What Attracts Rats in Houses
and How to Prevent Them
Rats are not unthinking nomads. A motive compels them to choose a nest, food, and shelter.
In most cases, food and shelter are their basic needs, and they take great risks to obtain them. In fact, their survival depends upon them. Many homeowners unknowingly facilitate the entry of these rodents into their homes. Let’s discuss how to keep these troublemakers out of your homes once-and-for-all.
Also, we’ll suggest some preventive measures you can take.
Holes, Sewage Pipelines, and Roofs
Rats are skilled, agile, and extremely fast. They’re adept at climbing tall structures, and squeezing into tight spots.
Their acrobatics help them to climb over electrical cables and suspended branches, enabling them to access attics and lofts.
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Rats can maneuver through holes that are less than .5 inches in diameter.
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Such openings are readily found in underground basements, roof vents, pipes, unscreened windows, cluttered lawns, and crawl spaces.
Rats also have an exceptional ability to navigate sewage pipelines. People have reported rat sightings in their toilet seats. It’s because rats are masters of finding their way through these structures.
Preventive Measures
To make these places inaccessible to rats, consider installing deterrents. Their front teeth can chew through aluminum sheets, cardboard boxes, and other materials of similar thickness.
So consider placing screens, hardware, clothes or other impenetrable objects to deter their entry. Repair roof damage if any, and seal gaps with wire meshes. Also, never leave a toilet seat open.
Foods and Trash
Rodents are quite often seen searching through trash with cheerful enthusiasm. They gnaw anything that’s edible. It doesn’t matter to them if it has a foul smell or has gone stale. Here is a list of their favorite foods:
- Raw Meat
- Nuts
- Cheese
- Vegetables
- Pet Food
- Salt
- Clothes and Leather
Preventive Measures
Rigorously clean places where food is prepared and consumed. Some suggested cleaning practices are vacuuming, sweeping and manually removing tiny food particles.
Securely tighten the lids of trash cans and utensils that contain eatables.
Don’t show laxity in cleaning your crockery after meals. Make a habit of cleaning it after every meal. At least daily to ensure that their sensitive noses don’t get wind of left-over crumbs.
Roof Rat eating food. By H. Zell (reframed by Michelet-密是力 (talk) 06:42, 6 June 2013 (UTC)) – Reframed version of file:Rattus_rattus_01.JPG, CC BY-SA 3.0,
Packaging the foods above in secure containers, and carefully disposing of trash daily. If there’s no food for them, there’s no reason for them to invade your home, or extend their stay if they’re already there. These measures will go a long way in preventing a rat infestation.
Ripe Fruits Falling from Tress in Gardens
Gardens littered with ripe fruits and vegetables are a goldmine for rats. Lousy cleaning practices in these places can also lead them inside your home. It suits them to shelter in areas such as these that have an abundant supply of foods they love.
Preventive Measures
Hire a gardener or personally collect ripen produce daily. Also, place bird feeders to sweep up left-over seedlings.
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Gardens littered with ripe fruits and vegetables are a goldmine for rats. Lousy cleaning practices in these places can also lead them inside your home.
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Untidy Lawns and Cluttered Places
Cluttered places and unkempt lawns, tall bushes and weeds, are calling for a rat infestation. It is increasingly hard to detect and eliminate these nimble rodents in such conditions. It incentivizes them to nest there and pester you for as long as they can.
Preventive Measures
Manicure and tidy your lawn. Shift appliances and objects indoors that rats can easily penetrate. Don’t place anything along the fence line. A rat can easily chew through it, and nest in a nearby appliance.
Some drastic measures, such as clearing objects so that a clear view of your lawn is visible are also advised.
We have come across situations where homeowners have had difficulty in finding rats due to excessive items in indoor and outdoor settings. We also wouldn’t suggest stuffing your clothes in closets, in case you’re dreading a rat infestation.
Rats have a great memory. They instantly recognize familiar people and places. They can figure out if a place is suitable for nesting because of its history.
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If previous infestations leave scents and nesting materials, another army of rats might follow.
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Preventive measures
So, when dealing with a rat infestation, a thorough job is advised to deter future intrusions. A complete sanitation service, which includes cleaning grease marks, excrements, grease boards and neutralizing contaminants from nesting areas, along with replacing rat deterrents, such as wire meshes, is necessary.
To ensure that a rodent infestation doesn’t plague your house in the future, serious commitment is required on your part. Trust me your painstaking effort will be gloriously rewarded.
Seeking Professional Help
If you’ve encountered signs of rats lurking in your home or garden, it might not take long before a serious rat infestation ensues. You might not have the time or the resources to deal with it yourself. In such an event, you can seek professional help.
BPA certified technicians have expertise in providing effective rodent solutions at affordable prices. Instead of prolonging the inevitable, take charge. Get in touch with a certified professional, and ensure the safety of your family.
Conclusion
All types of rats are nimble rodents. They rarely miss an opportunity to barge uninvited into your home. Black rats are contortionists, and can easily nest on rooftops. Brown rats also have acrobatic abilities but prefer burrows under sheds or walls.
Depending upon the severity of your rat infestation, take necessary measures to remedy it. According to the Center of Disease and Control, rats can transmit more than 35 diseases ― Lassa fever, Rat-Bite fever, to name a few.
It behooves you to ensure hygienic conditions for your beloved ones. Preventing a rat infestation is better than splurging your hard-earned money on doctors and medication.***
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