First of all, if you have a rat infestation, don’t panic! There are things that can be done. Yes, it’s a horrible feeling and the mere thought of it can be terribly unsettling, but if you’re that worried about it, then get on the phone and call a rat control professional immediately. You’ll be able to have somebody out with you in no time.
If you don’t feel as thought it’s too urgent, there are other things that you can try. First of all, let’s take a look at why you might have a rat infestation in the first place. What is it that rats need to survive? The same as us: food, water and shelter – throw a little mess into the mix and you’ve got the perfect environment for rats to thrive.
- Rats can be terribly damaging to your property over time, chewing through wires and nibbling through walls!
- In addition to that, rats can also spread diseases, some of which are fatal.
- They can also contaminate any food storage areas; yet another effective method of spreading illness.
- In addition to that, rats can significantly increase the risk of house fires due to nesting materials and chewed wires.
What can you do to keep the pests at bay?
One of the most effective ways of getting rid of rats is to prevent them from getting into your home in the first place. So, let’s take a look at a list of things that you can try:
1 – Pest proof your home by filling holes and gaps in the walls
Rats can slip through the tiniest holes, so be sure to seal anything that you come across. You can use a number of materials, but make sure that they’re filled safely and securely. Also, add weather strips to windows which have any cracks in them. Be thorough and go through your entire property until you are certain that everything has been filled in.
2 – Don’t give them an excuse to feed
Rats are renowned for their ability to find food, so don’t make it easy for them by leaving it out on the kitchen side of leaving bins exposed. Use rodent proof containers, don’t store any pet food outside, compost waste food and so on. These methods are useful for keeping rats at bay.
3 – Remove any potential nesting areas
The main thing is to de-clutter your home and to keep it as tidy as possible. If you have wood piles or lumber in your garden, then keep them elevated and relatively close to the house. Also, by mindful of dense vegetation, unless entirely necessary you should get rid of it as rats love hiding away in areas like that.
4 – Trim trees back to prevent rats from making their way into your home via open windows
5 – Consider setting rodent traps
If you’re convinced that you have a rat inside your home (or several), then you could set a few rodent traps. Again, we would recommend skipping this step and going straight to the ‘call the professionals’, but that’s up to you.
6 – Call the rat control professionals
There’s no good combating a bunch of rats only to find that your methods are failing. You can bait traps and try all sorts and you still might come up short. It can also be difficult to determine just how many rodents are infesting your home.
Our advice would always be to call the professionals. That way a seasoned expert will be able to make their way to your property and to assess the situation thoroughly. The rat control professionals are well-versed in getting rid of rodents, so you would be mad not to use them.
Think about the time and money that you can save
Many people turn their nose up at hiring a pest control professional because they feel as though it is something that they can take care of themselves. The fact is, many of these home remedies and YouTube how-to videos are likely to fail. You can end up investing a lot of time, effort and money into home remedies and over-the-counter bait boxes; when instead a rat control professional will know exactly what to do.