Roof rats · Pack rats · Mice · Valley-wide
Rodent Control in Phoenix, Arizona
Chewed oranges on the tree? Something running across the ceiling at 2 a.m.? That's roof rats, and you're not the only one on your block.
Roof rats love your orange tree. They climb it after dark, eat the fruit out from the inside and leave the empty rind hanging there like nothing happened. Then they run the top of the block wall, hop onto the tile roof and move into the attic. If you've lived in central or east Phoenix a while, you've heard the story. If you just moved here, it's news to most people.
Phoenix Rodent Control is a phone line for rats and mice in the Valley, nothing else. You call, a real person picks up, and we connect you with an independent, licensed pest control company that works your part of town. They come out, look at the house and quote the job. We don't do the trapping ourselves, and we won't pretend we do.
Scratching overhead at night is usually a job for roof rat control. A pile of sticks and cactus under the shed means pack rat removal, and rice-sized droppings in the pantry mean mouse control. Trapped rats before and they keep coming back? The real fix is sealing the tile roof and stucco gaps.
Why people call this number
- Rats and mice. That's it. We don't take calls for termites or crickets. Tell us about the chewed fruit or the noise in the ceiling and you'll be talking to a company that does rodent work, including rat control for citrus yards.
- We'll ask where you live. An Arcadia roof rat and an Ahwatukee pack rat are different jobs, so your neighborhood tells us a lot. See the Valley areas we take calls from.
- No price games. We don't quote prices because we don't do the work. The company that comes out quotes it after they see the house. The About page spells out how the call works.
- Ask about sealing. Traps catch the rats you have. Sealing keeps out the next ones. Bring up closing the gaps under your roof tile on the first visit.
Why Phoenix has a roof rat problem at all
Roof rats aren't from here. University of Arizona Extension says they were first documented in Phoenix in 2001, most likely carried in with freight. The first big wave hit Arcadia around 2002, when people started finding grapefruit and oranges hollowed out on the branch. From there they spread across the Valley, into Tempe, Mesa, Glendale and Scottsdale.
Honestly, an older Phoenix backyard looks like it was built for them. Old irrigated lots still have mature citrus, Mexican fan palms with a skirt of dead fronds, and a long run of oleander down the back wall. That's dinner, a bedroom and a freeway in one yard. They eat the fruit, nest up in the palm or the hedge, travel the wall tops and power lines, then find the open ends under the first row of roof tile. Our citrus and roof rat guide goes through the fruit side month by month.
Water is the other draw. This is the desert, so a leaky drip emitter, a dog bowl on the patio, a fountain or the pool deck gets noticed fast. Maricopa County Vector Control lists pools, laundry rooms, attics, garages and patios as common roof rat spots. In July the attic is an oven, so rats tend to hang out in wall voids and the garage, then move back up when it cools off and the fruit comes on.
Pack rats are their own story. They're native, they like the desert edge, and they show up most for people living by the preserves, like Ahwatukee under South Mountain and Sunnyslope. Can't tell which one you've got? Start with the tail. Our roof rat vs. pack rat guide shows you what else to check.
- Hollow citrus still on the tree is the classic roof rat sign
- Palm skirts, oleander and ivy give rats cover and a place to nest
- The open row under tile roof edges leads right into the attic
- Pools, fountains and drip lines are water in a dry city
- Pack rats stick closer to the desert edge by the mountain preserves
What we take calls about
Roof Rat Control » Roof rats climb citrus and palms, run the block walls and get into attics through tile roof gaps. A licensed tech can trap, bait safely and seal them out.
Pack Rat Control » Pack rats, also called woodrats, build big stick and cactus nests near the desert edges of the Valley. A tech can trap them, clear the nest and close off hiding spots.
Mouse Control » House mice slip into Phoenix homes through tiny gaps around garage doors, plumbing and AC lines. A tech can trap them out and seal the gaps.
Rodent Exclusion » Exclusion means sealing the gaps rats and mice use to get inside. In Phoenix that usually means tile roof eaves, roof vents, pipe holes and garage doors.
Attic & Insulation Cleanup » Once rats are out, droppings and urine-soaked insulation stay behind. A crew can clean, sanitize and help you sort out which insulation needs replacing.
Citrus Tree & Yard Rodent Control » Backyard citrus, palms and oleander hedges feed and hide roof rats. A tech can set up an outdoor plan with traps, locked bait stations and yard changes.
Commercial Rodent Control » Restaurants, warehouses, offices, HOAs and rental properties across the Valley deal with roof rats and mice. A licensed company can set up a regular service plan.
The Phoenix rat calendar
| December to March: citrus on the trees | The fruit's ripe and hanging, and this is when most people first hear the attic. Pick as it ripens and rake up the drops every morning. |
|---|---|
| April and May: last fruit, young rats | Strip whatever's left on the tree. Young rats are heading out along the walls looking for a place of their own, so it's a good time to get the roof gaps closed before summer. |
| June to September: heat and monsoon nights | Rats and mice go where the water is: drip lines, AC condensate, the pool pump, the dog's bowl. A hard monsoon storm can flood them out of the ground and into the garage. |
| October and November: fruit coloring up | Activity picks back up as the citrus colors. Get the palms trimmed and the oleander thinned before the crop's ready. Out on desert lots, pack rats are busy hauling nest material. |
Quick answers
Do we really have roof rats in Phoenix?
Yes. They've been here since the early 2000s, starting around Arcadia, and now show up all over the Valley wherever there's citrus, palms and thick shrubs.
What's this going to cost me?
Depends on the house, what kind of rodent and how much sealing the roof needs. The company that comes out gives you the price, on the phone or after they take a look.
My neighbor has rats. Am I next?
Maybe. Roof rats travel the block walls and tree canopy between yards. It works a lot better when the whole block picks fruit and trims palms at the same time.
I only saw one rat. Is it worth a call?
Usually. The one you see at dusk generally has company you didn't see. The tech can tell you how big the problem is and where they're getting in.
We take calls from: Arcadia, Ahwatukee Foothills, North Central & Sunnyslope, Encanto & Willo, Maryvale, Paradise Valley Village & Desert Ridge, Scottsdale, Tempe, Glendale, Mesa, plus Chandler, Gilbert and the rest of the Valley.