Rat infestations are serious issues in our society. It can damage our properties in our houses and businesses as well, resulting in huge losses. In this article, I will discuss the warning signs of rat infestations and some valuable tips on effective rat control.
Rats are found all over the world. They are the most common species of pests that thrive in any climate. Often seen in homes, farms, and gardens, rats are responsible for providing great damage to many objects in and around your home. Rats or rodents eat several things found in your home right from fruits, to meats and grains. They can create more damage than you can ever imagine once they multiply. These pests not only contaminate your food but destroy your property to a great extent. People, in every corner of the world, are much worried due to the rat infestations and bound to take help of the pest control professionals to get rid of them.
Rats are active at night and detect new objects quickly with the help of their strong sense of smell or taste. This is the reason why they escape from any baits or traps.
How Do Rats Enter Your Home?
Most of you are surprised to know about the entry points of rodents. Well, Rats, rodents, and mice enter your house in many ways. These pests can enter into small holes in your walls and cause great loss to your food and property. Some of the common entry points of rodents are:-
- Chimney: Rats can get into your chimney easily in search of food. They scale the interior area of the chimney to enter your home.
- Gutters: Rats may get access to your roof through gutters and damage your home’s structure. So, it is important to prevent their entry into your house gutters.
- Roof Holes: Rodents can also get access to your homes through small holes in your roof. They can easily climb to your attic and damage your property.
- Cracks in Walls: Sometimes, they also get entry into your home due to any cracks in your walls. So, you should check their entry points on your walls.
- Basement: The rodents can also use the basement of your home to enter your house. This is the best hiding place for them.
Few Signs of Rats Infestations in Your House
How will you know whether the rats have infested your home or not? Well, there are some signs of rat activity that you must look for if you want to detect rat infestations in your house. Some of these signs are as follows:-
- Rat Droppings and Urine: One of the first signs to detect a rat infestation in your home is to check for rat droppings and urine. Rat droppings are about an inch in size and look like black pellets. So, if you notice them in any corner of your house or along with your walls and furniture, it is confirmed that your house is infested with rats.
- Noise and Smell: Another sign to check the rat infestations in your home is a smell that is quite similar to ammonia. If you feel this smell, then rats have certainly infested your place. Apart from that, rats also make noises in your home at night like squeaking or scratching. If you hear such noises, then rats are already present in your home.
- Other Important Signs of Pest Infestation
- Rodents have a habit of leaving greasy marks while crawling. These marks are quite noticeable to anybody.
- If you notice any gnaw marks on furniture and wood, then it is confirmed that the rats have infested your home.
- If you notice rodents outside your home, there is a higher chance that they have also entered your house.
Ways to Check a Rat Infestations in Your Home
Up to now, you have surely understood how rats make an entry into your home. You have also gained knowledge about the signs that confirm a rat infestation in your home. Next, I will explain to you the proven steps that you should follow to check rats’ entry into your home.
Inspect Your House First
The first thing you need to do regarding the prevention of rats in your house is to inspect every single corner of your home. Well, it is extremely important to know about any rat infestations in your home. If you know about the degree of rodent infestation at your place, it will be easy for you to keep the rats away from your house. Check your drainage pipes, garages, and the outside area of your home to know the presence of rats in your house.
Remove Rat Shelters
While inspecting your house for rats, you may find numerous places where they may take shelter. The next thing you need to do is to remove all these shelters as soon as possible. Once you remove them, the possibility of a rat infestation in your home will be minimized. For most people, removing these shelters is a time-consuming task. However, if you do this, you will be successful to a certain extent in checking the entry of rats into your house. Thus, you must get rid of these shelters as soon as you notice them in and around your house.
Keep Your House Clean
All pests including rats love dirty places to hide. So, make sure to remove any waste items from your house. If possible, you can remove any debris around your home as that might attract rats to your house. Merely by cleaning your house, you will be able to fight against any future rat infestations effectively. So, make it a habit to clean your house daily. You can start cleaning any corner of your home whether it is your kitchen or your living room.
But, you need to make sure to go for a deep cleaning at least once a week. However, if you don’t want to clean your house by yourself, it is best to call upon the cleaning professionals to get your home cleaned. This way, you will make your home safe from the intrusion of the rats.
Fill Any Holes and Cracks Instantly
Rats or rodents can easily enter your home through a crack in your walls. So, is crucial to fill all the holes and cracks to avoid their entry into your house. To fill them, you can use several things such as caulk, plaster, steel wool, cement, hardware cloth, etc. Additionally, you must inspect your home from time to time to see if there is any new opening or crack in your walls.
