How To Tell If It's Rats Lurking Around Your Property
Rats are athletic and stealthy. When it comes to staying out of sight, these dangerous rodents are experts. Even if you don't spot a rat lurking around your property, there are still a few ways to tell if one has been around recently. Some of the telltale signs that rodents leave behind include:
- Holes around your property. Norway rats like to dig holes in the ground to give them a convenient place to take shelter. Usually, these holes will be right beside a larger object, like your home, storage shed, or car. Also, any rat will chew holes in your walls, cabinets, flooring, furniture, or any chewable material they can get their teeth around.
- Rat droppings: Rats will leave a lot of droppings wherever they go. On average, one rat can leave about 50 droppings per day. The rat dropping is dark brown or black, shaped like an oval, and about ¾ of an inch long. If you find droppings in multiple places around your home, you probably have a full-blown rat infestation.
- Dark smear marks. Rats are dirty creatures that often have dirt and grime covering their bodies. They also have poor eyesight and will commonly run alongside the walls and baseboards of your home. Over time, the grease and dirt from their bodies will show up on the wall, and you will start to see dark smear marks where activity is the highest.
Rats are also known to leave behind a musky scent. They will urinate and leave droppings all over your home. Many times, the droppings are in between your walls and other hard-to-reach places, which makes it impossible to clean.
The Damage And Dangers Rats Can Cause In Your Home
Rats are one of the most bothersome pests you can have in your house. They will chew on everything and can destroy your home and personal property in a short amount of time. They are also known to carry a wide range of diseases. Some of the diseases that rats are known to spread include:
- Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus (LCMV)
- Hantavirus
- Leptospirosis
- Plague
- Tularemia
- Salmonellosis
- Rat-bite fever
Rats can spread these illnesses to people through direct and indirect contact. Because these rodents are so unhygienic, all they need to do is walk across your food preparation surfaces to spread harmful pathogens to you and your family.
How To Remove Factors That Attract Rats To Your Home
Rats need three things to survive — food, shelter, and water. If your home has these three necessities easily accessible, a rat will try to invade. To prevent rats from being attracted to your home, try these easy tips:
- Keep a tight lid on your outdoor trash can.
- Don't set your outdoor garbage cans next to your home.
- Fix any leaky faucets or pipes as soon as possible.
- Keep all your food in a metal or glass container with a sealable lid.
To keep rats out of your home, it is also a good idea to seal up any cracks or gaps around your house. Rats don't need a large opening to enter your house. In fact, these sneaky rodents can fit in a hole only half an inch wide.
Call The Pros At The First Sign Of Rats Around Your House
If you think that you might have rats in or around your Chicago property, do not hesitate to contact us today. At Aerex Pest Control, we have had decades of experience dealing with these pesky rodents. We know how to quickly identify and eliminate rats from your home for good.