How To Keep Rats Away From Your Home

As the end of the year approaches, your mind may start to think of visitors, perhaps for the holiday season. And as you start to go down the list, some of these may not be the most welcomed visitors…sorry Aunt Sally.

And as pest control experts we can think of some pests that may take up refuge in your home this time of year that you definitely don’t want there. And one of these is the rat. 

Besides making your entire house cringe at their sight, they can do so much more. They are known for causing some serious damage and carrying diseases. So what can you do to keep rats away from your home? We have some great tips to keep your home rodent-free. 

Sadly we have no tips for preventing Aunt Sallys!  

Why are Rats Attracted to Your Home?

Despite what you may think, you can be a very great host to a rat. Your home is full of everything that rats need. You provide food, shelter, and water. They couldn’t have it any better. 

Of course, they would rather be in your safe home than living out in the harsher environment. Your home is much safer and can potentially provide a much more steady amount of food for rats. 

They can be attracted to things like pet food that is open in your home. They will also be attracted to spills and messes of food that aren’t cleaned up in and around your home. 

And around the outside of your home things like piled up wood, compost, and trash cans can attract the rats to your home. Every little thing can start to add up and bring these rodents in. 

How to Keep Rats Away

Once the rats have moved in and you have a rat infestation in your home it can be difficult to get rid of them. So the best way to deal with any type of pest issue is always prevention first. So learning how to keep rats out of your home and yard is going to be essential in preventing a rat infestation. 

Rats can be attracted to anything in your yard where they could get comfortable. This could be any kind of debris like logs, tree clippings, or leaf piles. So if you have any of these items in your yard keep them cleaned up so that rats don’t make themselves at home in your yard.

Once rats smell any type of food near your home they are instantly attracted. Rats have an amazing sense of smell. And food to them includes even trash. So making sure that your trash can lids are securely covered is going to be important in keeping rats away from your home. 

You also want to make sure that any type of entry point that those rats could squeeze through into your home is closed. This means making sure that your window screens are secured, there are no holes in any weather stripping,  watch for cracks in your foundation or any other small spaces that a rat could make its way in. 

Rat proofing is very similar to mouse-proofing and we have a very helpful blog that can help you prepare your home here. Because once those rats are in, it can be hard to get them out on your own. 

What Can A Rat Problem Do?

If you have started to notice signs of a rat problem such as droppings in your home, chewed-up electrical wires, or maybe food in your pantry being nibbled on, then you may already have a rat problem. It is important to take care of rodent problems when they are identified as quickly as possible.

It is never just one or two rats. They quickly start to turn into A LOT of rats. Rats reproduce at an alarming rate. Female rats produce an average of 5 litters per year with each litter having 8 babies. That’s 40 babies a year. In fact, over the course of just three years, a single rat can produce as many as half a billion descendants. We don’t know about you but the idea of all of those rats living in our homes is not ideal.

And any amount of rats can cause a lot of damage to your home. They have powerful chewing abilities. They can chew through wood, walls, electrical wire, and brick. And that can cost you a lot of money. 

But What If I Have a Rat Problem? 

So if you do develop a rat problem you can decide to try to set out traps for the rats and solve the problem yourself. But it is important to make sure that you are using the right bait so that you have the best chance to get rid of the rat problem quickly. You also want to make sure that you aren’t using something that could be unhealthy for your pets or anyone in your household if the rats spread it in your house. 

However, if you are using traps you will have to get rid of the rats yourself which is never a fun thing to do on your own. You’ve had to deal with enough with cleaning up rat droppings and whatever damage they have caused in your home, dealing with trapping is just not something you should have to deal with as well.

Your local pest control company can come out and handle your rat problem for you. We know exactly where to place the traps so we can quickly and efficiently rid you of your rat infestation. You won’t have to worry about any part of the process at all. 

Call us for Help

No one wants to think of any type of rodent taking up residence in their home. But unfortunately, sometimes they do make their way in, despite our best efforts. 

Kapture does offer rat-proofing as a part of all maintenance plans or it can be purchased separately. And If you ever have any questions, don’t forget we always offer free phone consultations. Give us a call, we are always here to help.