Much of the city was built during the 1960s space boom, when the population went from about 6,400 to more than 30,000. After 60 years, vent screens rust, soffits soften and pipe holes widen. A roof rat only needs a quarter sized hole, so older rooflines are the most common way in.
Space City USA, Brevard County seat
Rodent Control and Rat Removal in Titusville, FL
Titusville sits on the west bank of the Indian River, looking across at Kennedy Space Center and 140,000 acres of wildlife refuge. Many of its homes went up fast during the space boom of the 1960s, and roof rats know where those houses are weak. We find the openings, seal them with metal, trap the rodents inside and clean up after them.
A town that grew nearly 12 times over
The Space Race Built Titusville in 20 Years
When Cape Canaveral and then Kennedy Space Center started hiring, Titusville went from a river town to a small city almost overnight. A lot of the houses you see today were built in that rush, and many are now 55 to 65 years old.
2,604
People in 1950
Before the space program, Titusville was a quiet county seat on the river.
6,410
People in 1960
Growth started in the late 1950s as rocket work came to the Cape.
30,515
People in 1970
A jump of 376% in one decade, the years the city was called Space City USA.
23,433
Homes in 2020
Housing units counted in 2020, for a city of 48,789 people.
Source: U.S. Census figures as reported on Wikipedia, Titusville, Florida.
Older homes, older gaps
What a 1960s Titusville House Looks Like to a Roof Rat
Homes built quickly 60 years ago were not built with rodents in mind. Screens on roof and gable vents rust out. Wood soffits and fascia soften and pull away from the wall. Old pipe and wire holes get bigger every time a new AC line, cable or dryer vent is added.
A roof rat (Rattus rattus) only needs a hole about the size of a quarter. It climbs, so it comes in high: through the roofline, a loose ridge or a gap where a porch or carport roof meets the house. UF/IFAS lists attics and soffits among its favorite nesting spots.
That is why our rodent exclusion work on older Titusville homes starts at the roof and works down. Traps clear the rats that are already inside, but only sealing keeps the next ones out.
You see the photos, the plan and the price before any work starts.
Where we look first on older homes
- Gable and roof vents with torn or rusted screens
- Soft or separated soffit and fascia boards
- Carport and porch roofs tied into the main roof
- Gaps around AC lines, plumbing and cable entries
- Garage door corners and worn bottom seals
- Palm fronds, oak limbs and vines touching the roof
Wild land next door
Living Across the River From the Refuge and the Space Center
Few Florida cities have this much open land right across the water. East of Titusville, the Kennedy Space Center grounds and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge share the same land. That does not send rats across the river to your house, but it does shape what lives along the shoreline and in the brush on your side.
| Place | What it is | What it means at home |
|---|---|---|
| Indian River Lagoon | The water right along the city’s east side, part of the Intracoastal Waterway | Riverfront yards, docks and seawalls give rodents water, cover and fish scraps. We check docks, sheds and boat storage. |
| Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | About 140,000 acres set aside in 1963, overlaid with Kennedy Space Center | Marsh, scrub and hammock land with 31 mammal species. Snakes, raccoons and wild rodents live on the edges of town too. |
| Canaveral National Seashore | About 57,662 acres north of the Space Center, created in 1975, mostly lagoon | Mosquito Lagoon and Playalinda Beach draw boaters and anglers who keep bait and gear in garages. |
| A. Max Brewer Bridge | The CR 402 bridge over the Indian River, rebuilt in 2011 | The main road to the refuge and the beach. Homes near the causeway see heavy visitor traffic. |
Sources: Wikipedia, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Canaveral National Seashore, A. Max Brewer Bridge and Titusville, Florida.
Launch days
Launch Crowds, Food Trash and the Historic Downtown
When a rocket goes up, people fill Titusville’s riverfront to watch. Crowds mean food, and food left behind feeds rodents for days. Here is how that plays out in the parts of town that get the most visitors.
