by Naomi LightHow Does Pest Control Get Rid Of Rats?
If you experience a problem with a rat infestation, you may be asking: How Does Pest Control Get Rid Of Rats? We look at the reasons why rats are a problem and how they can be removed by a pest control expert.
The Dangers: Why We Control Rats
Below we look at the dangers of a rat infestation and why they need to be controlled.
Pathogens and Disease
Rats are the number one carrier of pathogens and disease. Like so many other rodents we are aware of, rats can carry conditions such as hantavirus, lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCMV), Tularemia, leptospirosis, and Salmonella.
Humans are susceptible to many of these diseases every day simply through breathing in contaminated dust with rodent droppings or urine in it or eating contaminated foods. Bite wounds or direct contact with a rat can cause contamination and put you at risk or bites from any ticks or fleas that have been in connection with the contaminated rats.
Property damage
Rats can cause damage to a property, so it is vital to keep them under control as best as possible.
Rats will gnaw and grind their teeth against cinderblock, wood, metal, bone and even glass – rats’ teeth are strong and will take on pretty much any challenge, which is why they can cause chaos and damage to homes, businesses and yourself, should come into physical contact with one.
Gnawed pipes can cause electrical fires, and circuits may begin switching or dying out due to chewed wires. The grinding, chewing and holes ridden into your electricals and appliances is not only damaging aesthetically but also could put you in much danger.
Rats around businesses
Property owners have a legal obligation under the Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949 to keep premises rodent-free. Rodents pose a threat to those in the household and neighbourhood through diseases that may spread.
Publicised rat problems with any companies and businesses in the area do heaps of damage to their overall reputation. A brown rat spotted running through a restaurant can put a swift end to that establishment. Rodents are filthy and carry all kinds of sickness, and no one will desire to eat in restaurants or stay in hotels or shop in malls where there is the danger of rats or threat of contamination with their food sources or products.
There are also heavy fines for businesses found to have a pest problem, so you could run into monetary issues should you fail to fix any rat infestation issues. Repeat offenders are in danger of facing legal action; they could be sued or have their licenses extracted from them. Environmental Health Officers issue notices to any business owners and new potential business owners who don’t have adequate pest management procedures.
Rats around the home
Rats in the home cause significant problems. Not only is there a wild risk of you, your housemates or children extracting a disease from them or a nasty bite.
They provide much discomfort, from property damage that could be costly to fix and unpleasant smells or general fears of the scuttling animals is enough to want to end the issue for most homeowners.
At the first sign, check for entry points that allow the rats to enter your property.
How To Identify a Rat Problem
Rats investing in your home is a problem that isn’t incredibly difficult to identify. Many leave remnants to suggest their presence in and around your premises. Rats are often most active in the night, much like the saying ‘they are more afraid of you than you are of them,’ they are likely to come out during the times when you are asleep and out of sight. Here are some signs to look for if you are unsure what to look for:
Footprints
Rats can also leave footprints, as they tend to be very filthy animals. In area’s uncommonly used in your home or by staff in your building, you notice paw prints or tail marks, especially where there is much dust.
To accurately check if what you find are footprints, lay down a thin layer of flour or Talc where you have found the markings. Within the following days, the prints reappear, its time to contact an exterminator.
Rat Droppings
Rat droppings are dark brown and spindle-shaped, like tiny grains of rice. They tend to be dotted around in specific areas. Rats can produce up to 40 droppings per night in these locations.
Gnaw Marks
Rats, especially black rats, are agile climbers and scratch their claws against any surface, object or material to dig in and get where they need to be. They also have a great habit of gnawing their teeth into wires, cables and any other items you may find lingering about your house.
If you find this to be a growing problem, contact Bee Honest Pest Control, should they be in your area, and it’s best to keep wires together in one place or up high where there’s no way to crawl up.
Rat Holes
Rats burrow their way into large burrow systems and homes. Most likely to build themselves a space near large objects and structures. They do this to retrieve or store food, build a shelter overnight, or raise their young.
Browns are more inclined to dig holes; however, many rat species are capable of this, and it is a good sign to be aware of.
Rat Nests
Similarly, they made nests to raise their young in and keep shelter during wet weather.
Rats can make their nests in wall cavities, lofts, attics and under eaves. They will shred any materials to build their protection, including loft insulation, cardboard and any materials that will allow them to lay a softer grounded nest for their young.
How to Get Rid of Rats and Rat Control
Identify Rat infestations
The first step is fully identifying the infestation. If you notice any of the signs mentioned earlier, rat droppings, footprints, rat holes, nests, or rub marks in your home or property, call a Professional Pest Control service.
The best way to get rid of rats is to contact professionals, it is much less dangerous, and we can use our equipment to decipher the infestation and the species at hand accurately. You require a professional survey at this stage.
The professional survey highlights the extent of the infestation you are experiencing and accurately points out any entrance areas that they could’ve gotten in.
Recommend and Implement Treatment and Proofing
Next, pest controllers will start implementing treatments that target your pests, right down to the specifics to accurately eradicate them in the fastest process to benefit you, your company and your household. They have the best, high-quality equipment for the job and likely to kill pests almost immediately. Proofing is ensuring that these pests won’t enter your premises again.
Pest controllers and exterminators will often have the equipment, insecticide sprays or poisons, and special liquids to seal up any access areas. They can also provide you with their expert advice on how to prevent this from happening once again. Encouraging perhaps an investment into different types of traps suitable for the rats that entered your home or
Safely Get Rid of Rats
To safely get rid of rats in your home or your property. You may lay down traps. Many exterminators recommend setting up around a dozen mouse traps of different varieties around your home since different mice react to other kinds of traps. Hence, it is best to cover all bases. Sometimes chemical poisons or solutions are used to kill the mice gradually; however, Glue-Boards, Snap-Traps, and other live capture traps often help and do not run the risk of harsh chemicals amalgamating into your household. If you are still vastly uncomfortable getting rid of rats yourself, call up a BPCA Certified Technician, and they can help with the rest.
Do you have a rat problem? Are you looking for pest control in Milton Keynes and the surrounding areas get in touch today.