Understanding Rat Infestations
A rat infestation doesn’t affect one building on the block — it affects many, if not all of them. Most people don’t understand why their home or business will begin to house these infectious animals. These furry little rodents will move from one area to the next, looking for food and shelter. Unfortunately, rats will head to places that are heavily populated due to the increased amount of food scraps that they will find.
How They Get In
Rats are very good at squeezing their bodies through small spaces. Using their whiskers, rats can judge if their body will fit through a hole or crack. Surprisingly, they can fit through spaces much smaller than their bodies. Rats can enter a building through cracks in the foundation, opened windows, vents, underneath doors with enough gap, and through packaged goods from a rat infested warehouse.
How to Keep Them Out
It’s not always easy to prevent rats from entering your home, but you can make your house less attractive. By covering all trash and never leaving food out, rats won’t have a food supply. If you have stairs, railings, or furniture that is made from hollowed wood, think about replacing them. Rats can chew through the wood and use the hollowed areas as shelter. Also, if there are any openings, holes, or cracks; seal them up with wire mesh.
How to Get Rid of Them
Your furry house guests are often hard to catch because of how fast and agile they are. Rat traps and poison are both options for ridding them from your home or business. By filling traps with food, rats will sniff them out and head for the prize. Poison is also used by placing bait throughout the building for the rats to eat. Once the rat ingests the poison, their blood will be unable to clot and they will die from internal bleeding. Of the two methods, traps are the safest when there are kids and pets in the house.
Even if your home is clean and secure, it can still be targeted by rats. A rat infestation is not one person’s problem, it’s a problem that everyone in the area has to deal with. Rats can be tricky so it’s best to call in the professionals to help manage and exterminate the situation. The experts at Knockout Pest Control will force the rats out — and keep them out. To learn more, or to schedule a service, give us a call at (800) 244-7378.
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