Living in Kent means getting familiar with the habits and life cycle of rats, which are fairly common critters in the area. This knowledge will help you understand how they can impact your daily life. Rats are known for their ability to get into different places, and they can become a headache as they cause extensive damage to your house and health.
Fortunately, with some knowledge and the right steps to keep rodents away, you can manage the problem and avoid the destruction and diseases rats bring. Whether you’re currently facing unwelcome guests and need rat removal or want to prevent a problem from happening, you can learn the necessary information to protect your home.
If You Have One, You Have Many
Spotting a single mouse or rat is often a sign that it has friends hiding somewhere out of sight. These sneaky creatures are versatile, adaptable, and good at remaining hidden and reproducing in quiet areas around your house.
Rats become a significant problem because they reproduce so quickly. A single pair of rats can make hundreds of offspring within a matter of months. These animals can have babies year-round in milder climates with abundant food sources, meaning they multiply rapidly.
A female rat can produce several litters yearly, having six to twelve babies each time. This aggressive growth makes rat removal and control an ongoing challenge that requires a deep understanding of their breeding practices.
After-Hours Activity
Rats primarily come out to play after the sun sets — this pattern works well with their nocturnal behavior. They most likely developed this routine as a survival strategy to avoid predators and people.
These critters are opportunistic feeders that come out at night to eat things like bugs, grains, and even garbage. Knowing this information can help you manage your rat removal process.
Urbanized Food Sources
Cities and towns provide an excellent opportunity for rats to linger around their homes. These areas give rats a steady stream of food, shelter, and hiding places, creating the perfect environment for them to thrive. Dumpsters and other garbage containers that are not tightly sealed are convenient feeding grounds for these rodents.
As more people pack into cities, rat problems worsen. It becomes crucial to have professional and dependable rat removal services nearby.
Disrupting the Ecosystem
When the rat population is not kept under control, it can impact the ecosystem. Rats compete with local animals for food and can hurt the bird population by eating their eggs and babies. They can also destroy critical habitats and crops.
Why Rats Constantly Gnaw
It’s surprising, but rat teeth get longer throughout their lives. That means rats must constantly chew on things to avoid letting their teeth get too big. This characteristic is problematic because it can damage your walls, furniture, and electrical wires. Gnawed-on wires pose a greater risk because they can lead to an electrical fire.
Nesting Materials and Locations
Rats know how to pick the best hiding spots within your home. They usually like dark and quiet places, but they can also adapt to any spot to sleep in. In a city home, you can often find their nests in these locations:
- Under floorboards
- In basements and attics
- Within wall spaces
- Behind appliances
They use a variety of materials to construct their nests in your home. Rats collect soft materials that are easy to transport and manipulate. Common building materials are paper, cloth, wall insulation, and plant matter.
Strategies for Preventing Rodent Infestations
You’ll be fighting an uphill battle if you don’t know the right way to prevent a rat infestation. Understanding what motivates them to stay and implementing preventive measures to minimize their stay will protect your health and home.
Eliminate Access to Food Sources
Food is what usually brings rats into your home. To stop this, store food the right way. Use containers they cannot chew through, such as those made from glass or metal. A tight lid is essential as well.
Clean your kitchen tabletops and counters often so there are no spills or crumbs. Check your garbage cans, ensuring they are shut tight so rats cannot enter them. If you have a garden, pick your fruits and veggies immediately to protect your crops.
Perform Routine House Maintenance
Maintaining cleanliness and the physical condition of your home is crucial to preventing rats from infiltrating your house. Stay on top of home care to keep rodents at bay.
Fill any gaps or openings since rats can slip through a space smaller than a quarter. Keep your lawn well-managed. Thick plant growth is inviting to rats and unintentionally creates hiding spots.
When to Hire a Professional Rat Removal Service
Dealing with a rodent problem requires professional intervention. These experts can identify, control, and eliminate infestations. You should call the pros when you notice droppings, find chewed wires, and hear unusual noises at night. Some homeowners report hearing scratching noises when the house is quiet.
Of course, there are DIY methods you can use, but they aren’t nearly as effective as professional services. You may slow down the rats’ takeover, but their presence will eventually grow without proper preventive measures. Furthermore, improper use of traps or chemicals can put you at risk.
Call a professional if you can hear critters scurrying through your walls or see them during daylight hours. Hiring experts will invite the help of trained technicians with the necessary knowledge to do the job right. Professionals use the right tools to resolve the problem safely while safeguarding your family’s health.
Expert Rat Removal Services in Kent
Knowing how rats behave is crucial to keeping them away from your home. Using prevention strategies will minimize the risk of rats entering your home. But these tricks aren’t always 100% effective.
You can enlist the support of a qualified pest control company, like Attic Projects, to help. Our experts are trained to eliminate these pests and their mess with our thorough, full-service pest control. We’ll clean up and even offer ongoing monitoring to keep the rats from ever coming back. Call us today to schedule your professional rat removal!
