Running in the ceiling
Quick footsteps or scratching above the ceiling after dark. Roof rats are most active a few hours after sunset.
Scratching in the ceiling or droppings on the patio? Florida Rodent Control Pros removes rats and mice from North Miami Beach homes and businesses, from the palm-lined streets of Highland Village and University Park to the waterfront lots of Eastern Shores and the condos along the Intracoastal. We find how they get in, seal it, and remove the rodents already inside.
Rodent problem right now? Our team is taking calls in North Miami Beach.
Call (561) 562-7607North Miami Beach sits on the Intracoastal Waterway, across the water from Sunny Isles Beach, in a city of about 43,676 residents packed into just 5.37 square miles. Warm weather all year, mature palms on nearly every block, and a mix of 1950s and 1960s single-family homes next to high-rise condos mean rodents never get a slow season here.
Roof rats are the rodent we remove most in North Miami Beach. They travel along royal palms, ficus hedges and power lines, then drop onto the roof and enter through soffit gaps, roof vents and eaves. In older neighborhoods like Highland Village, University Park and Fulford, mature landscaping keeps roof rats close to the house all year.
Norway rats stay near the ground and water. We find them along seawalls and canal banks in Eastern Shores, near dumpsters and commercial kitchens along the NE 163rd Street corridor, and in garages and ground-floor utility rooms at condo and apartment buildings near the Intracoastal. Every part of the city has rodents, just for different reasons, so we inspect each property as its own job.
Most North Miami Beach jobs combine a few of these: an inspection, sealing, trapping and cleanup. Choose a service to learn more, or call and we will tell you what your property needs.
Rodents move at night, so most North Miami Beach homeowners find these clues before they ever see one. If you notice 2 or more, it is time for an inspection.
Quick footsteps or scratching above the ceiling after dark. Roof rats are most active a few hours after sunset.
Dark pellets about 1/2 inch long point to rats. Tiny ones about 1/8 inch point to mice.
Rats gnaw on wiring, AC insulation and irrigation lines. This can lead to shorts, leaks and costly repairs.
Roof rats travel through royal palms and ficus hedges before dropping onto the roof. Movement in the canopy near the house is a common early sign here.
Urine and nesting material leave a sharp odor, often strongest in closets, cabinets and the attic hatch.
Dogs or cats staring at a wall, sniffing under appliances or pawing at a cabinet often sense rodents first.
Roof rats cause most attic and palm-related calls in North Miami Beach, Norway rats show up near the Intracoastal, canal seawalls and dumpsters, and house mice get into kitchens and pantries. Knowing which one you have tells us where to look and how to stop it.
Every job in North Miami Beach starts with a full inspection, inside and out. We look for how rodents get in, where they live, and what is feeding them.
Trapping alone does not fix the problem if the openings stay open. We close the way in first, then remove the rodents already inside.
The CDC links rats and mice to several diseases. People can get sick from contact with droppings, urine or saliva, from bites, or from breathing dust from contaminated areas.
Source: CDC rodent control and cleanup guidance.
In Florida, pest control companies are licensed by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) under Chapter 482, Florida Statutes. Rodent work falls under the General Household Pest and rodent control category.
Our team is EPA and FDACS certified. Call (561) 562-7607 with any questions.
We look at the whole property, from the roofline to the seawall. What we check depends on how the home or building sits, since a 1950s slab home and a waterfront condo have very different weak spots.
A rat can squeeze through a gap about 1/2 inch wide, and a mouse through about 1/4 inch.
Setting traps without sealing the openings only buys time. We follow the same 5 steps on every job so the rats do not come back.
We walk the property, check the attic and mark every entry point and sign of activity.
Openings are closed with metal flashing, 1/4 inch hardware cloth, mesh and mortar. We do not rely on foam.
Traps go on the paths rats use. We check them on return visits and remove what we catch.
Droppings and nests are removed and the area is disinfected. We tell you if insulation needs replacing.
We come back until there are no new signs, then give you simple tips to keep it that way.
The number of visits depends on how many rats are inside and how many openings the property has. We tell you what to expect after the first inspection.
According to the CDC, rats and mice can spread disease through their droppings, urine, saliva and bites. These are the main concerns.
Can spread when dust from dried droppings or urine is stirred up and breathed in. This is why you should never sweep droppings.
Spread through water or soil that has rodent urine in it. Standing water after heavy rain and around canal banks can be a concern.
Food and counters touched by rodents or their droppings can carry salmonella bacteria.
Spread by bites or scratches, or by handling rodents. Always use gloves or tools, never bare hands.
Rodents carry fleas and mites that can move to pets and people after the rodents are gone.
