Rats are more than just a nuisance. They are carriers of diseases that can be transmitted to humans and pets. They also chew on electrical wires, which can cause house fires.
You can help control rat infestations by trimming bushes and trees, storing firewood away from your home, and keeping trash containers tightly closed. You can also use a combination of traps, bait stations, and exclusion techniques. Contact Rodent Retreat now!
Roof rats can cause serious damage to homes and businesses. They spread diseases, including rat-bite fever, leptospirosis, and plague, contaminate food, ruin clothing and dishes by chewing, and destroy structures and equipment by burrowing, gnawing, or climbing. They also create a fire hazard by chewing electrical wiring and insulation.
Despite their hardiness, roof rats can be controlled with preventive measures. Different rat species’ distinct survival skills influence their choice of nesting sites and entry points into buildings. Tailoring prevention strategies to these unique traits increases their effectiveness.
The first step in preventing a rat infestation is to eliminate attractants and limit rodents’ access to food and water sources. Keep garbage cans tightly closed and disposed of promptly, and store pet food and water indoors in rodent-proof containers. Regularly clean areas where trash may accumulate, such as kitchens, pantries, and dining rooms. Fix leaky faucets and keep yard drainage systems functioning properly to eliminate sources of moisture.
Rats can enter homes through cracks and gaps as small as a quarter-inch, so it is important to seal these openings. Use caulking or metal flashing that resists gnawing to plug cracks around windows, doors, vents, and chimneys. Plugging these holes will prevent entry and keep existing rodents out.
Proper landscape management can also deter and prevent a roof rat infestation. To reduce the chances of tree branches and limbs falling onto the roof, keep them trimmed and away from the home. Prune shrubs and bushes that grow against the house and remove vines and ivies that provide shelter and cover from rats.
Eliminating a rat infestation can be difficult, especially if a rat population has become established in the yard. However, a pest control professional can inspect the yard and identify the best methods for exclusion, trapping, and baiting to get rid of the pests and prevent them from returning. By implementing preventive measures, consulting with a professional when necessary, and addressing an infestation quickly, you can ensure that a roof rat infestation doesn’t take hold. This will protect your home and health, as well as that of your family, pets, and employees.
Inspection
The best way to determine whether you have a roof rat infestation is to call in a pest control specialist. Often, this will involve a thorough inspection of all areas where rats might hide. In homes, this includes attics, walls, false ceilings, and cabinets. In businesses, it may include garages and sheds. Because roof rats are expert climbers, they can nest and live above ground, making it hard to spot them.
Fortunately, there are several warning signs that a rat problem is present. These include droppings, gnaw marks on wood, wires, and other materials, as well as greasy smudges and stains. In addition, roof rats are known to chew through electrical wires, which can lead to a fire. They also can cause damage to insulation and drywall.
While it is possible to get rid of roof rats with traps, bait stations, and exclusion, the best approach is a holistic one that focuses on prevention. In order to keep rats away from your property, reduce their hiding spots by cleaning up garbage and clutter. Store trash in hard plastic rat-proof containers with tight-fitting lids and trim bushes and other vegetation that are close to your building.
You can also prevent roof rats from entering by sealing cracks, crevices, and gaps with caulking, steel wool, and other rodent-resistant materials. This can help you avoid a costly and hazardous rat invasion. Moreover, it can also help protect your home or business from damage caused by rats that chew through masonry and other materials in search of food, shelter, and water. Although the above steps can provide a reset for your property, be aware that rats are persistent creatures and will continue to seek out new entry points. This is why it is important to have a professional perform regular inspections of your property and reapply caulking and other sealants as needed. The experts at Trutech will implement an integrated pest management plan that includes inspection, trapping, exclusion, sanitization, and prevention. This will ensure that your home or business is free of rats and that future infestations are prevented.
Treatment
Known to spread the bubonic plague that decimated Europe in the Middle Ages, roof rats are very agile climbers and can squeeze into openings half their size. They are often found in shrubs and trees, where they build leafy nests, but can also inhabit attics, walls, false ceilings and cabinets. The best way to keep them away is by making sure no food is left uncovered or out in the open, fixing any outdoor water leaks and removing wood/rock piles and compost heaps close to the house.
Once inside, they can cause damage to electrical wires by chewing and gnawing through them, which can lead to a fire. They can also infest stored food, and contaminate buildings and yards with their urine and droppings. The CDC reports that rat-bite fever, leptospirosis and typhus are some of the diseases they can transmit.
A thorough inspection will reveal the rat entry points in and around your structure. A rat’s incisors can easily gnaw through insulation, sheetrock and other materials, so the most important thing to do is seal these openings. A pest control professional can use caulk or other sealants to fill in gaps larger than a dime, such as uncovered electrical outlets outside the house, soffit vents, crawl space access doors and foundation cracks.
Rodents need water and can find it in puddles, birdbaths, ornamental ponds and even water-draining hoses. They can also drink from uncovered faucets or drains in sinks and appliances. In addition, the removal of wood/rock piles and compost heaps, and keeping tree limbs back from the roof line can also help prevent rodent invasions.
Once a rat infestation is discovered, a pest control specialist will determine the rat’s habits and behavior patterns and then set traps in areas where they are most active. Traps can be placed in the attic, on branches and ledges, in garages and sheds, in wall cavities and along baseboards. The best traps are metal snap traps that are triggered by a magnet that pulls the bait from the rodent’s stomach to kill it. Other types of traps are also available.
Exclusion
If a home has been invaded by roof rats, you will want to take action as quickly as possible. These rodents reproduce rapidly and can spread diseases like salmonella, plague and lymphocytic choriomeningitis. The best way to protect a building and its occupants from rat invasion is through exclusion, a process of sealing and caulking entry points that allow rats into buildings and structures.
Rodent exclusion is the primary method of preventing rat infestations, and should be done before baiting or trapping. Pest control professionals can identify potential entrance points during a rodent inspection by looking for signs of rodent activity, such as droppings (rat droppings are cylindrical or banana-shaped, while mouse droppings are more pointed), gnaw marks on wood and metal in the structure, grease stains and urine odor.
Rodents enter a building to seek food, shelter and water, so it is important to eliminate their access to these items. This is accomplished through exclusion and sanitation. Rodent exclusion involves closing off openings that are bigger than a rat, such as screens, doors and windows; and preventing them from entering by screening crawl spaces, repairing holes in roofs and siding and trimming back tree limbs that could serve as a “stairway” into a house.
Rats often gain access to a home by chewing through wires and insulation in the walls, attic and other parts of a building. In addition, a rat’s droppings can be very hazardous to health if they come into contact with food.
A rat infestation may be difficult to identify, as the rodents are very secretive. In addition, a rat’s population can grow out of control if females produce up to 40 young per litter. To detect a rat problem, homeowners should look for droppings, gnaw marks, greasy stains or odors, and listen for scurrying noises in the attic. A reputable Long Island Rat Removal Service will conduct a thorough inspection to find all areas where a rat can gain entry to a building and recommend the proper course of treatment. A rat infestation can lead to expensive damage and a number of health hazards.
