Rat Control Services

Rodents are an annoyance that both homeowners and business owners will eventually encounter and requires rat removal solutions. Rats are abundant across the United States and can be found anywhere humans live. If you have a rat or other rodent on your property, you will almost certainly require rodent control services. Anyone looking for a long-term solution to this problem should consider hiring professional rat removal technicians. If you need rat removal, damage repair, or infestation cleanup, call Animals Happen at 833-633-1120 today!

What Do Rats Look Like?

To control rats and mice, you must first be able to recognize the species and the extent of the infestation. The two most common rats in the U.S. are the Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus) and the roof or black rat (Rattus rattus).

The coarse brown fur and large size of Norway rats make them easily identifiable. Adults can weigh anywhere between 200 and 500 grams. They are over 40 cm long from nose to tail. The Norway rat’s brown fur lightens toward the underside. Its eyes and ears are small, despite its size. The tail and ears are not fur-free and have a scaly texture.

Roof rats are a common sight in yards and homes across the United States. Their bodies are only seven or eight inches long, but their bald, scaly tails are ten inches long. Their pointed noses, hairless ears, and dark fur with light-colored underbellies are also distinguishing features. In residential areas, similar rodents such as the Norway rat and house mouse are also common. ¹Go To Source austintexas.gov -“Controlling Rats & Mice”

Where Do Rats Live?

Norway rats opt to inhibit underground burrows. They can climb and swim well, and they are most active at night. They have tough teeth that can chew through wood, plaster, and any other material softer than their teeth. They can crawl through quarter-sized holes, tread water for three days, and land safely after falling five stories. ²Go To Source chicago.gov -“Rats In Chicago”

Roof rat often nests in the upper parts of buildings, such as attics and rafters, where they usually live in colonies. They can also be found in piles of wood or debris and under, in, and around structures. Roof rats are drawn to lush landscapes, dense vegetation, and fruit trees and prefer sheltered or covered habitats. As a result, roof rat infestations are more common in homes with many shrubberies, woodpiles, and storage boxes.

North America Rat Distribution

Because they traveled to every country via boats over the past few centuries, the brown and house rats are the most common rats on the planet. Brown rats prefer temperate climates, whereas house rats prefer warmer temperatures. They usually live in areas where humans do.

Diet Of Rats

Every day, a rat can consume a third of its body weight. The rat is an omnivore in every sense of the word. It eats soap, leather, furs, candy, milk, meat, vegetables, poultry, eggs, grain, seeds, fruit, nuts, snails, and other rodents, among other things. Rats will catch fish and eat carrion readily. Rats feed on pet food, birdseed, grass seed, garbage, dog feces, and uneaten or spoiled food discarded near homes. Rats will eat almost anything, but their favorite foods are grain, livestock feed, and meat. ³Go To Source in.gov -“rats and mice”

Why Are Rat Infestations Dangerous?

A rat infestation is not only unsightly but also dangerous. They can wreak havoc on your home if left unchecked, gnawing at furniture, internal structures, insulation, and wiring. They’re also known to carry over 70 diseases, some of which are easily transmitted to humans.

Rat Property Damage

Rodents will gnaw and chew their way through wood, bricks, sheetrock, and other materials to gain access into a home. Rodents in homes, attics, chimneys, and garages will completely destroy furniture, walls, cabinets, and other materials. Roofs can also be harmed by rats that can chew through them in search of an entry point into your home. If a rat infestation is discovered and no rat removal is performed, all of these components of your home are at risk of severe damage.

Rodent teeth never stop growing, requiring them to chew constantly to exercise and wear down their teeth. When rodents discover your home’s electrical wires, they appear to be an ideal chewing surface for rats. This chewing removes the protective plastic insulation on the outside of the cables, creating a potentially dangerous fire hazard.

Even if you manage to control your rat problem, a single trapped rodent dying in your home’s walls without your knowledge could result in significant and costly odor removal issues. Along with the cost of rat extermination and removal, fumigation may be an additional cost.

Diseases Spread By Rats

Rats are to blame for the spread of over 35 diseases around the world. These diseases can be transmitted to humans directly by handling rodents, coming into contact with rodent feces, urine, or saliva, or being bitten by rodents. Diseases carried by rodents may also be spread to people via mites, fleas, ticks that have eaten an infected rodent. ⁴Go To Source cdc.gov -“rodents”

• Plague
• Rat Bite Fever
• Salmonellosis
• Monkeypox
• Leptospirosis
• Lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCMV)

Rat Droppings

One of the most unappealing sights in your home is rat droppings. If you have any, you have a rodent infestation and need to take action as soon as possible. The most common source of rat-transmitted diseases is rat droppings. They are responsible for the spread of a variety of pathogens that are harmful to humans. When you have a rat infestation, it’s easy to spot the rodent’s feces because you’ll notice tiny dark pellets of poop all over the place.

