Wildlife in Your St. Augustine Attic: Rats, Squirrels & What to Do

That Scratching Sound Isn't Your Imagination

You're lying in bed in your St. Augustine home and you hear it — scratching, scurrying, maybe even thumping overhead. Something is living in your attic, and it's not paying rent.

You're not alone. According to the National Pest Management Association, rodents alone invade an estimated 21 million homes across the United States each year. In Florida, the problem is worse because our subtropical climate means these animals are active year-round — they don't wait for cold weather to seek shelter.

Here's what might be living above your ceiling, how to identify the culprit, and what to do about it.

Florida's Most Common Attic Invaders

Roof Rats — The #1 Suspect

If something is in your Northeast Florida attic, the most likely culprit is the roof rat (Rattus rattus). According to UF/IFAS, roof rats are "the worst rodent pest in the state of Florida and most abundant."

Also called citrus rats, fruit rats, or black rats, roof rats are arboreal — meaning they're climbers. UF/IFAS describes them as "similar to squirrels in their ability to move through trees and along vines and wires." They use utility lines, tree branches, and palm trees as highways to your rooftop, where they enter through soffit vents, gaps in rooflines, and damaged screening.

That means a single pair of roof rats can produce dozens of offspring in one year — all living in your attic.

Norway Rats

According to UF/IFAS, Norway rats are "most common along the sea coasts and canals" in Florida — which includes much of St. Augustine and St. Augustine Beach. They're heavier than roof rats (3/4 to 1 pound), reddish-brown with blunt muzzles, and are burrowers rather than climbers. They "often dig in rubbish and under buildings or concrete slabs," sometimes damaging building foundations.

Squirrels

Eastern gray squirrels are also common attic invaders in Northeast Florida. Unlike rats, squirrels are active during the day. If you hear scurrying and scratching in the morning and evening hours rather than at night, squirrels are a likely cause. According to UF/IFAS, daytime activity is a key identifier for squirrel infestations.

Raccoons

UF/IFAS reports that "raccoons frequently get into garbage cans, home gardens, attics, and crawl spaces beneath homes. Raccoons also den in uncapped chimneys." If you're hearing heavy thumping — not light scratching — raccoons may be the culprit. They're also a major rabies carrier in Florida.

Bats

According to UF/IFAS Extension, bats can roost in walls, attics, and chimneys, and their accumulated droppings cause significant mess and odor. Bats can squeeze into cracks as small as 3/8 of an inch.

How to Identify What's in Your Attic

You don't necessarily need to see the animal to identify it. UF/IFAS provides clear identification markers:

Check the Droppings

• Roof rat droppings: Up to 1/2 inch long, spindle-shaped
• Norway rat droppings: 3/4 inch long, capsule-shaped
• Fresh droppings are black, shiny, and putty-like; old droppings are gray, dusty, and crumble when touched

Listen to the Timing

• Nighttime scratching and scurrying: Rats or raccoons (both nocturnal)
• Daytime activity: Squirrels
• Fluttering at dusk or dawn: Bats

Look for Physical Evidence

• Rub marks: Dark, greasy smudges along walls, beams, and rafters where rodents travel the same paths repeatedly
• Gnaw marks: Teeth marks on wood, wiring, food packaging, and beam edges
• Hollowed-out fruit: UF/IFAS notes this is "the most common evidence of roof rats" — if citrus or other fruit on your trees is being eaten from the inside out, roof rats are almost certainly present
• Nesting material: Shredded insulation, paper, fabric, or plant material gathered into a nest

Why Attic Wildlife Is a Serious Problem

This isn't just a nuisance issue. Wildlife in your attic poses real health and safety risks.

Fire Risk

UF/IFAS confirms that roof rats "can be quite destructive in attics, gnawing on electrical wires and rafters." They "chew through wires that can potentially start fires, gnaw through plastic and lead water pipes, make holes in walls and cause other structural damage."

According to the National Pest Management Association, rodents are estimated to cause 20 to 25 percent of house fires of unknown cause in the United States each year.

