Rat infestation is a common household problem that is both difficult to control and frustrating. Given how quickly rodent populations can grow, it’s critical to address the infestation as soon as possible to avoid it spiraling out of control, says House in Order company.
While traps and bait are two popular and effective ways to get rid of rats in the house, there are many other, equally important steps you must take to keep them out of your home permanently. These steps range from sealing off entry points to making sure your home doesn’t provide rats with food or shelter.
And although DIY pest control can be effective, know that hiring a professional exterminator is probably the best option for dealing with a rat infestation.
Below, we’ll look at what is the best way to get rid of rats, and what exterminators do to deal with them.
What Are the Most Common Signs of a Rat Infestation?
Due to their small size, nocturnal habits, and proclivity to avoid humans, live rats and mice are rarely seen in infestation cases. That is not to say that they do not leave behind evidence of their activities.
To act quickly and prevent further damage, it is critical to recognize the signs of a rodent infestation. Knowing the common signs will help you detect a rodent problem early on and, if necessary, seek professional help.
You can check for these common indications that rodents are living in your house:
- Droppings and Urine Stains: One of the most common signs of a rodent infestation is droppings. The most common locations for droppings are under sinks, in cabinets or drawers, along walls, and in concealed spaces. The majority of droppings are found where rodents feed or nest. Furthermore, rodents typically leave urine wherever they go. Rats commonly use urine to mark their territory and communicate with other rats in their colony.
- Odors: Larger rodent infestations are frequently associated with a musty, stale odor. If the infestation is large and active, you may notice a persistent, stale ammonia-like odor. The smell gets stronger as the infestation grows.
- Gnaw Marks: Walls, baseboards, and packaged foods are common places to look for signs of chewing or gnawing. Rodents also dig tunnels and burrows, and they use their teeth to enlarge openings to allow passage. They are known to chew on everything, including baseboards and wires.
- Nests: Rodent nests are easily identifiable due to their distinguishing characteristics, despite the fact that they are typically built in hidden locations. Rodents prefer to live in untouched environments, and when constructing nests, they frequently use materials such as fabric, shredded paper, or dried plant matter. So, look everywhere for potential rat nests, such as in the attic or beneath your house’s foundation.
- Scratching Noises: Rodents hunt and forage for food during the darkest hours of the night. It is when they are most active. They could be burrowing behind walls and joists, or you might hear them scampering around the cabinets or beneath the floors.
What Are the DIY Methods to Get Rid of Rats?
Without a doubt, you can try to deal with rats on your own by getting your own supplies. To deal with a rat infestation, however, hiring a professional exterminator is the best option, even though do-it-yourself pest control can be successful as well.
First of all, you will not have the same experience and knowledge that an expert has. For instance, you might not be aware of how to secure bait stations so that kids, pets, or wildlife are not harmed by them.
When attempting to eradicate rats, the majority of homeowners won’t know what to search for, including burrows, possible entry points into buildings, smear marks, rat hair, imprints in the ground, droppings, etc. It requires a solid foundation in pest control to be able to recognize these indicators and determine what kind of pest they are related to.
Nevertheless, there are still certain things you can do to identify the presence of rats, locate their source, and successfully exterminate them from your house before seeking professional assistance.
Down below you can find some steps to take to get rid of rats:
Examine Your House
The first thing to do if you think you might have rats in your house is to give it a thorough interior and exterior inspection. You should search the interior for signs of rat activity, such as chewed food boxes or packages, greasy smudges on the walls, and an ammonia-like stench.
You should also search outside for openings that a rat might use to enter your house. This can include dryer vents, gaps around the foundation and piping, gaps around the garage door or other doors of entry, and foundation cracks.
Cover All Points of Entry
After you’ve located possible entry points into your house, you must seal these openings to prevent rats from entering. Depending on the entry point, you can use wire wool, caulk, or metal kick plates to seal these openings. Remember that any opening big enough for your finger or thumb to fit through can let rats in.
Eliminate Possible Sources of Water and Food
It might be necessary to alter your food storage practices if rats have broken into your pantry and are chewing through your cereal boxes in an attempt to remove a food source. For instance, you should avoid leaving pet food out for long periods of time as this may lead to feeding unwanted guests.
Even though rats frequently obtain their water from the food they consume they can also benefit from finding a home with a food and water source. Another common source of rats entering your home is leaky pipes, so fixing them is crucial.
What Is the Best Way to Get Rid of Rats?
The answer’s fairly simple: Professional pest control services are your best line of defense against rats.
If you have a severe rat infestation or are having difficulty getting rid of rats in your home, a professional exterminator is the best option because they are licensed to use specific chemicals and effective methods.
These exterminators use strict protocols to get rid of rats and employ strategies that are effective across a wide range of rat species and infestation levels:
- First, an exterminator will inspect the outside and inside of your home to identify any points of entry and seal them with hardware cloth, wire mesh, or sheet metal.
- The exterminator will then place traps in strategic locations throughout your home, including the kitchen, attic, bedroom, and bathroom. They use a variety of traps, including snap, glue, and other live capture traps.
- If the population is sufficiently large, the exterminator will use bait stations.
- When all other methods of eliminating rats prove ineffective, and if the infestation is severe, the exterminator will use fumigation as a last resort. This method is costly, dangerous, and may require you and your family to leave the house for several days or weeks. Exterminators use chemicals such as phosphine, formaldehyde, magnesium phosphide, and carbon dioxide to fumigate.
It’s critical to understand the numerous risks related to rodents before attempting to eradicate a rat infestation from your property. Rats are carriers of many diseases. If you attempt to remove a rat on your own without the proper protective gear, you may become infected with a dangerous disease and infect your family or other loved ones. Thus, hiring a rat removal expert with experience handling and removing wild animals from residential properties is the safest way to get rid of rats.
Even for this reason only, you should rely on the effective and non-toxic rat removal services offered by professionals rather than trying potentially dangerous DIY techniques.
The Importance of Eliminating Rats
Not only are rats unwelcome houseguests, but they can also be extremely unhealthy. Numerous diseases are dispersed globally by rodents like mice and rats. If a rat is left to forage in and around your food, your family may be exposed to some very dangerous illnesses.
Furthermore, through chewing and nesting, rats can inflict costly damages on electrical and plumbing systems.
How to Identify the Size of a Rodent Infestation?
This one is pretty straightforward as well: If rodents are only heard or seen at night and not during the day, the population is probably small and can be controlled with bait and traps.
However, if you see a lot of new droppings, gnaw marks, or rodent activity during the day, the population has increased, and you may need to hire a pest control company.
Tips on Preventing an Infestation of Rats
We have mostly been talking about what is the best way to get rid of rats. However, remember that preventing an infestation is just as important as dealing with an existing one.
Listed below, you can find some tips on securing food, preventing shelters, and preventing rats’ access to water:
- Use trash cans with tight-fitting lids and always keep them closed.
- Do not leave food out for stray cats, birds, or animals. Rats will have access to any food that is available to other wildlife, giving them a consistent supply of food and allowing them to proliferate rapidly.
- Regularly remove yard debris and trash to eliminate potential burrowing areas.
- Make sure to periodically check the outside of your house for any gaps or openings that might allow rats to enter, and then quickly seal off these entry points.
- Make certain that birdbaths, pet water bowls, and other outdoor water-holding objects are empty before leaving them outside overnight.