Maintain Your Lawn Area
When was the last time you cleaned your garden area? Well, cleaning your lawn area is a must if you want to remove the rat infestation in your house. Make sure to maintain the cleanliness of the garden at regular intervals as that will help in preventing the entry of rats into your home. Also, make sure to mow your lawn’s grass regularly. Similarly, if you remove the debris collected in your garden, you won’t face any problem of rat infestation. So, make sure to clean the debris regularly to avoid the entry of rats into your house.
Remove the Food
Food is one of the reasons why rats enter your home. So, you should restrict their entry to the food. First, you should remove any leftover food lying here and there in your kitchen and other places. Also, you can use airtight jars to keep any food items in your kitchen out of reach of rats. Besides, make sure not to leave dishes in your kitchen sink and throw the garbage of your home into the dustbin daily. Keeping these things in mind will help you in eliminating the entry of rats into your houses.
Use Peppermint Oil
If you want to get rid of rat infestations in your house, it is best to use peppermint oil. It works just like a repellant and helps in eliminating rats away from your home. Using this oil is extremely simple as you only need to dip some cotton in this oil and keep it near the entry points. This will help in eliminating the rats present in your house and also prevent the entry of new ones. You can use this oil safely in your home to check the entry of rats.
Use Ammonia
Using ammonia is another proven method to help you keep the rats away from your house. Rats can’t bear its pungent smell which restricts their entry into your house. It is easy to use it. Just take a bowl and pour 1/4th of water in it, now mix 2 cups of ammonia and 2 teaspoons of detergent in it. Besides, you can also pour ammonia liquid into a bowl and place it near the affected area. The rats can’t withstand its smell and they don’t gather the courage to intrude on your home.
Pepper Flakes
Another effective remedy to get rid of rats is to spread chilly flakes or powder at the spots where rats come frequently. Also, sprinkle them in the corners of the rooms and near your dustbin. The rats would run away from your house if they get the spicy smell and taste of chilly powder. This is an inexpensive and effective remedy to restrict the entry of all types of rodents into your house. If you get positive results, you can sprinkle chilly powder again to manage the rat infestation at your place.
Stop Feeding the Birds
Some people love feeding birds. However, the food they provide them might attract rats. So, you must stop feeding the birds to keep the rodents away from your house. If you can’t then make sure not to put too much food for them as that will attract the rodents instantly.
Cover your Dustbins
Rats are always found near debris or garbage. So, you must cover your dustbins daily. If you don’t do this, the rodents will get access to your dustbins creating havoc in your home. So, always make it a practice to clean your dustbins regularly.
Use Traps to Catch Them
Another safe method to get rid of them is to use mouse traps to catch them. You can use traditional mouse traps or glue traps to catch them. Both of these traps are the best as they are effective in trapping them. However, if you are using glue traps, you must use them carefully. Make sure to place them in the rat runways and monitor them. If you don’t find the desired results, you can change their place to catch the rats. These traps are extremely effective in catching them if they are put in the right place. However, make sure to use as many traps as you can to catch the maximum number of rats at one time.
Use Onions
You will be surprised to know that onions can also help in eliminating the population of rats from your home. Yes, you are right! The rats can’t withstand the smell of onion. They hate their smell and can’t come near it. So, you can use them in the affected areas of your home. However, you should bear the smell of rotten onions if you use this method.
Keep a Pet
Keeping a pet will also help you in eliminating the rats from your home. Some pet animals such as cats and dogs kill rats. So, they will be much helpful for you in getting rid of any kind of rat infestation in your home. If you want to keep a cat as a pet, just look for an active cat who can hunt the rats in your home. On the other hand, if you want to keep a dog as a pet, you must buy a terrier, a dog breed that hunts rats. They are great at chasing rats and hunting them.
Hire Pest Control Professionals
Last but not least; just hire experienced pest control professionals to eliminate the rodent infestations of your home and stay relaxed. They have immense experience in handling all types of rat infestations. Besides, they have the right pest control chemicals that are much more effective in exterminating rats. However, make sure to hire professionals who can offer specialized rat control services to you as per your requirements.
How to Deal with Rat Infestations: Concluding Words
Dealing with rat infestations is indeed a terrible experience for you as a homeowner. However, you can get a respite after following the valuable tips to shoo the rats away from your house. If you still can’t deal with them, you always have the solution in the form of professional pest exterminators who are always at your disposal whenever you need them.