How Professionals Get Rid of Rats
Rats are destructive carriers of disease. If you suspect that there are rats on your property, you must get rid of them as soon as possible. Rats breed very quickly, so what may seem like a small problem now will very quickly get out of hand.
The following explains the signs of a rat infestation, and how professionals get rid of them. If you need help, call an expert for rat extermination in Brampton or near you.
What do rats look like?
Rats are like big mice, with larger bodies and thicker tails. Norway rats, the most common species, have a head and body length of up to 28cm. Their tails are hairless and nearly just as long. Norway rats weigh somewhere between 140 and 500g – 25 times the weight of a mouse.
Rats are usually low to the ground, in sewers and backyards. As burrowers, they build tunnels in the soil. Burrow holes are 2 to 4 inches in diameter and often appear in clusters of a few holes. In some cases, rats will burrow through the foundation of the home, then make their way into the walls of the basement. It is for this reason that exterior rat populations should be kept under control.
What are the signs of a rat problem?
Burrow holes in the yard may indicate a rat problem. The closer they are to the walls of the home, the more likely the rats are getting inside. Indoors, one may find droppings along the baseboards and anywhere there is food. If the walls can be examined, there may be droppings in the insulation and signs of nesting.
Rats are nocturnal, so they are usually spotted at night. Seeing one is a sure sign that there are many more nearby. When rats are living indoors, they can often be heard chewing in the walls and scurrying around at night.
How to get rid of rats like a professional
Professionals get rid of rats by forcing them out of the house and using baits to get their numbers back under control. The first thing a technician will do is inspect the property from top to bottom. They’ll find the openings that the rats use to get indoors, then assess the severity of the problem. The inspection is a very important part of the process because it finds the causes of the infestation.
The next step involves the installation of a one-way door. The one-way door is a bit like a pet door that only swings outward. Professionals install this device on the opening they found during the inspection. Over the course of the next few days, the rats living indoors will crawl out and be stuck outside. This is a very effective method of eviction.
The third step is to place bait stations around the home’s exterior. Bait stations consist of plastic boxes of rodenticide with holes on their sides. Rats crawl into the boxes and consume the bait. Within a few weeks, the rats on the property will be gone. In some cases, professionals will opt to set traps indoors as well as the bait stations outside.
The last thing that professionals do to get rid of rats is exclude the home. This is an optional but very important step because it keeps rats out for good. Professionals recommend having wall vents, weep holes, and other openings on the sides of the home covered with rat-proof materials so that the pests don’t find their way back inside.
Call your nearest exterminator
Hiring a professional is much easier than handling a rat problem by yourself. Rats are smart and destructive pests that are very difficult to get rid of. Cleaning up can also be very uncomfortable. Contact a pest control company as soon as you need help. They can get rid of the rats quickly and permanently. Some companies offer disinfection services as well, so it’s worth looking into.