Riverfront
Space View Park
The riverfront park on the Indian River, dedicated by the city in 1994, holds the U.S. Space Walk of Fame monuments to the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo and Space Shuttle programs. The American Space Museum on Pine Street even suggests parking here on launch day.
Downtown
Titusville Commercial District
About 60 acres around Julia Street, Hopkins Avenue, Main Street and Indian River Avenue, with 21 historic buildings, listed on the National Register in 1990. Old shared walls and back alleys let rodents move from one storefront to the next.
Home
After the crowd leaves
Cooler bags, grill drips and dropped snacks in driveways and yards near the river are an easy meal. Clean up the same night, bag food trash and keep cart lids shut.
Sources: Wikipedia, American Space Museum and Titusville Commercial District; American Space Museum (spacewalkoffame.org).
Services available in Titusville
Rat and Mouse Removal Services in Titusville
Most Titusville 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.
Residential Rodent ControlAttic and crawl space rat removal for Titusville homes, from older houses near downtown and LaGrange to waterfront homes in Indian River City.Learn More →
Commercial Rodent ControlScheduled service with written visit logs for offices and shops near Kennedy Space Center, and restaurants along US-1 and SR 406.Learn More →
Rodent RemovalTraps placed on the paths rats use and checked on return visits until the activity stops.Learn More →
Dead Rodent RemovalBad smell in a wall or ceiling? We find and remove the dead rodent, then clean and deodorize the area.Learn More →
Rodent CleanupRemoval of droppings, urine and nests from attics and garages, with advice on insulation replacement.Learn More →
Rodent ExterminatorEPA and FDACS certified technicians who use traps indoors and follow product labels around kids and pets.Learn More →
Rodent ExclusionWe seal soffits, roof vents, pipe gaps and garage corners with metal and mortar so rats cannot get back in.Learn More →
Rodent Feces RemovalCareful cleanup of droppings with disinfectant, never sweeping or vacuuming, which can spread germs.Learn More →
Rodent ProofingDoor sweeps, vent screens, roof edge sealing and tree trimming advice for Titusville homes.Learn More →
When the source is not your yard
The Knox McRae Drive Rat Complaint, and What It Teaches
In September 2018, News 6 reported that neighbors whose homes back up to the city’s Water Resources Field Operations Center on Knox McRae Drive were fed up with rats. They pointed to stacked pipes and hydrants, tall grass and brush, and big dirt mounds on the lot. One resident said rats got under a kitchen cabinet and chewed a water line, flooding the house. The city said crews would mow the grass.
The lesson for any Titusville homeowner: if a vacant lot, a storage yard or an overgrown property backs up to yours, sealing your house matters even more. You cannot control the lot, but you can make sure your home has no way in.
Chewed water lines under sinks, behind fridges and at the ice maker are a common sign rats are already inside. If you find one, call us for rodent removal before the next leak.
If the rats are coming from next door
- City of Titusville
- Main line 321-567-3775, 555 S Washington Avenue
- Report a property
- Use the city’s online Report a Concern form
- Code cases
- Heard by the city’s Code Enforcement Special Magistrate
- Brevard County Solid Waste
- (321) 633-2042, runs the Titusville Transfer Station
- Us
- (561) 562-7607, 24/7
Sources: ClickOrlando (WKMG News 6), “Titusville neighbors fed up with rat invasion,” Sept. 20, 2018; titusville.com; brevardfl.gov Solid Waste.
Season by season
A Year of Rodent Activity in Titusville
Titusville gets about 55 inches of rain a year, and June to September each bring 7.5 inches or more. Winters are mild, so roof rats keep breeding. This is the pattern we plan around.
- Jan to Mar
Citrus season
Backyard oranges and grapefruit with a quarter sized hole and the inside eaten out point to roof rats in the trees.
- Apr to May
Dry and growing
Young rats born over winter look for their own space. A good time to seal before the rains.
- Jun to Sep
Wet months
Heavy rain floods ground burrows and pushes rodents up into sheds, garages and attics.
