Breaking News: Rats Coming through plumbing

Hearing scratching in wall a void, rats getting in the kitchen, noises above the bathroom? With years in this industry, this team has seen and problem solved all kinds of different wildlife situations.

Years ago the A-Team took on a job at a very nice historic home on Tampa’s Bayshore, first receiving a call from very nice clients that had been dealing with rats for a long time. This couple with a kid on the way was beside themselves after they hired and paid 5 rodent removal companies that failed to solve their rat issue. I’ll never forget meeting the clients as they took it upon themselves to show me all the work they had paid to be done and above and beyond on that, the prevention work they did themselves not understanding why this issue wasn’t getting better. They walked me around the inside and showed me the area they had been hearing scratching in continuously. These client where well educated and by the time the A-Team got involved, they had educated themselves about rats to the extent it sounded like they worked in this industry. It wasn’t hard to sense the clients where seeking a solution but very resistant to fully trusting us yet as the other companies that attempted this had similar initial tactics but stopped problem solving once they had exhausted all known rodent solutions.

Once they caught us up to speed we went ahead and did our own thorough inspection as we would for any other typical rat removal scenario. We found the evidence in various attic spaces that revealed fresh evidence of rats to confirm the information discussed was accurate. We walked around the perimeter, checked all roof areas and got into the crawl space seeking more evidence to problem solve this animal removal issue. Upon inspecting every square inch of this home we were able to find a few small entry points but none of which had the evidence of grease or rub marks to match the attic space.

With full honesty we wrote up a proposal and laid the facts out on the table for further discussion. The known facts at this point are as follows:

• We found the evidence in the attic to prove YES- Fresh Rat Activity
• Minor entry points with minimum grease marks or rub marks
• A few variables areas that need to be closed before further problem solving

We openly discussed the difficulties of coming behind other companies due to the entry points we found might be new, maybe they didn’t use proper trapping techniques etc. Unlike the mindsets of the prior companies, the only thing we knew is that if we take this job on, we wouldn’t stop until we have this rodent removal issue solved by any means necessary. With our confidence they decided to partner with the A-Team.

The A-Team got to work right away and closed all variable entry points, set traps throughout 3 attic spaces and continued to monitor for a few weeks. We caught multiple rats & every time we thought we were making significant headway, the clients would hear this same distinct scratching under the tub of the 2nd story bathroom. We Initially used a snake camera to inspect every square inch around the tub and found evidence of rats but no entry points leading to this specific area. We laid out tracking powder to watch for evidence which revealed paw prints around the tub & we continued to sporadically catch rats. We pulled things from our arsenal of tactics by setting game cameras up to watch for evidence, treated attic spaces to kill pheromones to help trick these pesky critters. Over the course of 2 months and 16 trips we removed 24 rats with the issue still progressing. We sat back down with clients and discussed everything we had done up to that point to further lay out the only remaining variable that we could consider. We collectively made a decision to call a plumber in to scope the pipe stacks and see if the rats could be entering through the plumbing somehow.

As we are not licensed plumbers we had no idea what to expect from the initial plumbing inspection. The plumbing pros we hired charged $450 to scope out these pipes with a $4000 dollar scope cam using 3 technicians. Right off the bat the plumbers stated that there is no way rats could be entering through a pipe and downplayed all evidence directing us to make this potential variable. No entry points on the outside, activity under a tub on the second story, and no grease or rub marks on the outside of the home to show activity coming from the outside. Plumbers completed their test in 1 hr and told the home owners that the plumbing looks great and your good to go. The A-Team and clients sat down again, feeling defeated in all aspects we simply told them we understand this is frustrating but we aren’t going to stop until this is solved.

Back at the A-Team Trappers Head Quarters, the entire team sat down, layed out pictures, assessed variables, and found that we all concurred on the fact that plumbing was the only variable that made sense. At this point in time no one knew the first thing about plumbing and it was a shot in the dark at best. We began to research all we could through the internet, YouTube, and physically going to plumbing companies asking loads of questions to see how we can test pipes for breaks, opening etc. We learned a ton and finally came across a plumbing test that we could potentially do on our own which would at minimum help eliminate this plumbing concern as an active variable.

A-Team’s Problem Solving at its BEST

Our Team custom made a device to pump smoke through the sewer system which is connected to the drain pipes of the home. The simplistic idea is that pipes should sealed so in the case you find smoke in a house after doing this test, you’ll know there must be a hole in a pipe. We tested this concept for the first time at this Older Bayshore home and BOOM, Smoke came billowing out from underneath the tub on the second story. Considering we had already had plumbers blatantly tell us that it’s impossible, we took this a step further and did the test multiple times until we found the hole in a cast iron pipe. We called Plumbers right away, got the pipe fixed and the problem was solved. Our Clients have since been rat free and furthermore referred us to all the neighbors in this south Tampa Neighborhood.

From this defining moment of A-Team Trappers history, this test has solved hundreds of rat cases and has become one of our biggest highlights and proof of never giving up. We are one of the only companies that currently hone the skill set for any and all rodent removal issues. We are the company you should call first to ensure you and your family remain safe and have full confidence that your issue will be solved.

The A-Team has continued to have a 100% success rate for solving any and all rodent and wildlife issues with team work and full

dedication. The motto instilled in this great team is the simple idea that there is always a solution, so if you find yourself stumped, or in a similar situation, call the A-Team to establish the game plan best for you.