How to Get Rid of Rats
How can you prevent rats or mice from infesting your house?
Regularly clean cluttered areas in your house like the garage and basement.
Carefully store food, leftovers and edible products in a sealed container to avoid attracting mice.
Seal any cracks in and around your house.
Get rid of debris and wood piles that can become a nesting ground for these pests.
Tend to your garden and make sure that plants, shrubs, or trees do not harbour pests.
Use rat bait and rat traps. Baits can be sprinkled around hard-to-reach areas in your house where rats may be hiding.
Getting rid of rats or mice can be a bit tricky. A rodent infestation is not always apparent and can occur without any visible evidence. Mice tend to come out only at night and hide during the day, making it difficult to spot a mice infestation immediately. These pests are unsanitary and may spread harmful diseases. That is why it is important to get rid of this common pest.
Can rat traps or rat baits stop a pest infestation?
Mice baits and traps are commonly sold in the market and can be used to catch these rodents. However, using baits or traps does not offer a lasting solution to any rat infestation.
How can I get a long-term solution to a pest problem?
To stop a rat or mice infestation permanently, you’ll need to implement a strategic pest control process that involves:
Exclusion– Protect your home from a pest invasion by blocking entry points.
Restriction – Prevent pests from breeding and spreading in your property.
Destruction– Let pest control experts remove pests once and for all.
Rats should not be allowed to grow in number. The further they expand their territory, the worse it will get for you. Rats are able to reproduce very quickly. A rodent population can grow to hundreds within weeks. Imagine what it is like living in a house with 100 rats.
A Guide to Pest Remediation in the Home
The end of summer and beginning of fall is a time when many outdoor pests start looking for a winter home. Mice and rats in particular are a common problem for homeowners at this time of year. This is especially true for homeowners in rural areas, where outdoor pests are abundant. At this time of year, homeowners must do what they can to fortify their home and keep pests out.
Seal Holes in the Home Exterior
Many pests enter the house through foundation cracks, open vents, pipes and other holes into the house. Sealing these holes is very important. Use wire screen to cover vents, to allow air to flow to continue. Use caulk to seal cracks. Homeowners can find the holes that need to be covered up by walking around the house from the outside and inspecting areas like the attic and foundation. Homeowners can also find holes by entering the attic during the day and looking for areas where daylight is shining through.
Get Rid of Food and Water Sources
Pests need a steady source of water and food near their home. They are unlikely to live in a place where this cannot be easily found. Homeowners can deter pests by making food and water hard for rodents to access. Storing food in glass or plastic containers instead of cardboard boxes is a good way to make food inaccessible. Another way to do this is by fixing all plumbing leaks as soon as they become a problem, since leaks can be a source of water for rodents.
Clean Your Home Regularly
Rodents like to eat crumbs off the floor, and they also like to invade garbage cans. Cleaning the floor regularly and taking out the trash on a nightly basis can help keep rodents away. It’s also important to do the dishes every night, instead of allowing the dishes to sit in the sink.
Weather Strip the House
Most homeowners install weather stripping because it helps them to control the temperature in their home when the weather outside is very cold. A surprising benefit of weather stripping is that it prevents pests from gaining entry to the house. By sealing up the cracks, weather stripping closes up all entry points into the home and prevents rodents and other pests from entering. Weather stripping is installed on doors and windows. Homeowners can buy weather stripping at home improvement stores and hardware stores.
Pest control on your property
There are things you can do to control pests (insects or animals causing harm or nuisance) on your property.
You can:
contact your local council to find out if they provide pest control services – you may be charged a fee
hire a pest controller
Controlling pests yourself
You can:
only trap or kill permitted animals
use permitted methods to kill animals
only use poison to kill the pests it’s intended for – this will be written on the packaging
only use traps that have been approved for use with the species you want to control – you must follow the instructions for use
You cannot use the following control methods for any wildlife:
self-locking snares
bows and crossbows
explosives (other than legal ammunition for a licensed firearm)
live birds or animals, known as ‘live decoys’, to attract pests (unless you have a licence)
Get advice
Get professional advice if you do not know:
which animals you’re permitted to trap or kill
how to use control methods (such as traps and poisons) correctly
The Essential Guide to Rats
Infamous pests, rats target kitchens, spread diseases and are even known to bite people. The crafty rodents also breed fast and can infest a home or building quickly. Rats are known to hitch rides in goods transported by ships or planes.
In the Essential Guide to Rats, we look at the most common questions asked about rats and provide answers so you can know everything you need to know about rats. If you think you have rats on your property,
What is a rat?
A rat is a medium-sized rodent related closely to mice, as well as other rodents, such as shrews and moles. They are part of the mammalian order called Rodentia. They are very adaptable rodents, which means they have become populous around the world, existing in all areas of the world except for extreme areas such as Antarctica. Because rats are able to adapt to their environment so easily, they have become one of the most common pests and have been around for millions of years, likely living exclusively in the wild at one time, then adapting to humans as they gained prominence in the world.
Where do rats come from?
It is unknown for certain where rats originally came from. However, there are theories that rats might have originated somewhere in Asia. This is particularly true of the species of rat known as the Norway Rat and the Black Rat, which are two of the most prominent rats in the world. They soon hitched rides on ships and within containers as Asia was reached by Europeans and quickly populated Europe and other areas of the world. When humans then expanded to the Western hemisphere, rats once again stowed away on cargo and ships and came ashore, starting up new populations in North and South America.
Where do rats live? Where do rats live in the wild?
Rats live in a variety of places. There are rats who live in the wilderness such as woods and forests, as well as fields and meadows. There are wild tree rats that live on tropical islands and they are invasive species and have taken over entire populations of wildlife. In the wild, rats eat vegetation and other small animals meat.
How to Get Rid of Mice Now: The Ultimate Guide
One of the most common home invaders for centuries has been the rodent. Between mice and rats, these pests can damage your walls, eat your food, and cause all sorts of problems. Today we will pesent you with the ultimate guide on how to get rid of mice once and for all.
Why Are There Mice in Your Home?
Unfortunately, mice infest homes because their natural habitat is shrinking and they seek food, water, warmth, and shelter. It is important to identify whether you have one mouse or an infestation. Mice and rats are closely related, but methods for removing mice differ slightly from rat removal due to the size of the intruders. Luckily, it is possible to identify these invaders without having first spotted one.
Mice versus Rats
A rodent infestation needs the proper management depending on the rodent that invaded your home. Here are the main differences between mice and rats so you know what you need to do.
Mice are curious, so you will be seeing them around more often than you are likely to see rats.
Most mice species are smaller than most rats species.
You are more likely to find mice burrowed in walls. As a comparison, rats usually dig deep under the house, plants, etc.
Why Should You Get Rid of Mice?
Rodent infestations pose numerous health risks. While a larger infestation poses a more significant threat, even a small number of invaders can be dangerous. There is a chance that disease and parasites accompany your mouse problem.
Parasites
The term “plague rat” is based on the 14th century outbreak of bubonic plague, more commonly known as the “Black Death”. The plague’s bacteria Yersinia pestis remains a threat today; although another strain of Y. Pestis which caused the Justinian plague has become extinct. The virus is transmitted by fleas which generally feed on rats, gerbils, and other rodents.