Pest Control Services
Rat Pest Control Services
Friendly, effective rat pest control for Visalia homes and businesses.
Roof rats and Norway rats damage homes, contaminate food, and reproduce year-round in the Central Valley.
About rats in the Central Valley
Roof rats are the dominant rat species in Visalia, Fresno, Madera, and Clovis — climbers that travel along power lines, fences, and tree limbs and enter attics through gaps the size of a quarter. Norway rats are larger ground-dwellers that burrow under slabs, sheds, and woodpiles. Both species reproduce year-round and cause serious damage if left alone.
Why it's a problem
Rats chew electrical wiring (a documented cause of house fires), contaminate stored food and insulation, and carry pathogens. The longer they're left alone, the more expensive the damage and the larger the population.
What homeowners can try first
Real tactics that can help with light pressure — and the honest limits of each.
- Eliminate food sources — sealed containers, pet food inside at night, fallen fruit cleared.Limit: Reduces pressure but doesn't address an existing population.
- Trim tree branches and bushes back from the house roofline.Limit: Cuts off the highway for roof rats but won't address rats already inside.
- Set snap traps along walls and known runways.Limit: Works for very small populations; most homeowners catch a few and assume the problem is solved.
- Seal obvious gaps with steel wool and hardware cloth (not foam — rats chew through it).Limit: Effective for visible gaps; most rat entries are in less obvious places that require a trained eye.
When to call Invictus
DIY is a first step. These are the moments to pick up the phone.
- Sounds in walls or attic at night
- Droppings in multiple rooms or areas
- Active chewing on wiring, irrigation, or stored items
- Recurring rat activity despite DIY trapping
The professional process for rats
Every pest has a different biology — and a different process. Here's how we handle rats specifically.
- 01
Full interior, attic, and exterior inspection
We map activity, identify the species, find entry points, and grade the level of infestation.
- 02
Strategic trapping & bait stations
Snap traps and tamper-resistant bait stations placed away from kids and pets, in the actual runways rats use.
- 03
Exclusion work
Sealing entry points with hardware cloth, sheet metal, and concrete — the most important step. Without exclusion, new rats move into the same vacancy.
- 04
Ongoing monitoring
Follow-up visits until activity is fully cleared, then exterior monitoring on regular service plans.
Treatment methods — and what Invictus actually offers
Pest control companies use a wide range of methods, and not every company offers every one. Here's exactly what's standard in the industry, and where Invictus fits in.
- Invictus offers this
Snap-trap and bait-station program
Strategically placed traps inside, tamper-resistant exterior bait stations away from kids and pets.
- Invictus offers this
Exclusion (rodent-proofing)
Sealing entry points with hardware cloth, sheet metal, and concrete. The single most important long-term step.
- Invictus offers this
Sanitation & habitat recommendations
Tree-trimming, food-source removal, irrigation repair.
- We refer to a specialist
Attic insulation removal & decontamination
Removing rodent-contaminated insulation and disinfecting attic spaces.
We refer attic decontamination and insulation replacement to a partner that specializes in that scope.
- Not a service we perform
Wildlife trapping (raccoons, skunks, opossums)
Larger-mammal trapping.
Invictus does not perform wildlife trapping. We refer to a licensed wildlife specialist.
Why Central Valley families and businesses choose Invictus
SPCB-licensed & insured
California Structural Pest Control Board licensed. Trained, professional technicians on every visit.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
Targeted treatments where they matter, exclusion and monitoring everywhere else — not blanket spraying.
A real person answers the phone
No call centers, no chatbots. You talk to the same local team every time.
Honest, flat-rate pricing
Transparent residential pricing and right-sized commercial programs. No surprise add-ons.
Pet- and family-conscious
Low-impact products, placed where they're needed — not where your kids and pets live.
Locally owned in the Central Valley
Based in Visalia, serving Fresno, Madera, and Clovis. We live where we work.
Free re-treats between visits
If pests come back between scheduled visits, so do we — at no extra charge.
No long-term contracts
Month-to-month service. You stay because it works, not because of fine print.
Other pests we treat
One call covers your whole property. Click any pest below for the full service page.
Argentine ants, odorous house ants, and pavement ants are a year-round nuisance across the Central Valley.
Ants pest control →Black widows are one of the most common venomous spider concerns in Central Valley garages, block walls, and woodpiles.
Spiders pest control →German and American cockroaches spread fast in Central Valley kitchens, restaurants, and apartments.
Cockroaches pest control →Bed bugs hitchhike on luggage and used furniture, then hide in mattress seams, headboards, and baseboards.
Bed Bugs pest control →Fleas come in on pets and wildlife and quickly infest carpets, pet bedding, and yard areas.
Fleas pest control →Ticks pick up rides on pets, wildlife, and people, and can transmit Lyme and other tick-borne diseases.
Ticks pest control →House mice slip through gaps the size of a dime and quickly establish in pantries, garages, and walls.
Mice pest control →Pocket gophers destroy lawns, irrigation, and landscaping across the Central Valley.
Gophers pest control →Paper wasps, yellow jackets, and mud daubers build nests in eaves, attics, and block walls each summer.
Wasps & Hornets pest control →Honey bee colonies in walls and attics are different from wasps — we diagnose, advise, and connect you to the right resource.
Bees pest control →Take care of your rats problem — for good.
Call 559-712-1615 or request a free quote. Locally owned and serving Visalia, Fresno, Madera, and Clovis.