Disease Transmission

The CDC lists multiple diseases directly transmitted by rodents, including:

• Leptospirosis — Caused by bacteria in rodent urine; the CDC reports approximately 100-150 cases annually in the U.S. Severe cases can lead to kidney damage, meningitis, liver failure, and death
• Rat-bite fever — Transmitted through bites, scratches, or contaminated food
• Salmonellosis — Spread through contaminated droppings
• Hantavirus — Transmitted by breathing in dust contaminated with rodent droppings or urine

The CDC emphasizes that "rodent droppings, urine, and saliva can spread disease by breathing in air or eating food that is contaminated with rodent waste."

Rodents also carry parasites. Flea-borne (murine) typhus is spread by infected fleas that feed on rats and "occurs worldwide, primarily in tropical and subtropical climates where rats and rat fleas are present" — making Florida a higher-risk state.

UF/IFAS specifically notes that roof rats in Florida "can spread rat lung worm, leptospirosis, salmonella and murine typhus."

Structural Damage and Insulation Loss

Beyond wiring, rodents damage insulation by nesting in it and contaminating it with droppings and urine. Contaminated insulation loses thermal performance, which increases your energy bills. And here's the kicker: most standard homeowners insurance policies exclude rodent infestation damage — though if rodents cause a fire, the fire damage itself is generally covered.

Why St. Augustine Homes Are Especially Vulnerable

Several factors make Northeast Florida homes prime targets for attic wildlife:

Year-Round Breeding

In northern states, cold weather slows rodent reproduction. In Florida, roof rats breed year-round, with peak breeding in spring and fall. A single female can produce 4-5 litters annually.

Dense Tree Canopy

St. Augustine's beautiful live oaks, palm trees, and lush landscaping are a double-edged sword. UF/IFAS explains that roof rats use "utility lines and tree branches to reach food and water and to enter buildings." Florida's dense vegetation provides ideal pathways from trees directly to your rooftop.

In neighborhoods like Davis Shores, Vilano Beach, and the historic district, mature tree canopy often touches or overhangs rooflines — creating a direct highway for roof rats.

Soffit Vents and Attic Ventilation

Florida homes require extensive attic ventilation to manage heat and humidity. The Florida Building Code requires attic openings to be "protected to prevent the entry of birds, squirrels, rodents, snakes and other similar creatures" with screening, but damaged or deteriorating vent screens are one of the most common entry points we see in St. Augustine homes.

What to Do If You Have Wildlife in Your Attic

Step 1: Don't Handle It Yourself

Raccoons can carry rabies. Rodent droppings can transmit disease when disturbed. Bats are protected under Florida wildlife law. This is a job for professionals.

Step 2: Identify the Animal

Use the clues above — droppings, timing of sounds, and physical evidence — to narrow down what you're dealing with. This information helps your pest control technician plan the right approach.

Step 3: Call for a Professional Inspection

Step 4: Exclusion Is Key

According to UF/IFAS, effective rodent control "may require minor structural changes to prevent entry through small openings." The NPMA recommends:

• Seal cracks and voids using "sealants such as mortar and caulk, as well as metal and coarse steel wool"
• Install door sweeps on any threshold with a gap larger than 1/4 inch
• Seal utility and electrical line entry points
• Remember: "Mice can squeeze through spaces as small as a dime and rats can fit through holes the size of a quarter"

Step 5: Address the Surrounding Property

UF/IFAS advises that "sanitation in the yard is important — eliminating excess brush, rubbish, and fallen fruit will make your property less interesting to rodents." Trim tree branches at least 4 feet from your roofline, pick up fallen citrus, and eliminate debris piles near your foundation.

Get Help for Your St. Augustine Attic

At Bug Mechanix, we provide rodent control and wildlife exclusion services throughout St. Augustine, Jacksonville, Nocatee, and all of Northeast Florida. We'll identify what's in your attic, remove the animals safely, seal entry points to prevent re-entry, and clean up contaminated insulation if needed.

Don't wait — rodents multiply fast in Florida's climate, and the damage compounds every day.

Call (718) 873-7908 or request a free quote to schedule an attic inspection.