Rats can be likened to unwanted guests on a mission to terrorise you, infest your home, and share your food without your consent.
Do you have these unwanted guests in your home? Is your home—which was once serene—now a breeding space for rats and other infectious rodents?
If so, you need help.
Rat infestation is a common problem that plagues many homes. Leaving rats to roam about your home poses a risk to your health and your home.
Here are some effective tips on how to eliminate rats in your home.
Signs of Rat Infestation
Before preparing for an onslaught on the rats in your home, you need to be sure of their presence.
And how do you do that?
You need to watch out for some signs. Here are a few:
Rat dropping
Rub marks
Rat holes
Rat nests
Footprints
Foul odour
Half-eaten fruits
Damaged electrical wires
Did you notice any of these signs in your home? If yes, then chances are that you have some uninvited visitors.
Here is how to eliminate them.
1. Close Gaps
Rats are the animal version of spies. They can infiltrate your home via exterior gaps, holes, and even the most bizarre means. To stop them, you’ll need to scrutinize your home for openings. And if you see any, seal them with wire wool, caulk, metal kick plates, or cement.
In addition to holes, rats can also enter your home via damaged drains. If you have such, ensure you maintain and inspect them often.
If you aren’t sure how rodents could be infiltrating your home, ensure you call in pest control experts to inspect your home and pinpoint potential and existing entry points.
2. Declutter and clean
One way to attract rats and all sorts of pests into your home is by encouraging clutters. More clutter means more pests. Also, this clutter makes it difficult to locate intruders like rats as it gives them the means to hide.
You can declutter your home by removing items you don’t use (or selling them), investing in good storage, categorizing your items into different sections, etc. Always ensure that your waste is kept in a closed bin. You should also clean your pipes and drains from time to time, if possible.
3. Know who to contact
There is little you can do to manage rat infestation, after which you may have to let the professionals step in.
The professionals, like rodent control services, have the technology, know-how, and experience to help solve your rat problem and provide valuable tips on stopping a reoccurrence. These professionals can save you the time, effort, and headache that would have been invested in hunting down and eliminating the pesky unwanted visitors in your home.
4. Eliminate potential food sources
We don’t mean discarding food sources. Instead, store them in tightly sealed containers. Common food sources to store are nuts, seeds, and grains. You should also ensure that leftovers aren’t kept on the counters. And after eating, clean up all the spillage, so it doesn’t attract rats.
Conclusion
Rats aren’t only that pesky visitor that enters your home uninvited and chews on your stuff. They are also disease carriers, capable of spreading diseases like Hantavirus, rat bite fever, plague, etc. All these make them dangerous and give you a reason to ensure they are eradicated in your home.
