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Spring Hill and Hernando County are dominated by the roof rat (Rattus rattus), a slim, dark, agile climber that lives above ground in attics, soffits, wall voids, and tree canopy. Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) are also present, particularly near water in Hernando Beach and along drainage corridors, ground-level burrowers with a different entry profile and different treatment approach. House mice (Mus musculus) are the third common species, found in kitchen and pantry areas rather than attics. Getting the species right on the first inspection determines the entire exclusion strategy.

Three things distinguish them reliably. Droppings size: mouse droppings are rice-grain size with tapered ends; rat droppings are raisin-size with pointed ends. Evidence location: kitchen cabinets, pantry, and wall spaces at counter level point to house mice; attic sounds and ceiling evidence point to roof rats. Sound timing: roof rats are strictly nocturnal, sounds starting at dusk and running through the night; house mice can be active at any hour. It’s also possible to have both simultaneously, an attic roof rat infestation and a kitchen mouse infestation are independent problems we address together.

Timing is the most reliable first indicator. Roof rats are nocturnal, sounds starting at dusk and continuing through the night point to rats. Squirrels are active during the day, sounds between 7am and 4pm that stop at dusk point to squirrels. Roof rats produce lighter, faster scurrying sounds; squirrels are heavier and produce thumping and rolling sounds. Droppings confirm it: rat droppings are dark, smooth, raisin-size with pointed ends; squirrel droppings are barrel-shaped with rounded ends and lighter in color. This identification matters because exclusion approaches differ between the two species.

Roof rat droppings are dark brown to black, smooth surface, approximately raisin-size (1/2 inch), with pointed ends. House mouse droppings are dark, rice-grain size (1/4 inch or less), with tapered ends, found in kitchen cabinet corners and pantry shelves. Fresh droppings are moist and slightly pliable; old droppings are gray, dry, and crumble when touched. Finding both fresh and old droppings in the same area indicates the infestation has been active for weeks, not days. Safe cleanup requires dampening before removal, not dry sweeping, which aerosolizes particles.

Rodent exclusion is the physical sealing of every entry point rodents use to access your home, using materials they cannot chew through or displace. In Spring Hill, effective exclusion uses stainless steel hardware cloth, metal flashing, and fitted vent guards. Not foam, foam degrades in Florida’s heat and rats chew through it. Exclusion is the step that makes rodent control permanent. Trapping without exclusion catches animals currently inside while new ones enter through the same unsealed gaps.

Seal all external entry points first, then trap inside. The correct sequence: identify every entry point during inspection, seal all of them, then place mechanical traps for the animals already inside. Trapping before sealing removes individuals while leaving access open, new animals replace the ones caught within days. Sealing all external access first concentrates the remaining interior animals in the attic where traps are effective.

A roof rat can enter through a gap the size of a quarter, approximately 1/2 inch. A Norway rat needs approximately 3/4 inch. A house mouse can enter through a gap the size of a dime, 1/4 inch. This is why soffit gaps that appear minor from the ground are functional entry points, and why a proper inspection requires physically checking each soffit panel by hand from a ladder position.

Foam is not a physical barrier, it’s a gap filler. Rats chew through expanding foam in hours. Florida’s UV exposure, heat, and humidity cause foam to become brittle and separate from surrounding materials within one to two years. The material that works in Florida’s climate is stainless steel hardware cloth for mesh-type seals and metal flashing for flat closures, both physically impossible for rodents to chew or push through.

Exclusion work completed with stainless steel hardware cloth and metal flashing should last 10 or more years. The variable that shortens the effective period is storm damage, hurricane-force winds can displace properly secured vent guards and lift soffit panels. We recommend an annual exterior inspection in Hernando County, particularly after any tropical weather event.

A complete rodent control service in Spring Hill, inspection, full exclusion with stainless hardware cloth, mechanical trapping, return visit, and written photo report, typically runs $600 to $950 for an average home with 3 to 6 entry points. Basic trapping only runs $200 to $400. Severe infestations or homes with more entry points run $950 to $1,500. Attic HEPA cleanup is $500 to $2,000 depending on contamination scope. Full insulation replacement after heavy contamination is $2,500 to $5,000 or more.

In most cases, the entry points were never physically sealed, or were sealed with foam that deteriorated or was chewed through. If a pest company set traps without completing a full roofline exclusion using stainless hardware cloth, new animals moved in through the same gaps within weeks. The underlying problem, open access to the structure, was never addressed.

Most jobs involve two visits over one to two weeks. First visit: inspection, exclusion, and trap placement, typically 60 to 90 minutes. Return visit: 7 to 10 days later for trap clearance, activity verification, exclusion integrity check, and delivery of the written photo report. The 90-day return protection period begins from the date exclusion is completed.

Standard homeowners insurance in Florida does not cover pest control or rodent removal costs. Resulting structural damage that is directly documented may be covered under specific policies, wiring damage requiring electrical repair, or insulation requiring replacement due to contamination. Our written photo report provides the documentation your insurer requires. Call your insurer directly with the documentation.

Yes, all of Hernando County. Brooksville, Hernando Beach, Weeki Wachee, Shady Hills, and all Spring Hill ZIP codes: 34606, 34608, 34609, 34610, and 34613. No additional travel fees for any service within Hernando County.

The 90-day return protection means that if rodents return within 90 days of our exclusion work completion, we come back at no charge. It begins on the date exclusion is completed. It covers any activity traceable to the entry points we sealed. It does not cover new structural damage created by subsequent weather events after our job is complete. No fine print beyond that. If rats are back in your attic within 90 days, we return and find out why.