Table of Contents
Job Overview
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Structure: Two-story, detached house
Problem: Rat activity reported inside the house and on the exterior property
Service: Rat removal and exclusion
Visits: 3
Summary
A homeowner in Toronto contacted The Exterminators after observing rat activity both inside the house and around the property. During the first visit, our technician confirmed the activity, inspected the structure for possible access points, and established an interior and exterior rodent-control program.
The inspection identified an entry point that rats were using to access the area beneath the deck. After the homeowner approved the exclusion work, our team installed a rat one-way door and completed 28 feet of deck trenching with galvanized steel mesh. By the third visit, the homeowner was no longer hearing or seeing rat activity, allowing the one-way door to be removed and the remaining opening to be sealed.
Background / Property Context
The property was a two-story detached house with an exterior wooden deck. The enclosed space beneath the deck created a concealed area along the building perimeter that required inspection as part of the rat-control work.
The photographs document the deck perimeter and the exclusion work completed around its lower sections. Galvanized steel mesh was secured along accessible areas and extended around structural components to reinforce the perimeter.
Customer Concern
The homeowner reported rats on the exterior property as well as activity inside the house. Our team was asked to determine how the rats were accessing the structure and establish a control program.
Because both interior and exterior activity had been reported, the service included treatment as well as an inspection for structural entry points.
Inspection & Findings
Richard confirmed rat activity and inspected the property for access routes. The inspection identified an entry point associated with the area beneath the deck.
The deck’s lower perimeter contained accessible spaces that required physical exclusion. Based on these findings, the homeowner was provided with a quote to reinforce the affected section and approved the additional work.
Cause Analysis
Decks and other low exterior structures can create sheltered spaces that rats may use while travelling around a property. Where openings exist along the perimeter, these areas can also provide access beneath the structure and toward gaps in the building envelope.
In this case, the confirmed access point beneath the deck and the accessible deck perimeter were addressed as part of the exclusion work.
Treatment / Removal
During the first visit, large weighted tamper-resistant bait stations containing commercial-grade rodenticide were placed on the exterior. Large commercial-grade baited snap traps were positioned inside the house in areas associated with the reported activity.
The rodenticide portion of the service was performed by a licensed exterminator in accordance with Ontario Ministry of the Environment guidelines.
During the second visit, a rat one-way door was installed at the identified access point beneath the deck. This allowed the exclusion process to proceed while the remaining accessible sections were reinforced. An exterior inspection spray was also completed as documented in the service notes.
Exclusion & Repairs
Our team completed approximately 28 feet of deck trenching using galvanized steel mesh. The mesh was secured around the lower deck perimeter to create a physical barrier against rats accessing the protected space.
The photographs show the mesh fitted around posts, framing, concrete edges, and other transitions beneath the deck. Large washers and mechanical fasteners were used to secure the material to the surrounding surfaces.
The identified rat access point remained fitted with the one-way door until the follow-up confirmed that activity had stopped.
Outcome & Confirmation
At the third visit, the homeowner reported that they were no longer hearing or seeing rat activity.
The exclusion was inspected and the one-way door was removed. The remaining entry point was then permanently sealed, completing the deck exclusion. No further rat activity was reported at the conclusion of the service.
Technician Notes
Richard’s inspection connected the reported rat activity with an accessible area beneath the deck. Treatment was combined with structural exclusion so that the active problem and the identified access route could be addressed as part of the same service program.
The final visit confirmed that the exclusion remained functional before the temporary one-way door was removed and the opening was permanently secured.