Chewed wires can start fires, and chewed water or AC lines can cause leaks inside walls.
A lot of common advice makes a rat problem last longer. Here is what actually works.
A single mouse in the kitchen can sometimes be handled with a few snap traps. Rats in the attic, palms or a shared condo wall are a different job.
The problem with DIY: most store-bought fixes catch rats but leave the openings in place, so new rats move in from nearby palms, canals or a neighboring unit.
Ask a technician →| Situation | DIY | Professional |
|---|---|---|
| One mouse seen once | Snap traps may be enough | Call if it comes back |
| Noises in the attic or palms | Hard to reach and seal safely | Roofline sealing and attic trapping |
| Droppings in several rooms | Usually means many rodents | Full inspection and plan |
| Chewed wires or AC lines | Risk of fire or leaks | Find the source and seal it |
| Dead rodent smell | Hard to locate in walls | Locate, remove and deodorize |
| Rats near a seawall or dumpster corral | Shared property, hard to seal alone | Coordinate with HOA or property manager |
From 1950s and 1960s single-family homes in Highland Village and University Park to waterfront lots in Eastern Shores and condos near the Intracoastal, each property has its own weak spots. We look at the roofline, attic, garage, yard and, on waterfront lots, the seawall, then seal the openings rats are using.
We check soffits, vents and the palms and hedges touching the roof, then walk you through what we found.
Openings are closed with metal flashing, hardware cloth and mortar, not foam alone.
Indoor trapping avoids dead rodents in the walls and keeps bait away from kids and pets.
We remove droppings and nests and tell you if insulation should be replaced.
Restaurants and shops along the NE 163rd Street corridor, condo and apartment buildings near the Intracoastal, and offices closer to Biscayne Boulevard deal with daily deliveries, shared dumpster corrals and doors that open all day. We work with property managers and HOA boards, not just single tenants.
Regular visits to check traps and stations, planned around your business hours or building access rules.
A record of each visit that you can show a manager, HOA board or inspector.
Door sweeps and gaps at dumpster corrals and ground-floor utility rooms closed with rodent-proof materials.
Simple changes to dumpster areas and dry storage that make your site less attractive to rats.
North Miami Beach has about 17,126 housing units, a mix of single-family homes and residential condominiums. The way a property is built tells us where to look first.
North Miami Beach covers just over 5 square miles, but the neighborhoods are different from each other. Here is what we usually check first in each one.
Waterfront homes with seawalls and docks along the Intracoastal. Norway rats burrow near the water line, and we check seawalls and canal banks first.
Established single-family neighborhoods with mature palms and hedges. Roof rats travel the canopy and drop onto the roof, so we start at the soffits and roof vents.
Homes closest to the park’s tree cover see more wildlife pressure. Sealing the roofline early keeps roof rats from settling in for good.
The city’s main commercial street, with restaurants, markets and shops. We set up scheduled commercial service with written logs for dumpster corrals and loading areas here.
High-rise buildings with shared parking garages and utility rooms. We coordinate with property managers and HOA boards on inspection and sealing.
Part of the original 1920s Fulford-by-the-Sea development and the oldest part of the city. Older soffits and attic vents here often need new screens.
These local landmarks help explain the character of the neighborhoods we work in.
A 12th century Spanish monastery that William Randolph Hearst bought and had shipped to the United States, then reassembled in North Miami Beach in the 1950s. Homes near the historic buildings in this area still have mature, older landscaping that gives roof rats plenty of cover.
Florida’s largest urban park, bordering the city’s northern edge with mangroves and tree cover. Homes nearest the park boundary see more roof rat and Norway rat activity moving in from the natural area.
A 1925 fountain on the National Register of Historic Places, and part of the city’s official logo. It sits in the older Fulford section of the city, where many homes still have original soffits and vents that benefit from a rodent-proofing check.
North Miami Beach has a tropical climate with record highs near 98°F and winters too mild to slow rodents down. They stay active all year, but the weather changes where they go.
Afternoon storms from June to September flood canal banks and low yards near the Intracoastal, pushing Norway rats toward garages, sheds and seawalls.
Tip: Keep garage doors closed and clear stored items off the floor.
North Miami Beach sits low near the Intracoastal, and storm surge and heavy rain can push rats out of burrows and canal banks and into garages and attics. Wind can also open new gaps in soffits and roof vents.
Tip: After a storm, walk around the house and check the roofline.
On cooler nights from December to February, rats look for warm, dry attics and palm canopies. This is when many North Miami Beach homeowners first hear them.
Tip: Check vents and soffits in the fall, before cooler weather.
Backyard mangoes and avocados in Highland Village and University Park are an easy meal for roof rats, and a reason they stay close to the house through the summer.
