Rat and mouse article

How to Get Rid of Rats in Fort Lauderdale

Updated November 4, 2026

Identify the rat, take away food, trap along the runways, seal the gaps with metal and trim trees off the roof. In Broward, skipping the sealing step is why rats come back.

Getting rid of rats in Fort Lauderdale comes down to four things done together: take away food, trap the rats already inside, close the gaps they use, and cut the trees and fronds that lead them to your roof. Traps alone catch rats. Sealing and trimming are what stop new ones from replacing them.

Most Broward rat problems are roof rats in the attic, so that's where this guide puts its weight. If yours are burrowing in the yard or along the seawall, the same ideas apply at ground level.

Figure out which rat you have

Roof rats are slim with tails longer than their bodies, nest up high and leave spindle-shaped droppings up to half an inch long. Norway rats are heavier, dig burrows and leave capsule-shaped droppings about three-quarters of an inch long. UF/IFAS says Norway rats in Florida are most common along sea coasts and canals, which describes a lot of Fort Lauderdale. Noise overhead means roof rats. Holes along the slab or seawall mean Norway rats. The species guide has photos and details.

Cut off the food

UF/IFAS says sanitation has to be constant to work, and that once-a-year cleanups don't do much for rodent control. Rats here eat fruit on the tree, seed under feeders, pet food on the patio and anything in a garbage cart with the lid propped open. Do these every week, not once:

• Pick fruit as it ripens and rake up drops every day or two
• Bring pet food and water bowls in at night
• Store bird seed, pet food and grass seed in metal cans
• Bag garbage, close the cart lid and pull the cart back after pickup
• Clean the grill and don't leave fish scraps or bait on the dock

Trap the right way

Snap traps are the standard tool. UF/IFAS recommends peanuts or peanut butter as bait for rats and mice, replaced often because it goes rancid, and setting traps at right angles to rat runways. It also says rats are cautious and may take a week to approach a trap, and that you don't need gloves, since rats are used to human smells. In the attic, put traps along the paths flattened into the insulation and along beams with rub marks.

Outdoors, UF/IFAS advises setting rat traps only from dusk to dawn so you don't catch birds and other animals, and placing a board over the trap. Leave traps in the same spot for at least a week before moving them. Best rat traps covers the options.

Skip the loose poison

Poison inside a house usually means a rat dies inside a wall and the smell lasts for days. Outdoors, UF/IFAS says poison bait must be in a tamper-resistant station and that it's illegal to place it where children, pets, livestock or wildlife can reach. Consumer products must come with a bait station under EPA rules. If bait is part of the plan, let a licensed provider handle it.

Seal the roofline

UF/IFAS says rats can squeeze through cracks half an inch wide. On a Broward house, those cracks are open barrel tile ends at the eave, torn soffit screen, gable vents, AC line holes and gaps where additions meet the original roof. Close them with sheet metal, hardware cloth or mortar, not foam. If you're not comfortable on a ladder or a tile roof, that's the part to hire out. Rodent exclusion explains the job.

Trim the trees

UF/IFAS advises isolating fruit trees from fences, wires and other trees. At minimum, get every limb and frond off the roof and the pool cage. Roof rats travel along branches, fences and power lines, and a fresh seal next to a palm frond gets chewed. Palms, fruit trees and roof rats goes tree by tree.

Clean up safely

Once the traps stay empty, clean the droppings using the CDC method: air the space out for 30 minutes, wear gloves, spray droppings with disinfectant or a fresh 1 to 9 bleach solution, let it soak 5 minutes, wipe and bag. Don't sweep or vacuum dry droppings. Heavy attic contamination is a job for an attic cleanup crew.

When to call a provider

Call if you've trapped for two weeks and still hear them, if you can't find how they're getting in, if the roof is tile or two stories, if there's a smell of something dead, or if rats are burrowing along a seawall. A provider can inspect, seal and trap in one plan. Rodent control cost in Fort Lauderdale lists published price ranges.

Related services: Roof Rat Control, Rat Control, Rodent Exclusion & Sealing