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 attic or droppings in the garage in Champions Club, Trinity Oaks, Wyndtree or Foxwood? Florida Rodent Control Pros inspects, seals and removes rats and mice from Trinity homes and businesses, from established subdivisions off Mitchell Boulevard to properties bordering the Starkey Wilderness Preserve. We find how they get in, seal it, and remove the rodents already inside.
Rodent problem right now? Our team is taking calls in Trinity.
Call (561) 562-7607Trinity is a planned community in western Pasco County, built out mostly since the late 1980s around Trinity College of Florida. It sits right where Pasco, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties meet, part of the wider New Port Richey area. The subdivisions here, Champions Club, Trinity Oaks, Wyndtree, Chelsea Place and Foxwood among them, are now 25 to 35 years old, and the oaks and palms planted when they were built have grown tall enough to reach the roofline. That mature canopy is what keeps roof rats active here year-round.
Roof rats travel the tree canopy and power lines, then drop onto tile and shingle roofs and get in through soffit gaps, ridge vents and gaps where AC lines pass through the block. In older sections of Trinity Oaks and Champions Club, established landscaping against the house gives them a direct route up. Norway rats stay lower, working retention ponds, golf course edges near Fox Hollow Golf Club, and the conservation buffers behind homes in Foxwood, Longleaf and Nature’s Hideaway.
Trinity is also a mostly residential community, so we see fewer commercial calls here than in a downtown area, but the retail center at Mitchell Ranch Plaza and the medical offices nearby still deal with the same ground-level rodent pressure any Florida shopping center gets. Every property is different, so we inspect each one on its own.
Most Trinity 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 Trinity 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.
Small, dark, pointed droppings along garage walls, on shelving or near stored boxes.
Chewed corners on stored cardboard, gnawed wiring insulation, or fresh wood shavings near a soffit.
Dark rub marks along a beam or wall where rats travel the same route night after night.
A stale odor from a vent, closet or attic hatch, often the first sign in a sealed-up Florida block home.
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 Trinity’s established subdivisions, Norway rats show up around retention ponds and golf course edges, and house mice get into kitchens and pantries in any home. Knowing which one you have tells us where to look and how to stop it.
Every job in Trinity 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 foundation. What we check depends on whether the home backs to a conservation buffer, a golf course fairway, or another home.
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 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. Retention ponds and 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.
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 along a conservation buffer 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 the same oaks, ponds or preserve edge.
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 |
| 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 along a pond or preserve fence line | Hard to identify every burrow | Perimeter inspection and ground-level sealing |
Trinity is a mostly residential community of block and stucco homes built out from the late 1980s onward across subdivisions like Champions Club, Trinity Oaks, Thousand Oaks, Wyndtree and Foxwood. We check the roofline, attic, garage and yard, then seal the openings rats are using.
We check soffits, vents and roof edges, 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.
Trinity has less commercial space than a downtown, but the retail and medical offices around Mitchell Ranch Plaza still deal with deliveries, shared dumpsters and doors that open all day. We build a scheduled plan around your hours.
Regular visits to check traps and stations, planned around your business hours.
A record of each visit that you can show a manager or inspector.
Door sweeps and gaps at docks and walls closed with rodent-proof materials.
Simple changes to dumpster areas and dry storage that make your site less attractive to rats.
Trinity was built out mostly from the late 1980s through the 2000s, so the housing stock is more uniform than in an older city, but the surroundings still change what we check first.
Trinity is one ZIP code but several different subdivisions. Here is what we usually check first in each one.
Some of Trinity’s oldest sections, with 30-plus-year oak canopy over the roofline. We start at the soffits and ridge vents.
Established subdivisions with mature landscaping close to the house. Roof rats use the trees as a ladder to the attic.
Homes bordering conservation buffers and wooded lots. Norway rats and roof rats both move in from the tree line.
Homes along the fairways and retention ponds. Norway rats burrow near the water, and cart paths give them a clear route to the house.
Retail, medical offices and the schools near J.W. Mitchell High School. We set up scheduled commercial service with written logs here.
Newer construction closer to the college. Roofline and garage entry points are still the most common weak spots.
Trinity has a humid subtropical climate with daily summer thunderstorms 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 fill retention ponds and low yards, pushing Norway rats up out of burrows and toward garages and sheds.
Tip: Keep garage doors closed and clear stored items off the floor.
West Pasco County has taken storm impacts in recent hurricane seasons, and wind damage to soffits, screens and roof edges gives rodents a new way in.
Tip: After any storm, walk the roofline and check the screen enclosure.
On cooler nights from December to February, rats look for warm, dry attics. This is when many Trinity homeowners first hear them.
Tip: Check vents and soffits in the fall, before cooler weather.
Trinity’s oldest subdivisions are now decades old, so oak and palm canopy is dense enough in most yards to reach the roof year-round.
Tip: Trim branches back from the roofline once or twice a year.
Sealing the openings does most of the work. These habits help keep new rodents from moving in.
Trinity is not one kind of property. What we do at a 30-year-old home in Champions Club is different from what we do at a lot backing to a conservation buffer or a unit near Mitchell Ranch Plaza.
These 25 to 35-year-old subdivisions have oak and palm trees planted at construction that now reach the roof, giving roof rats an easy path from the canopy to the attic.
Our approach: We inspect the roofline and soffits, seal the openings we find with metal and hardware cloth, and recommend a trimming clearance from the roof edge.
Homes backing to a conservation buffer, wooded lot or retention pond see more ground-level activity as Norway rats burrow along the edge and move toward the house.
Our approach: We inspect the fence line, pond bank or fairway edge, then seal ground-level entry points at the foundation, lanai and pool cage.
Shared dumpsters, delivery doors and dry storage areas at the retail plaza draw the same ground-level rodent pressure any Florida shopping center deals with.
Our approach: We inspect the loading area and dumpster corral, seal door sweeps and wall gaps, and set up a scheduled visit log for property management.
These steps follow CDC cleanup guidance and help keep your family safe.
Call (561) 562-7607Trinity is a single ZIP code community, but we cover every subdivision in it and the surrounding West Pasco area. Call if you are just outside the line.
Champions Club · Trinity Oaks · Thousand Oaks · Wyndtree · Chelsea Place · Foxwood · Longleaf · Nature’s Hideaway · Fox Hollow Golf Club corridor
“Florida Rodent Control Pros found the entry point in our attic fast and sealed it the same visit. No more noises at night.”
John D.Trinity, FL
Verified“The team was professional and explained everything they found during the inspection. Follow-up visit confirmed the traps worked.”
Sarah M.Trinity, FL
Verified“I highly recommend Florida Rodent Control Pros. They knew exactly where to look given our home backs to the conservation area.”
Tom L.Trinity, 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 home has. We tell you what to expect after the first inspection.
Subdivisions like Champions Club, Trinity Oaks and Wyndtree were built out starting in the late 1980s, so the oaks and palms planted with the original landscaping have had 25 to 35 years to grow. That mature canopy now reaches many rooflines, giving roof rats an easy path to the attic.
Yes. Homes in Foxwood, Longleaf and Nature’s Hideaway that border a wooded buffer or conservation land tend to see more Norway rat activity at ground level. We check the fence line and foundation closely on these properties.
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.
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 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 New Port Richey, Elfers, Holiday and Tarpon Springs. 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.