Tip: Pick fruit as it ripens and clear what falls every day.
Sealing the openings does most of the work. These habits help keep new rodents from moving in.
North Miami Beach is not one kind of property. What we do at a single-family home in Highland Village is different from what we do at a condo building near the Intracoastal.
1950s and 1960s homes with mature royal palms and ficus hedges give roof rats a path from the canopy straight onto the roof and into the attic through old soffit vents.
Our approach: We inspect the roofline and the palms and trees touching it, seal soffit and vent gaps with metal and hardware cloth, then trap in the attic until activity stops.
Waterfront lots on the Intracoastal give Norway rats a place to burrow along seawalls and canal banks, close to garages and ground-floor storage.
Our approach: We inspect the seawall, dock and canal bank, then seal ground-level entry points and set traps along the water line.
High-rise and multifamily buildings have shared walls, parking garages and dumpster corrals that draw Norway rats and can let a problem spread between units.
Our approach: We inspect the dumpster corral and ground-floor utility rooms, coordinate with the property manager or HOA, then seal service doors and set stations where they are needed.
These steps follow CDC cleanup guidance and help keep your family safe.
Call (561) 562-7607North Miami Beach has 5 main ZIP codes. These are the ones we serve most, but we cover the whole city. Call if you do not see yours.
Highland Village · University Park · Eastern Shores · Allen Park · Fulford · City Center · Biscayne North and South · Government Center
“Florida Rodent Control Pros found the gaps in our roofline that a palm tree was giving the rats a bridge over. Quick, professional and no more noise in the attic.”
Ray C.North Miami Beach, FL
Verified“They coordinated with our HOA to check the dumpster corral and utility room. Very thorough and easy to work with as a condo board.”
Lena M.North Miami Beach, FL
Verified“I have a waterfront lot near the canal and they knew exactly where to look along the seawall. Recommend them to anyone near the water.”
David P.North Miami Beach, FL
VerifiedHave a question that is not listed? Call and a team member will help.
Call (561) 562-7607 →Most homes need a first visit for the inspection and sealing, then follow-up visits over the next few weeks to check traps. The exact number depends on how many rats are inside and how many openings the property has. We tell you what to expect after the first inspection.
Royal palms and ficus hedges give roof rats a path from the canopy straight onto the roof. If a palm frond or branch touches the roofline, it is basically a bridge. We check every tree that touches the house and recommend trimming any that do.
We do not recommend it. Poisoned rats often die inside walls or ceilings where you cannot reach them, which causes a strong smell. Trapping indoors and sealing the openings works better.
Yes. Many buildings near the Intracoastal have shared walls, parking garages and dumpster corrals. We work with property managers and HOA boards on an inspection and sealing plan, and provide written visit logs.
Yes. Waterfront and canal lots usually have Norway rats burrowing along the seawall or dock rather than roof rats in the attic. We inspect the shoreline and ground-level entry points first.
The CDC advises not to sweep or vacuum droppings. Air out the area, wear gloves, spray the droppings with disinfectant or a bleach solution, let it soak for 5 minutes, then wipe up with paper towels. For attics or large amounts, call us.
Pest control businesses in Florida are licensed by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). You can look up a license on the FDACS website before you hire anyone.
Yes. We also serve North Miami, Aventura, Sunny Isles Beach and Miami Gardens. Call (561) 562-7607 to check your address.
Call now. We will inspect the property, show you where rodents are getting in, and seal it so they stay out.
Call us, tell us what you are seeing and where you are located, and our team will confirm the right appointment type and timing.
These pictures come from our own inspection cameras and job sites: rats caught in traps, mice under cabinets, the entry points we find, and the sealing work that keeps them out.
Rat caughtClose-up of a rat caught in a cage trap
Exclusion workTechnician sealing a block wall gap with mortar
Entry point foundRat squeezing past an unsealed pipe penetration in a wall
Kitchen inspectionThree mice caught on camera under a cabinet
Trap cameraNight camera photo of a rat at a snap trap
Attic inspectionMouse found near attic insulation
Station checkRat found inside a rodent station during a service check
Entry point checkMouse beside a dryer vent duct
TrappingMouse approaching a trap station near roof trusses
Rat caughtRat caught in a cage trap outside a Florida home
Food source foundMouse feeding on crumbs under a cabinet
Trap cameraNight camera photo of a rat approaching a baited snap trap
Kitchen inspectionMouse moving along a cabinet base
Kitchen inspectionTwo mice under a cabinet, a sign of active activityFlorida, 24 hours a day
Call any time and talk to a local rodent pro. We find how they get in, seal it, remove the ones inside and come back until the activity stops. Homes, rentals and businesses.