Rodent Control in South Miami

South Miami is a small city, a little over two square miles, wedged between Coral Gables on the east, Pinecrest on the south and unincorporated neighborhoods on the west and north. It was first known as Larkins, after the man who ran the first general store, and incorporated in 1927. The University of Miami campus sits right on its eastern edge along Red Road.

Most of the city is single-family homes on tree-lined streets, plus a downtown on Sunset Dr. and a commercial strip along U.S. 1. Rodent calls follow that split.

Shade trees and roof rats

Heavy shade is part of what makes these streets nice, and it's also what roof rats use to travel. Big canopy trees, palms and fruit trees connect yards and rooflines. A rat can cross a block without touching the ground. That's why calls from here so often start with noises in the ceiling.

If you hear something overhead, look at the trees touching your roof first. Then see attic rodent removal and palm and fruit tree rats.

• Limbs resting on the roof or over the eaves
• Palms with skirts of dead fronds next to the house
• Fruit left on mango and avocado trees
• Soffit vents with missing or torn screens

Downtown and the U.S. 1 strip

Restaurants and shops on Sunset Dr. and along South Dixie Highway deal with rats at dumpsters and back doors. If you rent, tell the landlord first, then call. Shop and restaurant owners should read about commercial rodent control.

Coral Gables next door

If you're just across the line in Coral Gables, we take your calls too. The housing is similar, older homes with tile roofs and lots of trees, and the same roofline problems come up.

Places we mention in South Miami: Sunset Dr. · Red Road (SW 57th Ave.) · U.S. 1 (South Dixie Highway) · Shops at Sunset Place · University of Miami · Coral Gables

Other neighborhoods: Brickell, Wynwood and Edgewater, Upper Eastside and MiMo, Little Havana, Coconut Grove, Coral Gables, Key Biscayne, Miami Beach, Surfside and Bal Harbour, North Miami, Aventura, Hialeah, Miami Lakes, Doral, Westchester, Kendall, Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay, Cutler Bay.