Signs You Have Rats in Your Long Island Home
You have rats around your Long Island home if you 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 sealing of every accessible entry point with heavy hardware cloth. 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.
- 3Exterior tamper-resistant bait stations at a flat quoted ratedecorative rock-style stations, placed along active runs.
- 4Sealing of entry points with heavy hardware cloth, mortar, and door sweeps.
- 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 rats off your Long Island property, secure trash in metal or heavy plastic cans with tight lids, never leave pet food or bird seed outside overnight, and pick fallen fruit and dropped grill scraps daily in summer. Seal garage door corners, uncap sewer clean-outs, and screen crawl space vents with quarter-inch hardware cloth. Move firewood at least twenty feet from the house. Bobby Bugs will leave a written prevention checklist and can install ongoing exterior stations after the initial job.
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.
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 openings with heavy hardware cloth and mortar is essential.
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 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.