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Rats are one of the most prevalent nuisance animals found in both rural and urban areas all throughout the United States. Since these creatures are everywhere, they often find themselves in homes and places of business. Due to the destruction and illness they cause, they should be removed as soon as possible. Continue reading to learn more about rats and how you can rid yourself of them permanently.
Why are rats attracted to my property?
Rats are attracted to most properties, yards, and consequently, homes and businesses by warmth, shelter, and food sources. Whenever there are easy places for rats to find food, they will flock to these areas. Particularly, garbage and food scraps are their favorite easy food sources, but there are many others they will also be glad to find. These include pet foods, dead animals, grains, plants, and even biological waste. Since rats love food, this often brings them close to people, which often brings them close to homes and buildings. Homes and buildings are the perfect places for rats to hole up and hide during the colder months. These are often very protected places that they will also raise their young, in order to keep them warm and alive. Whenever there is a perfect combination of easy access to food sources, a nice warm place to live, and a secure shelter, you can almost be sure rats will be located near it.
Why should I remove the rats?
Rats cause two primary problems when they live around humans. The most serious, potentially deadly issue they cause is due to their disease-carrying tendencies. Rats are well known for carrying rat-bite fever, hantavirus, and many other serious, often fatal diseases. These diseases can harm humans and pets alike. Most of these diseases can be spread by being bitten or scratched by a rat, coming into contact with their droppings or urine, or through rats causing food contamination. This is clearly the most serious reason rats need to be removed as soon as possible. If you have a rat infestation in your home visit at rat-control.com to learn how to get rid of it.
In addition to illnesses, rats can also cause real damage to homes and buildings. They often create fire hazards by chewing on wiring. They will gnaw new entry holes that allow more pests to come in. They can even cause structural weakness to homes and buildings by chewing up the important pieces of lumber within buildings. Finally, they tear up insulation, costing hundreds of dollars in energy inefficiency. Getting rid of these rodents should be a top priority for these two reasons.
How can I prevent rats?
When trying to prevent rats, there is one excellent strategy that will work virtually every time. To begin preventing rats from entering your home, start by inspecting your home’s interior and exterior. Pay attention to the attic, the roofline, the foundation, and even the seals of your doors and windows. If you find any areas that look like they could allow a rat in, be sure to fix them. Most rat-accessible holes or cracks can be fixed by all-weather sealant, treated lumber, steel wool, or aluminum sheeting. It might also be a good idea to place some traps of your choice, in order to have a last line of defense, should any rats somehow make their way into your home.
How do I remove rats?
Rat removal might seem simple enough, but many times, it can get out of hand fast. Since rats have the ability to reproduce at an insanely fast rate, it often happens that homeowners cannot remove the rats quickly enough to end the infestation. In addition, trying to remove large infestations of rats can get difficult, particularly since you will never be able to tell if you removed every rat. Since this is the case, hiring a professional wildlife removal service might be in your best interest.
If you know there are only a few rats at most, you can attempt to remove them on your own if you feel comfortable doing so. There are many different traps on the market, some lethal and some humane. If you want the lethal route, consider an old-fashioned snap trap or a newer repeater lethal trap. If you are looking for a humane trap, consider a glue trap or a repeater humane trap. At the end of the day, the choice is yours. Just be sure to always take necessary safety precautions, as rats can cause serious health issues.
Why hire A&D Construction Plus?
At A&D Construction Plus, we have years of experience in dealing with rat problems of all shapes and sizes. We specialize in removing nuisance animals of all varieties for the citizens of Maine. In addition to wildlife removal, A&D Construction Plus can also perform construction services, animal exclusion, and many more related services. If you have a wildlife problem of any kind, be sure to give us a call here at A&D Construction Plus, as we would love to help you out today!
What Damage Do Rats Cause in An Attic?
Rats are arguably the most detested pests. Why? Asides from being very dirty and carriers of several diseases, rats are also notorious for the havoc they wreak once they gain access into your house or property. But in this article, we focus our attention on the damages rats cause in the attic.
Signs of Rat Infestation in the Attic
Believe it or not, rodents and humans have come a long way. You see, rats and mice first cozied up to humans around 15,000 years ago. And despite the actions of our ancestors – as well as actions – to get rid of them, it seems they’ll forever remain our bane.
But who can blame them? Rats and mice have long learned that living near humans provides them with easy access to food and safe shelter – the likes of which they might struggle to find in the wild.
However, wherever they reside, rodents leave destruction in their wake – from the damage they wreak to the several health risks they pose.
And because they are very reclusive and shy, you might not realize you have an infestation problem until severe damages have been done. That’s why you must know the signs of rodent infestations.
A&D Construction Plus provides rodent removal services. And in this post, we explore the most common rodent infestation signs to look out for.
This is usually the easiest infestation sign to identify. If you have an infestation problem, expect to find droppings behind kitchen cabinets, drawers, cupboards, drawers, the attic, as well as other areas frequented by rodents.
The color and consistency of the droppings can tell you how long it’s been there. Old droppings tend to be gray, dull, and stiff, while fresh ones tend to be soft with a terrible odor.
In terms of size, rat droppings are about 1/2 inches long, while mice droppings are about 1/8 inches long.
Here’s one fun fact: the incisors of rodents grow throughout their lives. To keep it from growing too long, they need to constantly chew on objects to trim it.
Hence, rodents will chew on wood, cardboard, baseboards, insulation, boxes, wires, pipes, and just about anything they can lay their teeth on. Chew marks around household items are usually an indication of a rodent infestation.
Rats and mice are filthy creatures. The droppings they leave around your house give off a noisome odor. What’s more, they use urine to attract mates. And their urine has a strong, musky, unmistakable smell that’s certain to cause you great discomfort.
If you notice your cat or dog picking up a strange interest in a section of your home – always scratching that area or hitting its paws there – it could be a sign of rodents. Cats, for instance, possess a superior smell sense that helps them to detect rodents. So do well to take notice of your pet’s change in behavior.
As rodents run around your house, they leave behind footprints. These tracks could give off their presence. You can easily identify tracks by holding a flashlight at an angle towards the suspected area. Alternatively, you can place a very thin layer of flour on areas suspected of rodent presence. The flour will make the tracks more visible as they move along.
Once they get into your house, the first thing rodents do is build their nest. For this, they make use of all sorts of materials – from torn-off insulation to wires to papers, and even other materials brought in. If you find a rodent’s nest, then there’s a strong chance you have an infestation.
Although rats and mice hate to be seen, they give off lots of noise that can betray their presence. Common sounds made by rodents include gnaws as they chew, scurrying sounds as they move about, and squeaks as they communicate with one another.
Rodents are so dirty that their bodies leave behind grease marks as they move along the floor or walls. These unexpected marks may be a sign of an infestation.
This is a no-brainer. If you spot a rat or mice in your house, then you have an infestation.
Wrap up
Have you noticed any of these signs of infestation? You must act now before those nasty rodents cause any further damage. As a professional wildlife company, A&D Construction Plus can help resolve your rodent infestation in no time.
