A lot of Hill Country homes sit on wooded lots, have pier-and-beam foundations, or back up to cedar and brush. That combination is friendly to rodents. Norway rats burrow under slabs and sheds. Roof rats climb live oaks and find their way into the attic through a gap in the soffit. House mice squeeze through a hole the diameter of a dime. The first scratch or scurry you hear at night is usually not an isolated animal.
Quick answer
The rodents most common around the Highland Lakes are roof rats (climbers, found in attics and walls), Norway rats (ground-burrowers, found under structures), and house mice. Getting rid of them requires finding and sealing the entry points first, then trapping or bait inside and out. Exclusion without removal leaves dead animals in the walls.
Dealing with this right now?
Hearing something in the attic or finding signs of rodents in your Hill Country home? ACI Pest & Lawn handles rodent identification, exclusion, and elimination across the Highland Lakes area. Schedule a visit and we will find where they are getting in.
See how we handle it on our rodents page.
Which Rodent Do You Have?
Knowing which species you are dealing with changes where you look and what you do. Roof rats are sleek, dark-colored, and athletic climbers. If the noise is in the attic or inside a wall near the ceiling, roof rats are the most likely candidate. They nest up high, travel along power lines and fence tops, and enter through rooflines, soffits, and gaps where utility lines enter the structure.
Norway rats are larger and heavier, brown-gray with a blunt snout. They burrow. You find their entry points at or below ground level: gaps in the foundation, openings under a concrete stoop, or around pipes that go through the slab. They prefer to nest low, in wall voids near the floor, under appliances, or in crawlspaces.
House mice are much smaller (an adult fits through a quarter-inch gap), and active throughout the house. They leave a characteristic musky smell, small dark droppings the size of a rice grain, and gnaw marks on food packaging, cardboard, and wiring insulation.
Signs of an Active Infestation
You do not always see rodents directly, especially early on. Look for droppings in kitchen cabinets, along baseboards, in the attic, and inside drawers. Check behind appliances, under the dishwasher, and in the cabinet under the sink. Gnaw marks on food packaging, wood, or wiring are another sign. Nesting material (shredded insulation, fabric, or paper tucked into a void) turns up in attics and behind appliances.
Roof rat entry is often visible from outside if you know what to look for. A gap at the roofline where a soffit board has pulled away, an unscreened vent, or a spot where a utility line enters a wall without a proper escutcheon are common entry points. They often stain the entry point with oil from their fur over time.
Why Exclusion Has to Come First
Baiting and trapping without finding and closing the entry points is a temporary fix. You may reduce the current population, but new animals will replace them as long as the door is open. Worse, if interior bait is used before the entry points are sealed, rodents die in wall voids and attics, which creates a serious odor problem and a secondary pest issue with flies and beetles.
Walk the exterior of your home and look at the roofline, the foundation perimeter, utility penetrations, the gap between the garage door and the wall, and any damaged venting. Hardware cloth (quarter-inch mesh), sheet metal flashing, and caulk rated for exterior use are the materials for closing gaps. A door sweep that seals against the threshold is worth checking too.
Trapping vs. Bait
Snap traps placed along walls (rodents run the perimeter, not the open floor) are effective and do not leave a dead animal in an inaccessible spot. Place them perpendicular to the wall with the trigger end near the wall. Check and reset daily. For a heavy infestation or for exterior pressure, a professional rodenticide bait in a tamper-resistant station along the perimeter can reduce the population faster.
Secondary poisoning is a concern with rodenticides, particularly for raptors and pets that might encounter a poisoned rodent. This is another reason professional placement in secured, labeled stations matters, and why EPA-registered products with specific label requirements are used by licensed applicators under protocols general consumers do not have access to.
Keeping Them Out Long Term
Eliminate food sources outside: keep trash cans sealed, do not leave pet food out overnight, and pick up fallen fruit from any trees on the property. Stack firewood well away from the house and elevated off the ground. Keep brush and heavy vegetation from touching the foundation. If you have a bird feeder, know that dropped seed draws rodents, and position feeders away from the structure.
Properties in the Hill Country with mature trees and wooded perimeters will always have rodent pressure from the outside. Exclusion and a maintained perimeter make the difference between rodents that live in the yard and rodents that live in the house.