For home and business owners, having pests at home and in a business establishment is a real headache. At the same time, it can be a nightmare. This is especially true if the pests lurking around are destructive, like rats.
Rats are probably one of those kinds of pests that many hate. And as soon as we discover that these creatures invade our homes, the first thing we want to do is eliminate them. Surely, there are many forms of pest control available. But before we get to that part, let us find out more about rats first. This is so that we would have a better understanding of why we need to kick them out. And how we will be able to do that.
Rats are medium-sized, long-tailed rodents with pointed heads. They are typically 5 inches long but others may be longer. There are more than 60 species of rats and they all come in different sizes. These creatures are found all over the world. They normally stay in rice fields, sewers, places where there are garbage, business establishments, and even in our homes.
Rats prefer to live in warm places. But aside from this, they stay in places where there are enough food sources and water. They also stay in places where materials are present that they can use to build their nests to multiply. One common misconception about rats is that they only live in filthy places. But in reality, that is not the case. So if you see a rat in your house, do not ever think that your place is filthy and unsanitary. Because these creatures also stay in spotless locations as long as there is enough food and water for them to consume.
So, how will you know that there are rats in your place and you need to perform pest control? There are signs you need to look for if you suspect rat infestation. Let’s check each of them:
Signs That There Are Rats in Your Home
- Rub marks and footprints - Rats sneak in through different places like attics, pipes, and sewages, therefore leaving their body with dirt. If you see dirt and grease on the surface. If these surfaces also have some tiny footprints, this means that there are rats in your home.
- Droppings - Rats eat a lot per day, thus, a rat defecates between 20 to 50 times within 24 hours. Their droppings are pellet-shaped, olive pit, and shiny black to gray, and these are normally found scattered everywhere. Most of the time they do so close to their nests or feeding area.
- Nests - Rats do not just stay in your house for food but also for shelter. These creatures normally stay in dark and humid areas. Or anywhere where they cannot be disturbed like behind or underneath appliances, attics, behind halls many more. When they build their nests, they use soft material like shredded cardboard, paper, foam, and cloth.
- Squeaking or scratching noises - One of the most common signs that there is a rat in your place is if you hear scratching or squeaking noise, especially at night. Rats are more active at night so it is the best time to observe if there are rats in your house. When you hear some scratching, it means that they are either crawling, digging, or climbing. When you hear them squeak, it means that they are communicating with other rats.
- Shredded cardboard boxes, fabric and chewed wirings - Rats are destructive and chew whatever things they see around. Aside from the food in our kitchen, they chew cardboards, magazines, and clothes if they need to make a nest. Even your drywall and wirings are not safe. They also create holes in walls to gain access to another location. More dangerously, they chew electrical wires as this helps their teeth stop growing, thus making them fire risks.
Now that you know the things that prove that there is a rat infestation in your home, let us move forward to pest control. Having rats means taking actions quickly, otherwise, it might become too late for you to get rid of them.
Pest Control For Rats
As soon as you can confirm that there are rats in your home, there is no time for you to waste. Rats multiply quickly. The longer you delay pest control, the more chances they will cause damages to your property. Not only that, but they can also bring harm to you and your family’s health. As a home or business owner, you have 2 basic options: DIY and professional.
For DIY, our very first option, and the most common is the good old cat strategy. Remember your favorite Tom and Jerry show? In that show, the cat always chases the mice. Sad to say though, Jerry the mice always wins against Tom the cat. Because Jerry is the wiser one between the two. In real life, while it is true that mice are smart and wise, they are afraid of cats. They would not attempt to run around when the cat is there, otherwise, they will be caught and die.
If you do not have a cat and you just want to use something else to get rid of rats, you may also try putting some traps around. There are different kinds of traps you can buy in stores—electrical, catch and release, plastic snap traps, and those glued paper traps. All these are easy to use as you just have to place them somewhere where you suspect rats. Just sit back, relax, and let these traps do the work for you. If you decide to use one, make sure to check it from time to time so you can get rid of the rats that were trapped. Rats leave a very foul odor, whether alive or dead, so it is important to dispose of them as soon as they get trapped.
Aside from traps, there are also rat poisons you can purchase over the counter. Just like the traps, you will have to wait and check your house from time to time. See if dead rats are lying around after the process as you do not want to get a foul odor in your house because of them.
Alternatively, you can also make your rat poison recipe. Just mix a part of borax, powdered sugar, cocoa powder. The combination of sugar, and chocolate, will surely attract the rats and the borax kills them. But be very careful if you decide to use rat poison because anything that kills these rats can also kill pets and human beings. If a child is living in your house, make sure you place the rat poison out of their reach.
Last but not the least, clean and sanitize your house so the rats will not be attracted and would not feel welcome in your home. Rats, as we have discussed at the beginning of this article, stay in places where there is a good source of food and water. Keeping your house clean will make them feel that it is not a good place for them to live.
Start the process in your kitchen as this is the place where they hunt food. Wash the dishes immediately after eating or cooking. Leaving them in the sink will not just invite rats but also other pests like cockroaches and flies. Wipe your counters and table and see to it that there are no crumbs left behind.
Dispose of your garbage regularly or if these are being collected every week, make sure the bins are always close. Reduce the clutter in your house—cereal boxes, empty shoe boxes, magazines, and newspapers are some of the things rats use to make a nest. Having lots of these in your home will make it very easy for rats to have a home so you better get rid of them if they are not useful anymore.
If there are holes or cracks, seal them off so rats won’t have access to different areas of your home.
Professional Help For Rats
As for the other option, you can also get professional assistance from a pest control company. If you are a busy person or you just do not want to go through all these steps, calling a pest control technician in Greensboro is the best option to go.
Pest control technicians are well-trained and knowledgeable enough when it comes to dealing with different kinds of pests so they can surely solve your pest problem safely and most effectively.
Finding the best pest control company is important. You do not want to waste money on something not worthy so get someone who can give you a good result. If you have these unwanted pests in your property, be sure to contact the best pest control management company, Go-Forth Home Services. Go-Forth pest control is simply the best.
At Go-Forth Home Services, we have professionals who will examine your home and your lawn to evaluate your requirements. We will identify points of entry and make treatments as necessary. We only use state of the art equipment to keep up with these ever-evolving pests and we guarantee results for our valued customers.