The homeowner noticed two things: dark streaks along the garage baseboards, and a scratching sound in the walls that only started after dark. By the time they called us, the sounds had been going on for weeks.
The entry point nobody would have guessed
Our inspection traced the activity to a single opening: the gap where the AC line ran through the exterior wall. Less than an inch. More than enough. Roof rats are climbers and squeezers. If a gap fits their skull, the rest of the body follows. Utility penetrations, roofline vents and garage-door corners are the usual suspects, and most of them sit above eye level.
Why this keeps happening in Washington County
Roof rat calls have risen across the county, and this winter made it worse: a dry season pushes rats toward irrigated yards and warm structures earlier than usual. The streaks the homeowner saw were rub marks: grease and dirt from fur tracing a regular route along the baseboard. Rub marks plus nighttime sound is as close to a confirmed diagnosis as it gets before we open anything up.
The fix: seal, then remove
We sealed the AC-line gap and every other candidate opening we found, placed tamper-resistant bait stations around the structure's exterior, and trapped out the population already inside. Order matters: remove the rats without sealing the route and the next family moves in on the same scent trail.
Hearing scratching at night, or seeing streaks along baseboards? Those are early-stage signs, and early is the cheap time to fix this. We're scheduling free inspections across Washington County now.