Why You Shouldnt Try To Get Rid Of Chicago Rats On Your Own
Rats are common rodents in Chicago. Far too common, if you ask us. In our area, the rats we deal with are Norway rats and roof rats. Norway rats are brown, ground-dwelling rodents that can take to living inside structures. Roof rats are black, tree-climbing rodents that prefer to live in structures.
If Norway rats or roof rats establish themselves in your Chicago residence, it is important that you contact a licensed pest professional in Chicago; here's why.
Rats Aren't Easy To Control
There are many ways rat control can fail. Licensed rodent control technicians are not only trained in industry-leading control methods and products, but they also have experience with rodent control and have learned, sometimes the hard way, how to prevent rats from outsmarting them. If you're considering doing your own rat control, there are a few things you should know.
Rats Can Present A Threat
When your rat control fails, you're left exposed to all of the many threats rats can present to you, your family, your belongings, and your home. Here are just a few:
- Rats leave urine and feces in many places.
- Rats contaminate surfaces, dishes, silverware, stored foods, and other areas with unseen bacterial organisms.
- Rats bring ticks and fleas into a home. These can transmit a long list of diseases.
- Rats chew on building materials, such as baseboards, sheet rock, insulation, and more.
- Rats chew on stored items. They'll rip up clothing and use the material for their nests. They'll chew a hole in upholstered furniture and create a nest inside. They'll chew a hole in cardboard boxes and explore the objects inside.
- Rats chew on wires and gas lines. This can cause a fire. Experts believe that as many as 25 percent of fires that are ignited by an unknown source are likely to be the result of rodent infestation.
How Traps Might Fail
- Rats don't like new things. If you place something in their environment, they're likely to avoid it.
- Rats have a strong sense of smell. If you place traps down with your hands, rats can smell the oils from your skin on the traps. This will cause them to avoid your traps.
- Rats don't have good eyesight and will use their whiskers to navigate. For this reason, they usually stay close to walls or near objects and recesses in cluttered spaces as they explore. If you put traps in the middle of a closet or storage room, rats may not go anywhere near your traps.
- Rats are fast. If you lay spring traps down, a rat may move fast enough to avoid the death blow.
Traps are only one way to stop rats. There are many products that promise rat control. Here are a few things you should know:
- If you buy a cat to address your rat problems, you're likely to be disappointed. Some cats won't go after rats. In fact, a rat can intimidate a cat. But, even if you find a cat that has the determination to take down a rat, it won't be able to get into your walls where rats hide.
- If you decide to use a poisoned bait, you could have dead rats decaying inside your walls. That can produce an unpleasant smell.
- If you decide to use an ultrasonic device, you should know that these items need to be placed close enough to the infested area to have any impact, and that the amount of ultrasonic sound required to drive all the rats out of your home would be enough to drive you out as well.
- If you spray or lay down scents that deter rodents, be aware that rats will often find a way around these, or just push through the bad smells to get to what they want.
Hear From Our Happy Customers
At Aerex Pest Control, your satisfaction is our priority! See for yourself what our customers have to say about working with us.
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"Today’s service was great."Mark arrived early after calling to let me know we could start earlier if that worked with my schedule, it did. He was friendly and thorough.- Meredith C.
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"Reliable, available, effective."Mike is very friendly, cooperative. He knows our house well as to where there are concerns for critter control. We are very happy with Aerex.- Judith N.
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"Mike is the best."Mike showed up on time and was friendly with our crazy dogs and familiar with the house, even though he hasn’t been here in a while. Can’t ask for more for a semi-annual service and serviceman.- Cissy G.
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"Highly recommend."We've used Aerex for 20+ years at 2 locations. They are prompt, courteous & effective. Our regular service person, Wally, listens to current problems & applies the correct solutions to the problem. If needed within 30 days, a second visit is schedu- Harry S.
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"We are highly recommending their top-notch services!"Great company with professional people - such a pleasure working with! We have been using Aerex Pest Control at our properties for 10+ years and we couldn't be happier with the choice we made. The team from the office is always friendly, ready to help. The- Mi B.
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"Make it easy for me every time!"Jordan our technician was great. He’s very helpful and willing to assist us with dealing with our problem. He explains our issues and helps in determine what needs to be done.- Gary B.
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"10/10!"I have been using Aerex for over 20 years. Every tech that has come to our house has been incredibly knowledgeable, kind and respectful. They get the job done efficiently and always go the extra mile. They are all dog lovers too so that works when my dog g- Sheila B.
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"Thank you, Tony!"I especially like Tony who has been doing my house for over 10 years. He is very very trustworthy and clean and pleasant. Please let him know what l say here.- Linda T.
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