Rats are not only repulsive but also pose a significant health risk. They are capable of spreading diseases such as leptospirosis, tularemia, and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome to humans.
They can also cause structural damage to your home and gnaw through electrical wiring, which may lead to fire hazards. This blog post from our rat control team in Malaysia will discuss six things that attract rats to your house!
Contents
Garbage Can Attract Rats
The first thing in your house that attracts rats is your garbage can.
Rats are very attracted to garbage. They love the smell of food waste and will eat anything edible, including meat scraps.
If you have a rat problem in your home, it is likely because they are getting into your trashcan regularly!
Make sure that all bins are tightly sealed with no holes or lids that can be opened by rats climbing on them.
It may also help to put trash cans out for collection earlier than usual, so there aren’t long periods where the bin has been left unattended without any lid while waiting for sanitation workers to pick up the rubbish.
Standing Water Will Attract Rats
Water is another major factor that will attract rats to your home.
Rats are attracted by water because they need it to survive, and if there’s a possibility for them to get their paws on it, they’ll come running!
This means that standing water in garden ponds or puddles outside can be especially attractive because of its presence alongside food sources.
However, even inside the house it may not have an obvious source but could still be attracting pesky rodents so check under sinks where pipes might have sprung leaks or near washing machines which tend to leak while filling up with clean water.
If you suspect any areas around your property as being rat-attracting culprits then make sure to address them immediately.
Rats Love Leftover Food
Rats are scavengers, meaning they will eat whatever is available to them.
If your home has high food waste levels, then it’s likely that you have a rat infestation because of this!
Make sure you don’t leave any leftover food out in the open for too long, and if there are children or pets in the house, make sure their leftovers aren’t being dropped on kitchen floors where rats can get close enough to sniff at it.
Also, ensure bins with lid locks or heavy lids so rodents cannot access what’s inside them just by climbing onto the top of it.
Rats love finding easy sources of food, which means even fruit stones or apple cores might be worth eating when other options are limited.
Cluttered Spaces May Encourage Rats
Rats may thrive in cluttered spaces because it provides them with many hidden and easily accessible hiding places.
If you have a rat infestation, then chances are, there is clutter somewhere which they can use to their advantage!
You should consider having any unnecessary items removed from your property so that rats will find it harder to move around your home without being spotted right away.
If you do want to keep some of these things, make sure they are stored neatly inside containers or cupboards where possible.
Plants Can Sometimes Attract Rats
One of the worst places you could have a rat infestation is in your garden.
If there are any plants or fruit trees around, then they may be an appealing food source to rats, and encourage them to burrow under your home!
You should consider removing any plants which might attract rodents from your outdoor space.
However, if this isn’t possible, then try spraying exposed roots with cat repellent spray so that it becomes unappealing for rats who might normally eat what’s growing out of the ground around these parts when other options aren’t available.
Warmth Lures In Rats
Rats are normally warm creatures who love to bask in the sunshine or find warmth indoors.
If you have any places within your home which provide heat, such as chimneys or open fireplaces, then it may be attracting rodents, especially on rainy days because they can easily crawl inside and make themselves at home!
You should consider having these areas blocked off so that rats will not think of them as a food source nor an ideal place for nesting.
Takeaway
Rats are notorious for their ability to find their way inside a home. When they do, it’s important to know what attracts them so you can keep your house rodent-free.
Here we discussed six of the most common ways rodents make their way into our homes and how we can stop them from coming in.
If you have more questions in mind, give us a call today!