Rats may be small in stature, but the potential damage and disruption they can cause to residential areas is anything but. Preventing rat infestations with a proactive and comprehensive approach to rat control is essential to safeguard your home. Adaptive Pest Control is here to help you strategise.
Rats: The Ultimate Unwanted Guests
Nobody wants to share their home with these pernicious pests. Yet you may find yourself putting a roof over their heads and providing them with food and water without even knowing it. When it comes to rats, you do not want to be the ‘hostess with the mostest’.
So, why is it important to rid yourself of rats, and what are the most effective ways of doing so? Join us as we delve into the different methods Perth residents can use to fortify their defences.
The Why
Controlling rat populations in residential areas is crucial for several reasons:
- Health Risks: Rats can carry diseases which can be transmitted to humans through contact with rat urine, faeces, or bites. While The Black Death may be a thing of the past (we hope), diseases such as leptospirosis, salmonellosis, and rat-bite fever can still be contracted. Rat droppings and urine contain allergens that can also exacerbate allergies and trigger asthma attacks in susceptible individuals.
- Food Contamination: Do you like your meals with a side of rat droppings, urine, and fur? Neither do we. Rats are scavengers and will feed on anything they can find, including food stored in your homes. Their presence can contaminate food, leading to the health risks mentioned above.
- Property Damage: Rats are notorious for gnawing on wires, pipes, insulation, and even structural elements of buildings. This can lead to costly damage to homes and infrastructure. They can also create fire hazards. These little arsonists may gnaw on electrical wires, potentially leading to devastating fires. There is also an ecological impact to consider. Rats can also threaten native wildlife and ecosystems in your surrounding areas when they prey on small animals or compete with native species for resources.
For the sake of your building and its inhabitants, it’s necessary to mitigate these risks by controlling rat populations to safeguard your health and property.
The How
With their ability to reproduce rapidly and adapt to various environments, controlling rat populations requires a multi-faceted approach. Preventing rat infestations begins with denying them access to food, water, and shelter.
- Clean Indoors: Removing or securing potential food and water sources indoors and outdoors is crucial. Rats love leftovers, so store food in airtight containers, clean up spills and don’t leave any food out overnight. Ensure that kitchen areas are kept clean, including under appliances and in cabinets. Pet food left out overnight can also attract rats and other pests. Feed pets indoors, pick up any uneaten food, and clean food and water bowls. Don’t forget water, either! Like all living creatures, rats need water to survive. Leaky pipes, dripping faucets, and standing water can attract rats too. Check your water sources are well-maintained and leave those rats high and dry.
- Tidy Outdoors: In the outdoors, keep garbage bins sealed and avoid overfilling them. Use bins with tight-fitting lids, and consider using bungee cords to keep them closed. Avoid leaving rubbish bags outside for long periods, especially in warm weather, and rinse bins regularly to remove food residue. Even if you don’t have green fingers, you must also tend to your garden! Overgrown vegetation provides hiding places and nesting sites for rats, so keeping landscaping well-maintained is essential. Trim bushes, shrubs, and trees away from buildings to eliminate hiding spots near entry points. Remove clutter and unused items from around the property that can provide shelter for rats and mow lawns and remove weeds to reduce potential habitats.
- Deny Entry: Roll up that welcome mat; it’s time to deny entry. Rats can squeeze through openings as small as a quarter of an inch (6 mm), which means seemingly insignificant gaps and cracks in buildings can serve as entry points. To effectively thwart these annoyingly resourceful rodents, you’ll need to inspect buildings thoroughly. Seal any gaps or cracks in foundations, walls, doors, and windows and pay close attention to areas where pipes, cables, or vents enter the building. Common sealing materials include caulk, wire mesh, and expanding foam. Silicone or latex caulking compounds applied generously for a tight seal are ideal for sealing small gaps and cracks. For larger gaps, secure wire mesh over openings using screws or nails for a snug fit. Expanding foam sealants expand to fill gaps completely, creating a tight seal that is useful for filling more significant gaps and voids in building materials.
- Try Traps: Trapping effectively controls rat populations, especially in residential areas where poisons may pose risks to children and pets. Snap traps consist of a spring-loaded mechanism that snaps shut when triggered by the rat’s movement. Live traps capture rats alive, allowing for their safe removal and release elsewhere. Strategic placement of traps is crucial for successful rat trapping. Place traps where rat activity is observed, such as along walls, near entry points, or dark corners where rats are likely to travel. Pay attention to signs of rat activity, such as droppings, gnaw marks, and grease smudges, to identify high-traffic areas. If using live traps, remember to release captured rats at least 100 meters from human habitation to prevent their return.
- Notify Neighbours: When your next-door neighbour pops over to borrow some sugar, they knock first. The same can not be said of any nearby rats. If neighbouring properties or nearby areas have existing rat infestations, rats can easily migrate to adjacent residences. Let your community know if you suspect rats are in any properties, including your own. Rat control efforts are most effective when the entire community is involved. Encourage neighbours to adopt similar prevention and control measures to create a unified front against rat infestations. Establishing neighbourhood clean-up initiatives or sharing information about effective control methods can help create a more rat-resistant environment for everyone.
Get Proactive and Adaptive
Although some people try to remove rodents themselves, the most effective way to a rat-free existence is to call in the professionals. At Adaptive Pest Control, our team boasts full licensing and extensive expertise in rodent control, guaranteeing safe and effective solutions without the use of toxic substances. We are dedicated to not only eliminating current infestations but also preventing future ones. If you want reassurance that your residence is rid of rats, get in touch today!
