How to deal with rats in a home
Posted on: 10 May 2022
An infestation of rats in someone's home is one of the most unpleasant things that anyone will have to deal with. Aside from the practical realities of rat control, the emotional strain of knowing that rodents are living in or around someone's property can be extremely stressful for most people.
Damage that rats do
One or more rats can do a significant amount of damage to someone's home. They have an incredible ability to breed very fast, so if left unchecked, can multiply in number over a very quick period.
There are several diseases that rats are known to be the main carrier of, which can put individuals in a home at risk, especially infants, any elderly or anyone with a weakened immune system.
Rats also are well known for potentially causing structural damage to a home if not dealt with. They can chew through many materials including wood, drywall and insulation. Rats also chew through electrical cables, which whilst difficult to quantify in terms of risk, is thought to be a significant factor in several fires in houses and other buildings where it has not been possible to identify the cause of the fire.
How to spot rats
Apart from seeing them physically, which can be quite scary, there are some other signs that rats may be present in someone's home. Some of the most obvious are noises that sound like some type of squeaking, or an animal scurrying around.
Rats will often be a slight smell similar to that of ammonia where they have been nesting, which can sometimes be an indication of a nest. In addition, they can quite often be a trail of droppings that rats leave along the routes they used to run around the house. Other signs can include things such as bite marks on food left out or on any other substance or material that they have been able to gnaw through.
Rat control
The question of how to get rid of rats in someone's home falls into several important areas. A professional pest control firm may well be needed, but there are also several additional things that an individual can do.
First, find out where the rats are coming into the home from. Look for any small opening that they could come through. The most obvious areas of the house normally include the kitchen and downstairs living area.
Once an area has been found, then it needs to be blocked up either with cement, wire mesh or plastic — any material that they cannot gnaw through.
Precautionary measures which are pretty much common sense include keeping all food and anything edible stored properly, with nothing left out that might attract rats either by smell or substance.
Traps and poison are two of the most common methods used to kill rodents. Great care has to be taken with the use of both of these if used in or outside the home. Traps are the preferred method of most professional pest control experts, largely because poison is so dangerous to other animals, small children, etc.
It is also important to take as many precautions as possible outside the home. This can mean making sure that all rubbish is securely stored and cannot be got at by rats and that the land around the house is kept as neat as possible.
For more information about rat control, contact a local professional.
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