bobby Bugs treats rats on Long Island with a combined interior trapping and exterior bait station program, plus an inspection of every accessible entry point. Expect a full property inspection, tamper-resistant station placement, and a 60-day written guarantee.
- 1Free phone triage and site walk to confirm rats versus mice and identify burrows.
- 2Interior snap and multi-catch traps in any active runs inside the home.
- 3Outside, we place tamper-resistant bait stations along the walls and paths the rats are using. Decorative rock-style stations are available if you want them to blend into the landscaping.
- 4A written entry point list: every gap we find, where it is, and the material that will hold (hardware cloth, metal or cement).
- 5Follow-up service inside 60 days to inspect stations, remove trapped animals, and confirm activity has stopped.
How Long Does It Take to Get Rid of Rats?
Most Long Island rat jobs show activity drops within the first week and are functionally resolved in 14 to 30 days. Interior signs usually stop first, followed by a longer tail on the exterior bait stations as outdoor traffic works through. Properties near shoreline, restaurants, or ongoing municipal work often benefit from ongoing station service beyond the initial job. The 60-day guarantee covers reintroduction inside that window.
How to Keep Rats From Coming Back
To keep Norway rats away from a Long Island home, take away the three things they need: food, water and a place to burrow. UC IPM recommends sealing every opening larger than a quarter inch with steel wool, wire screen or sheet metal, since a young rat can squeeze under a door with only a half-inch gap. Feed pets only what they finish in one sitting and store pet food and bird seed in rodent-proof containers, keep garbage in cans with tight lids, and pick up fallen fruit and nuts. Rats burrow along foundations, under woodpiles and rubbish, and in dense plantings, so clear stored materials off the ground, keep shrubs at least two feet apart, and prune branches back three feet from the roof. On the canal-front and bay-front streets in Massapequa, Long Beach, Baldwin Harbor and Oceanside, that means the bulkhead side too: no boat storage, dock lines or gear stacked against the house, and no pet food on the deck.
Where we see rats most on Long Island
- Massapequa
Canal-front bulkheads and docks along the Great South Bay, our original rat territory.
- Long Beach
The Canals section, with four canals cut in from Reynolds Channel, plus Park Avenue and West Beech Street restaurants.
- Oceanside
Former marsh that stays wet underneath, with Long Beach Road restaurants feeding the population.
- Baldwin
Baldwin Harbor south of Atlantic Avenue, canal-front and bulkheaded down to the bay.
- Freeport
The Nautical Mile and the canals behind it.
- Port Jefferson
A working harbor with a ferry terminal, marinas and Main Street restaurants a block uphill.
- Sayville
Ferry docks, marinas and boat storage on the bay.
- Deer Park
Loading docks and dumpsters in the Commack Road and Grand Boulevard industrial parks.
Related reading
More resources
- Visit our full services list.
- See every area we serve across Nassau, Suffolk, Queens, and The Bronx.
- See our mice extermination page.
- See our wildlife removal and trapping page.
- Guide: How Much Does a Rat Exterminator Cost on Long Island? What Sets the Price.
How Much Does a Rat Exterminator Cost on Long Island?
Rat extermination cost on Long Island depends on colony size, where the rats are living, and how many entry points the property has. Burrows along a Massapequa canal bulkhead or a Freeport garage slab need tamper-resistant exterior bait stations and repeat service visits, and the number of stations drives the price. Rats inside a structure also mean a full entry point inspection and a written list of what to seal. Heavy infestations near restaurants, rail lines, and waterfronts need more follow-up visits before activity stops. Bobby Bugs gives you a free written quote before any work begins, and the number on the invoice matches the quote. Every rat extermination job includes the 60-day written guarantee.
Related Questions
What customers say
So let’s start with this.I was out of town, and my daughter called me in a frenzy that she saw a roach. 10 years in that house never had roaches. Here I am out of state trying to figure out the fastest way to help my daughter. Saw the name BOBBY BUGS and the reviews and figured I would call them up.I called spoke to Anthony not only did he go above and beyond for us but the service was fantastic. William who showed up at the house was simply incredible and made my daughter feel at ease. Thank you for helping our little Italian Family out in such a pinch. Grazie Mille Adriana
Fast, friendly service. I called in the morning and Will came to my house that evening. Will was great. I would definitely use Bobby's Bugs again and recommend them.
Response was super quick to my inquiry and someone was able to be sent out out quickly. Will came and explained the process, walked me through and showed me what he had done, and reviewed the service order to make sure none of my requests were missed. It was a great experience overall and truck wasn't announcing itself to the neighborhood either which was a plus.
Reviewed October 2026
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between rats and mice in my house?
Rats are larger, leave capsule-shaped droppings about the size of a raisin, and travel along foundations and pipes. Mice leave rice-sized droppings and prefer tight interior spaces. Long Island homes near shoreline, docks, restaurants, or big infrastructure projects see more rats. Wooded and suburban houses see more mice.
Do bait stations really work?
Yes, tamper-resistant exterior bait stations work for rats on Long Island when they are placed along active travel paths and serviced on a schedule. Bobby Bugs uses locked stations that keep bait away from children, pets, and non-target wildlife. Interior work relies on traps, not bait, to avoid odor issues in walls.
How do rats get into a house?
Rats enter Long Island homes through gaps as small as a half inch: garage door corners, utility penetrations, deteriorated basement mortar, uncovered crawl space vents, and sewer laterals. Norway rats can climb, swim, and gnaw through soft mortar and low-grade plastic. Sealing those openings with heavy hardware cloth and mortar is essential, and we give you a written list of every one we find.
How long does it take to get rid of rats?
Most Long Island rat jobs are resolved within 14 to 30 days once the property is trapped, baited on the exterior, and the entry points on our written list are sealed. Activity drops sharply after the first week. Heavier situations near shoreline, dumpsters, or ongoing construction can take longer and often benefit from ongoing exterior bait station service.
Why do waterfront homes on Long Island get more rats?
Because a bulkhead is a ready-made burrow, and a canal or bay gives Norway rats water and cover year round. Add boat storage, dock gear and pet food on a deck, and the rats have everything they need within twenty feet of the house. Rat work on the water side means burrow baiting in locked stations, an entry inspection along the foundation and bulkhead, and interior trapping, with a 60-day written guarantee.
Do you use poison for rats?
Only outside, only in locked, tamper-resistant bait stations that we place and service, and never loose. Inside the house we trap, because a rat that dies in a wall is a smell you'll live with for weeks. UC IPM calls snap traps the safest and most effective way to remove rats, and that's how we work indoors.
How do I know if it's rats or mice?
Droppings. Rat droppings are about the size of a raisin with blunt ends; mouse droppings are the size of a grain of rice with pointed ends. Rats also leave greasy rub marks along walls, gnaw marks on wood and plastic that look chiseled, and burrow holes about the size of a fist outside. Our answer page on rat droppings versus mouse droppings walks through the differences.