Scratching in the attic or ceiling
Quick footsteps or scratching after dark. Roof rats are most active a few hours after sunset.
Scratching in the attic or droppings under the kitchen sink? Florida Rodent Control Pros removes rats and mice from South Bradenton homes, condos and manufactured home communities between 14th Street West and 26th Street West. We find how they get in, seal it, and remove the rodents already inside.
Rodent problem right now? Our team is taking calls in South Bradenton.
Call (561) 562-7607South Bradenton is an unincorporated community in Manatee County with about 26,858 residents, a mix of 1970s and 1980s condos, midcentury ranch homes, and 55-plus manufactured home communities. That mix of older construction and Florida’s warm, humid climate gives rodents plenty of ways in, all year long, not just in one season.
Roof rats are the most common call we get in South Bradenton. They travel along fence lines, power lines and mature trees, then drop onto a roof and get in through soffit gaps, vents or gaps where a roofline meets a wall. In the neighborhood’s older condo and apartment buildings near 14th Street West, shared attics and pipe chases let rats move from one unit to the next, so one report often means the whole building line needs a look.
Norway rats and house mice show up more at ground level. We find Norway rats burrowing near slab edges, sheds and dumpster areas, and house mice getting into kitchens and pantries in ranch homes and manufactured homes alike. In the area’s manufactured home communities, gaps in the skirting around the base of the home are one of the most common entry points we seal.
Most South Bradenton 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 South Bradenton residents find these clues before they ever see one. If you notice 2 or more, it is time for an inspection.
Quick footsteps or scratching 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.
Loose or missing skirting panels around the base of a manufactured home are an open door for rodents underneath.
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 calls in South Bradenton’s ranch homes and condo buildings, Norway rats show up near slab edges, sheds and dumpster areas, and house mice get into kitchens and pantries in homes of every type, including manufactured homes. Knowing which one you have tells us where to look and how to stop it.
Every job in South Bradenton 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 ground. What we check depends on how the home is built, since a manufactured home and a 1980s 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 or under the home, 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 home 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 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 or under a manufactured home.
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 or under a manufactured home 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 through the same gap.
Ask a technician →| Situation | DIY | Professional |
|---|---|---|
| One mouse seen once | Snap traps may be enough | Call if it comes back |
| Noises in the attic | Hard to reach and seal safely | Roofline sealing and attic trapping |
| Droppings in several rooms | Usually means many rodents | Full inspection and plan |
| Gaps in manufactured home skirting | Hard to seal correctly on your own | Hardware cloth and panel repair done right |
| Chewed wires or AC lines | Risk of fire or leaks | Find the source and seal it |
| Dead rodent smell | Hard to locate in walls or under a home | Locate, remove and deodorize |
South Bradenton has a lot of rental and condo housing, with nearly 4 in 10 households living alone and close to 1 in 5 housing units vacant at any given time. We work directly with homeowners, tenants and property managers, and we look at the roofline, attic, crawl space, skirting and yard before sealing the openings rats are using.
We check soffits, vents and roof edges, then walk you through what we found.
We inspect and reseal skirting and belly wrap so rodents cannot nest underneath.
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.
Shops and offices near Centre Point Commons deal with deliveries, shared dumpsters and doors that open all day. Property managers running condo buildings or manufactured home communities need one company that can inspect a whole building or a whole park, not just one unit at a time.
Regular visits to check traps and stations, planned around tenants and business hours.
A record of each visit that you can share with an owner, board or manager.
When one condo unit has rats, we check the shared attic line and neighboring units too.
Simple changes to dumpster areas and dry storage that make a property less attractive to rats.
South Bradenton has three main types of housing, and each one has its own weak spots.
South Bradenton is easy for our team to navigate using a few well known local landmarks as reference points during service calls.
A public elementary school in South Bradenton that serves as a familiar reference point for our technicians scheduling visits in the surrounding streets.
A shopping center at 14th Street West and Cortez Road West anchored by grocery and retail stores, and a landmark residents use to give directions.
The college’s main Bradenton campus sits on 26th Street West in South Bradenton, near many of the homes and rentals we service.
South Bradenton has a humid subtropical climate with warm, rainy summers and mild winters. Rodents stay active all year here, but the weather changes where they go.
Afternoon storms from June to September flood burrows and low-lying yards, pushing Norway rats toward sheds, garages and the space under manufactured homes.
Tip: Keep garage doors closed and check under-home skirting after heavy rain.
Hurricanes Helene and Milton in the fall of 2024 brought heavy wind and storm surge to the Tampa Bay and Sarasota-Manatee region. Storms like these can push rodents out of yards and low areas and open new gaps in roofs and skirting.
Tip: After a storm, walk around the property and check the roofline and skirting.
On cooler nights from December to February, rats look for warm, dry attics and crawl spaces. This is when many South Bradenton residents first hear them.
Tip: Check vents, soffits and skirting in the fall, before cooler weather.
South Bradenton’s 55-plus manufactured home communities see many seasonal residents leave homes empty for part of the year, which gives rodents time to move in undisturbed before anyone notices.
Tip: Ask a neighbor or property manager to check on a vacant home while you are away.
Sealing the openings does most of the work. These habits help keep new rodents from moving in.
South Bradenton is not one kind of property. What we do at a condo building near 14th Street West is different from what we do at a manufactured home community.
Manufactured homes are raised on piers with skirting panels around the base. Gaps or torn sections in that skirting give rodents a dry, hidden place to nest underneath the home.
Our approach: We inspect the full skirting line and belly wrap, seal gaps with hardware cloth, then trap underneath the home until activity stops.
Older multi-unit buildings often have a shared attic space and plumbing chases that let rodents travel from one unit to the next, so a problem in one unit rarely stays there.
Our approach: We inspect the shared attic line across the building, coordinate with property management, and seal chases and roofline gaps building-wide.
Single-story ranch homes from the 1960s-80s often have original soffit vents with no screens and slab penetrations for AC lines and plumbing that rodents use to get inside.
Our approach: We check the soffits, AC line stub-outs and slab penetrations first, then seal what we find with metal and hardware cloth.
These steps follow CDC cleanup guidance and help keep your family safe.
Call (561) 562-7607These are the ZIP codes that make up South Bradenton. We also cover Bradenton and the rest of Manatee County. Call if you do not see yours.
South Bradenton · Bradenton · Bayshore Gardens · West Samoset and the rest of Manatee County
“Florida Rodent Control Pros checked our whole condo building near 14th Street after we heard scratching in the attic. They found where rats were getting in between units and sealed it.”
John D.South Bradenton, FL
Verified“We had a gap in the skirting under our manufactured home. They sealed it properly and explained what to watch for going forward.”
Sarah M.South Bradenton, FL
Verified“Professional and on time. They inspected the attic and the yard and told me exactly what they found before starting any work.”
Tom L.South Bradenton, 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.
Yes. We inspect the full skirting line and belly wrap, repair or seal gaps with hardware cloth, and trap underneath the home until the activity stops.
It can be. Older condo and apartment buildings in South Bradenton often share attic space and pipe chases, so rats can move between units. We can inspect the shared attic line across the building, not just one unit.
We do not recommend it. Poisoned rats often die in places you cannot reach, which causes a strong smell for weeks. Trapping and sealing the openings works better.
Rats are usually active at night, while squirrels are active in the daytime. Rat droppings are about 1/2 inch long. If you are not sure, an inspection will tell us which animal it is.
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, crawl spaces 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 Bradenton, Bayshore Gardens, Palmetto and Sarasota. 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.