One of the most unsightly things for any homeowner is spotting a rat in their own home. If there is one, there are definitely more and the situation can quickly turn into a health hazard. In order to avoid a rat infestation, every homeowner should know why rats choose their property, to begin with. Finding out would help prevent further infestations. In the meantime, however, the Fantastic Services team has made this guide on how to get rid of rats.
Rats are capable of causing serious property damage. Their very presence creates an unsanitary environment, which if left untreated, can threaten the health of your family and pets. The rodents tend to chew on paper, rubber, cardboard and any food left out in the open. A particularly bad scenario is when they chew on electric cables. This could cause a power cut and even start a fire.
If rats nest in your garden, instead of your house, they will most probably hang around or inside your shed, if you store produce in there. Or they may burrow holes in the soil and disturb your plants.
The rat flea is a parasite that feeds on rodent blood. Often, rats tend to be plagued by this type of fleas. If you have a rat infestation at home, it’s very possible that the rats would also cause a secondary flea infestation in your home. The rat flea is known to transmit diseases such as the Bubonic plague. It’s a treatable disease today, but still, it’s a problematic health hazard.
Once you’ve found out that there is a rat infestation in your house, it’s time to do something about it. Here is a list of options you can try:
First, it’s important to find a place where the rats tend to hide. This is typically the place they nest and the place they feed. Look for holes in the walls bigger than 70 mm and chew marks.
Using manual snap traps is the most effective method of capturing and killing rats, but it requires some patience. It’s also the least expensive way to do so compared to the rest options in this post. There are small snap traps, designed to catch mice and large ones that are appropriate for catching rats. Make sure to get the larger ones. Install the traps close to the walls or concealed areas. Use a small amount of bait to prevent the pest from stealing it instead of being trapped.
Live traps are cages with a special mechanism that closes once a rat gets inside. They’re used for humane disposal of rodents. You would have to inspect them regularly and empty them every time they have caught a rodent. Then, the process starts all over again.
Using rodent pesticides is also a very effective method for killing rats. However, they’re quite dangerous. Use them only in the areas where children and pets can not access them. Always follow the safety instructions on the label and use gloves and a face mask when applying the rodenticide.
Whether you choose to use traps or rat poison, it’s important to know where to place the product for optimal efficiency. It’s not advisable to position the traps or apply the poison near food or water supply. Instead, place them close to the rats’ nesting place. Even if they aren’t at “home”, they will at some point come back.
Something that can help you identify where to place traps is to use non-toxic rodent bait, or “biomarker”. This type of rodenticide doesn’t have an active ingredient to kill rats. Instead, it allows you to identify the nesting and runaway places. To monitor rats’ movements you need to use the UV light – the faeces will glow after the “poison” is eaten. Once you have identified their favourite spots, you can install traps or place a regular rodent bait.
If you’ve decided to get rid of rats without killing them, you would have to release them in the wild one by one. Take them out and try to release them as far away as possible, so they don’t return. Bear in mind, however, that this is a good strategy only if you are certain you have only a few rats at home. For larger infestations, you’ll have to exterminate all of the rodents to make sure they don’t come back.
If everything fails and you still see signs of an infestation despite all your efforts, it’s time to call the professionals. Rat exterminators know what they’re doing and can guarantee you a pest-free home.
Learn how to get rid of furry neighbours in 4 simple steps with Fantastic Services.
Once the rats are gone from your home, you can finally take a deep breath and relax. For a day. After that, you should take precautions against a new infestation. Just because they’ve left you alone for now doesn’t mean they won’t ever come back. Here’s what you can do to prevent another infestation:
Fantastic Services got you covered! Rat extermination is not an easy task, especially if you haven’t had any experience with it before. We offer a professional solution that meets all the safety standards. The team of professionals is sent on a spot to detect the level of infestation, pinpoint the entry/exit spots and get rid of all the rodents inside your house. Book a guaranteed rat elimination service, today!
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Did you find our article on removing rats helpful? Do you have something to add? Please, share your knowledge and thoughts in the comments below!
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