Exterminators in the N.O. area - large rodents in the attic (3-month update: Rats gone!)

In case this helps anyone ...

Three-month update:

Was initially quote over $4,000 by one exterminator company to come out and plug all kinds of holes in our home's exterior brickwork and under our roof shingles (near roof edges), and also to lay traps in our attic. Had to nope out on that price, though at least the walkthrough and estimate were free.

I called one of their competitors and took advantage of a similar "free walkthrough and estimate" offer. I told the second guy that came out what happened with the $4,000 company. Second guy showed me about five or six major holes where rats could get in and advised me to stuff them with steel wool. They also offered me a bare-bones service (about $430) where someone would come out every few days over two weeks or so to lay traps in our attic, then come back and replace the traps as they caught rats. The second company would also lay our and maintain bait traps on the property for $79/month until we say "when". The understanding was that I would be fully responsible for sealing up exterior holes -- without that, the cheaper rodent-management options would probably be ineffective.

This is already a long post, so I'll make it quick: Me and my father-in-law pulled out a tall ladder and spent a Saturday afternoon plugging up about a dozen rodent-entry locations with steel wool. The attic traps caught three rats over two weeks - then the traps were pulled. The bait traps are out in the yard and are being maintained ... but I'm told that rodents don't die in the bait traps -- they eat the bait and perish elsewhere.

Upshot: No signs of rodents in the attic. Quiet as a, um, mouse at all times, and has been since the attic traps were pulled. So, success, I guess. And not for $4,000!

Sadly, were I a little younger/lighter/spryer, I could have laid the attic traps myself. They weren't anything fancy -- just regular ol' Victor rat traps you can get at Home Depot. Ah well -- if we ever have to do this again, I'll bribe my son to climb up there.