Have you noticed rats scampering around your home or in the garden? Can you hear their squeaks and scratches during the late hours of the night?
These may be signs that there is a rat infestation happening. Rats can carry several diseases, such as salmonella and hantavirus, so it’s important to take care of this problem before it gets out of control.
In this article, we will discuss how to check for a rat infestation and what steps need to be taken if one is found.
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Holes Chewed Through Walls and Floors
When you notice holes in your walls and floors, this is one of the first signs that you should look for if you think there is a rat infestation.
Rats will make holes anywhere they can find to get into your home or business, including inside walls and under doors.
If you see any large holes in these areas, it may be an indicator of rats living nearby.
It would be best if you sealed these holes they have made to keep the rats from getting in again. You can do this by plugging in steel wool or patching them up.
Rodent Droppings Are Found
Another sign that you have a rat infestation is rodent droppings.
Rats usually defecate and urinate anywhere in their home range, which means it may be found anywhere inside or outside your property.
If there are several spots where feces has been left behind from these pests, then the chances are good that they’re nearby and nesting within your walls or attic space.
The best way to check for this is by using a black light flashlight at night when rats typically do most of their activity.
Look around the area near holes created by rodents along with areas where large amounts of droppings can be seen.
This will help locate any nests as well as food sources available for them.
You must remove all signs of poop and ensure no rats can eat or nest near your home.
Signs of Nesting Materials
Besides droppings, you will probably also see nesting materials that rats use to make their homes.
They like to gather wood chips and insulation from inside your walls or attic area as well as paper towels, tissues, cardboard boxes, and cloth material if they can find them.
Nesting materials are not only used for building nests but is also utilized by the rodents when urinating or defecating because it helps mask any smell so predators cannot track down where they live.
If there are several spots around your yard with these types of items piled up together in one location, then this may be another indicator that they are living inside or near your home.
Remove all signs of rat activity by cleaning up destroyed food sources along with removing any nesting materials you may find.
Signs of Chewed Food Packaging
While rats will eat anything, they are also very attracted to things that have high sugar or salt content.
If you notice your food packaging is chewed open and any contents inside of it have been eaten away by the pests, this may be another indicator there’s an infestation happening nearby.
Rats get into these packages because they can smell the sweet flavors from outside of them through tiny holes in the wrappers.
They then use their teeth to break open larger areas so they can get at more food items inside without having to work hard for it.
Prevent this from happening by sealing up your food supplies so rodents cannot get into them.
Stale Smells From Hidden Areas
If you notice a stale smell near your home that has not been there before, this may be another sign of rat activity.
Rats often urinate and defecate in hidden areas around your yard, such as bushes or the underside of decks or porches.
They will also make nests out of shredded paper products they find nearby to use for bedding material whenever it is too cold outside.
This can cause an unpleasant odor from all their waste being concentrated together in one area over time if it’s left alone without any cleaning efforts taken by residents nearby.
You should check every corner and crevice along walls and foundations for signs of urine and feces, as well as shredded paper materials used for testing purposes.
Clean up messes found with a mop and disinfectant solution to prevent any smells from taking over.
How To Deal With Rat Infestation
If you have found any of the signs mentioned above, then there is a good chance that rats are living within your home or yard.
It’s important to take action immediately by contacting a pest removal specialist who can get rid of them permanently and prevent re-infestation from taking place later on down the road.
The best way to deal with rat infestation issues, in this case, is by getting rid of what attracts these pests into your property altogether while sealing off entry points so they cannot return again.
You should also keep up with regular pest control methods to remove other types of crawling insects around your house as well since rodents attract other pests.
Takeaway
We hope this article has helped you learn about rat infestation prevention and what to look for in your own home.
Be sure to keep an eye out for the signs of a rodent problem so that you can call pest control professionals if necessary.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us!
We are happy to help make sure your home is free from rats or other pests.