Because rat poop is commonly associated with diseases, it’s vital to be extremely careful when cleaning up after an infestation. If you are unsure how to properly decontaminate rat feces, contacting a wildlife restoration technician may be the best course of action. They are trained to identify all decontaminated areas and are provided with the best cleanup equipment in the industry.

Rat Control & Prevention

Rat control is a professional service that employs technicians who have been specially trained to remove and prevent rodent infestations in homes. A good rat control service team will be well versed in rodent proofing, cleanup and decontamination, and insulation restoration, in addition to standard pest control extermination techniques. Rats often make their homes in a home’s attic or crawl space, so look for a rodent control company specializing in attics and knows how to spot and repair damage to things like attic insulation and electrical wiring.

The best way to keep rats out of your house is to prevent them from entering in the first place. A clean house will not keep mice away, but a cluttered, dirty house (and cluttered yard) will. The most effective way to keep mice and rats out is to block their entry points. Remember that a rat can squeeze through a quarter-inch crack or opening. To put it another way, if a mouse can fit his body through it, so can a pencil. Rat control experts can caulk gaps in the house foundation or brick to prevent rodent entry. They may also install steel vent covers to keep rodents out of the air ducts.

Rat Removal Services

Rat removal, like most other pest control, isn’t a one-time deal. Instead, it is a continuous process that necessitates a comprehensive approach ideal for your home or office environment. Usually, a combination of the following elements is involved:

• Stations of Attraction
• Appropriate Traps
• Baiting for rats
• Appropriate food and waste storage, as well as timely disposal
• A continuous rodent extermination campaign reduces the number of rats by killing them, denying them the opportunity to reproduce.

By dehydrating rats, the rodent bait effectively kills them. Rat extermination experts occasionally use baiting techniques, but only in exceptional circumstances. The rats’ natural reaction to ingesting dehydrating agents is to wander around looking for water and eventually leave your home. This method ensures that no dead mice are left rotting within your walls or anywhere else inside your home.

Have Rats Infested Your Home?

Extermination appears to be a good idea for some, even if they must dispose of the dead rodents themselves. Although it appears that the job has been completed for the most part, an essential aspect of dealing with infestations is preventing them from returning to your home or attic. If this is not done, you can expect to see more mice or rodents in the near future.

The rat removal experts provided by Animals Happen do more than just remove rodents from your home. They will identify how the rats got inside, perform the necessary repairs to prevent future entry, and offer habitat modification advice to eliminate rodent attractants. If you want rats entirely eradicated from your home, call Aniamsl Happen at 833-633-1120 to begin the rat control process.

.

Sources:

1. “Rats in Chicago.” Chicago.Gov, City Of Chicago, www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/streets/provdrs/rodent/svcs/rats_in_chicago.html. Accessed 20 July 2021.
2. TCE—Wildlife Services. “Controlling RATS MICE.” Austintexas.Gov, The Texas A&M University System, www.austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/Health/taes-rodent_control_handout.pdf. Accessed 20 July 2021.
3. “Rats and Mice.” Epidemiology Resource Center, State of Indiana, 12 Apr. 2021, www.in.gov/health/erc/infectious-disease-epidemiology/rats-and-mice.
4. “Rodents | CDC.” Cdc.Gov, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 29 July 2010, www.cdc.gov/rodents/index.html.
5. “The History of Integrated Pest Management”. Cornell University. Retrieved 27 August 2017. which cites Orlob, G.B. (1973). “Ancient and medieval plant pathology”. Pflanzenschutz-Nachrichten. 26: 65–294.
6. Dyck, V.A.; Hendrichs, J.; Robinson, A.S. (2006). Sterile Insect Technique: Principles and Practice in Area-Wide Integrated Pest Management. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 4. ISBN 978-1-4020-4051-1.
7. Bowerman, Alan M.; Brooks, Joe E. (1971). “Evaluation of U-5897 as a male chemosterilant for rat control”. Journal of Wildlife Management. 35 (4): 618–624.
8. “ContraPest Rodent Control Product Wins EPA Approval”. Pest Control Technology, GIA Media. 12 August 2016. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
9. “Safer Rodenticide Products”. epa.gov. USA Environment Protection Agency. March 2013. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
10. “Help WildCare Pursue Stricter Rodenticide Controls in California”. wildcarebayarea.org/. Wild Care. Archived from the original on 5 March 2014. Retrieved 28 February 2014.