'Tis the season:  the rodent swarming season that is.  That's how one local pest control company is describing what we can expect for the next few months and possibly longer.

Weather-related circumstances have caused rats to be a problem in various parts of the state including Central Texas.

"I don't like to see them in the house. It's kind of unnerving," said homeowner Tom Davis.

He's talking about rats. As we interviewed outside, a pest control technician inside the home confirmed Davis' fears.

"These here are rodent droppings," said pest control technician Bill Martinez.

"You know I was raised here in this house pretty much and we never used to have the problem that we've had the past two years now," Davis said.

And the experts say Davis is right. But it's not just his problem. All of Central Texas is about to be hit with what they term, “a rodent tsunami.”

"We were just so unprepared for the volume and the numbers of rodents that were out there it was just overwhelming," said ABC Services entomologist Janis Reed.

Rats common to Central Texas can reach lengths of 18 inches from head to tail and can weigh up to one pound, similar to the rats seen in this video from is from bell labs. Rats are nocturnal and can carry rat mites and food poisoning via droppings. Entomologist Janis Reed says calls to ABC Services for rodent extermination have increased more than 30 percent since last year when Central Texas experienced a rainy summer.

"We had an excess of vegetation caused by large amounts of rain. So they had more shelter, and they just thrived, because the predators weren't able to find them," said Jacob Hetzel, a wildlife biologist with Texas Wildlife Services.

This year's drought has compounded the problem because it's sent the rats looking for water.

"And guess where they find it? Our swimming pools, our plumbing and our toilets," said Reed.

This lead pipe was connected to a toilet in one Central Texas home.

"What the rodents did is they crawled on top of the pipe and actually chewed through the lead," said Reed.

She added, "You can see the rodent teeth marks around the edges of this pipe where they've chewed through the pipe in order to get into the pipe and into the structure."

"The take home message here is -- if they want in something-- they are going to get in," Reed said.

Since most rats in Central Texas are roof rats, they climb and enter through the roof or gutters and into the attic. But they can also take advantage of the tiniest holes.

"So if you've got an opening in your home the size of a quarter an adult rat can easily fit through that opening," Reed said.

So what can you do to determine whether you have a rat problem or want to guard against one? Reed says use your eyes, ears and some common sense.

"Listening for sounds, listening for noises that weren't there before, scratching clawing, maybe running across the attic," Reed said.

You can also look for gnaw marks and rub or oil marks.

"It's the grease off the body of the rodent," Martinez said.

The rub or oil marks left by the rats indicate which direction they been traveling. Another precaution...

"Eliminate things outside that may be conducive to rodent infestation," Reed suggested.

Things like dog or cat food -- even well stocked bird feeders can attract rodents.

Tom Davis is just hoping it's not too late to be pro-active.

"We thought we had had it pretty much taken care of but it seems to be pretty prevalent right now," Davis said.

"And this year is shaping up to be even larger growth than last year," Reed said.