Learning Center
Glossary
Straight definitions for the terms we use on inspections and in our guides.
- Attic insulation
- Material that slows heat transfer in the attic. Rodent urine, nesting, and tunneling destroy R-value and often force full removal rather than spot patching.
- Attic restoration
- The post-exclusion rebuild: remove contaminated material, treat surfaces, and install new insulation to restore performance and indoor air quality.
- Biohazard contamination
- Attic or crawlspace material soiled by urine, feces, or carcasses that can aerosolize pathogens when disturbed, handled with PPE and proper disposal.
- Crawlspace
- The shallow under-house void rodents use for nesting and travel. Often needs the same inspect → exclude → decontaminate sequence as an attic.
- Decontamination
- Removal and proper disposal of contaminated insulation, nesting material, and waste, followed by antimicrobial treatment of the attic or crawlspace.
- Droppings
- Fecal pellets left along runways, insulation, and nesting sites. Size and shape help distinguish rats from mice; do not sweep dry droppings without protection.
- Entry point
- Any gap, vent, soffit, pipe chase, or roof defect large enough for a pest to pass. Roof rats can exploit openings roughly the size of a quarter.
- Exclusion
- Permanently sealing every entry point so rodents or wildlife cannot re-enter after they are removed. Exclusion is the core of poison free control.
- Fascia
- The board along the roof edge. Chewed or rotten fascia creates gaps into the attic eave line.
- Free inspection
- An on-site diagnostic visit that maps entry points, activity, and contamination so the homeowner receives an itemized written scope, not a phone guess.
- Guano
- Accumulated bat droppings. In attics it can harbor fungal spores; cleanup requires controlled removal, not casual vacuuming.
- Hantavirus
- A rare but serious illness associated with rodent droppings and urine in enclosed spaces. Avoid dry sweeping contaminated areas; use PPE and damp cleanup methods.
- Histoplasmosis
- A lung infection linked to inhaling fungal spores associated with bird or bat droppings in enclosed spaces. Professional decontamination reduces exposure risk.
- House mouse
- A small rodent that nests in wall voids and kitchens; droppings are rice-grain sized. Mice need less gap width than rats to enter.
- Norway rat
- A burrowing rat (Rattus norvegicus) that often nests at ground level, in crawlspaces, or under slabs, thicker body, blunt snout vs roof rats.
- NPMA
- National Pest Management Association, industry association for pest management professionals and training standards.
- NWCOA
- National Wildlife Control Operators Association, a professional body for wildlife control operators emphasizing humane, standards-based practice.
- One way door
- A device installed over an active entry that lets animals exit but blocks them from getting back in, used when live animals are still inside a structure.
- Repellent gel
- A poison free gel applied along travel paths and around treated openings to discourage rodents from returning to routes they used before. It works alongside one way doors and exclusion, not in place of sealing.
- Roof rat
- An agile climbing rat (Rattus rattus) common in warmer markets; nests in attics, trees, and eaves and travels along power lines and fascia.
- Runway
- A repeated travel path rodents leave as greasy rub marks, trails in insulation dust, or worn lines along joists and pipes.
- Secondary poisoning
- When a predator or pet eats a rodent that consumed rodenticide. A key reason Green Rodent uses poison free methods.
- Soffit
- The underside of the roof overhang. Damaged soffit vents and returns are classic roof-rat and squirrel entry points.
- Structural sealing
- Hardware cloth, metal flashing, vent screens, and masonry repairs that close entry points as part of exclusion, not foam alone.
Free Inspection · Same Day Response
Don't Share Your Home With Rodents
Get a free inspection today. We'll find every entry point, remove what's inside, and seal every entry point, with no poison and a 2 year written warranty.
NWCOA Certified No Poisons 2 Year Written Warranty