- Oct to Nov
First cool nights
Rats and mice move indoors. Noise in the ceiling at night often starts now.
- Dec
Holiday storage
Boxes and food in garages and attics give rodents nesting material and a meal.
Source: Wikipedia, Titusville, Florida (climate data); UF/IFAS Extension, Roof Rats (UW120).
Businesses
Commercial Rodent Control in Titusville
Titusville’s biggest employer is Parrish Medical Center, and many others are aerospace and manufacturing firms. Add restaurants downtown and along the river, and every type of building needs a different plan. See our commercial rodent control service for details.
Food
Restaurants and bars
- Back door sweeps and seals
- Dumpster pad checks
- Written logs for state inspections
Industrial
Plants and warehouses
- Locked, numbered bait stations outside
- Dock door and wall gap sealing
- Scheduled service visits
Shared buildings
Offices, apartments and storefronts
- Shared wall and ceiling checks
- Plans for whole buildings, not one unit
- Cleanup after activity stops
Source: Wikipedia, Titusville, Florida (economy).
Good to know
Licenses, Safe Cleanup and Gadgets to Skip
Three things that save Titusville homeowners money and trouble, from the state, the CDC and the University of Florida.
FDACS
Ask for the license
Florida pest control companies are licensed by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services under Chapter 482, Florida Statutes. Our team is EPA and FDACS certified.
CDC
Do not sweep droppings
Air the area out, wear gloves, spray droppings with disinfectant or 1 part bleach to 9 parts water, wait 5 minutes and wipe with paper towels. Or let us handle the rodent cleanup.
UF/IFAS
Skip the plug-ins
UF/IFAS found no evidence ultrasonic devices drive rats away, and they can hurt pets’ hearing. No repellent is registered for roof rats.
Sources: Florida Statutes Chapter 482; CDC, Clean Up After Rodents; UF/IFAS Extension, Roof Rats (UW120).
Primary Titusville response zone
Titusville service coverage
Is your ZIP on the route?
These are the ZIP codes we serve most in Titusville, but we cover the whole city and the surrounding Brevard County area. Call if you do not see yours.
3278032781327823278332796
Areas we serve
Check my address →
Downtown Titusville · LaGrange · Indian River City · South Titusville · areas near Kennedy Space Center · the SR 50 and SR 405 corridors
Titusville rodent FAQ
Titusville Rat and Mouse Questions, Answered
Want to talk about your house? Our team answers 24/7.
Call (561) 562-7607 →The refuge itself is across the water, so it is not where your rats come from. But riverfront yards with docks, sheds and seawalls give rodents water and cover. Homes on the river side of town should be checked low and high.
They can, mostly near Space View Park, the downtown district and homes close to the river. Food waste left after a big crowd feeds rats for days. Pick up trash the same night and keep cart lids closed.
Report the property to the City of Titusville through its Report a Concern form or the main line, 321-567-3775. Meanwhile, sealing your own home is the part you control. Once every gap is closed, rats next door cannot get inside.
Shut off the line, fix the leak and call us. A chewed line means rats are already inside. We find how they got in, seal it and set traps where they travel so it does not happen again.
Roof rats are active all year. Activity often rises in the wet months from June to September, when rain floods burrows, and again on the first cool nights of fall when rodents move indoors.
HomeAdvisor reports most homeowners pay $200 to $600 for rodent exclusion as an add-on. That is a general market average, not a Titusville figure and not our quote. We give you a written price after the inspection, before any work starts.
Yes. We cover North Brevard and nearby areas including Port St. John, Merritt Island, Cocoa and Rockledge.
Titusville dispatch is ready
Rats in Your Titusville Home or Business?
Call now. We will inspect the property, show you where rodents are getting in, and seal it so they stay out.
Request Titusville service
Give us a call. We’ll handle the next step.
Call us, tell us what you are seeing and where you are located, and our team will confirm the right appointment type and timing.
Serving TitusvilleTitusville, Florida(561) 562-7607Open 24 hours · 7 days a week
