How to get rid of rats in your home.

As we transition into each new season, pest control becomes a hot topic of discussion. The fall season brings with it a variety of pests, but many homeowners are especially concerned with falling victim to a rat infestation.

If left unchecked, rats can contaminate your food, cause disease, and chew through wires in your home and even in your vehicles. What is the best way to get rid of rats during the fall season? As always, we definitely have a few suggestions, but we’d like to start with a few signs that could indicate a problem.

Watching for Signs of a Rat Infestation

You can’t even begin to discuss the best way to get rid of rats until you figure out whether or not you have an infestation in the first place. Rats are nocturnal, which means they’re probably much more active while your household is asleep. However, while you may not see them scurrying around, there are a few telltale signs that you can watch for:

• Scratching Noises — Rats often travel through your home by getting into its walls and other places. If you hear scratching noises at night, this is a common indication of their presence.
• Chewed Holes — Rats are known to chew through cardboard, wood, wiring, and other such items. If you find any holes with teeth marks, they may already be inside.
• Rat Droppings — Since rodents will urinate or defecate whenever they please, droppings are quite common. Even more so, you may experience the smell of urine in certain areas of your home.
• Chewed Wires — This issue can make rats downright hazardous to your household. Unless you have a pet that has this habit, then chewed wires can very well indicate a rat problem.
• Footprints / Tail Prints — Rats don’t mind walking across dust that has collected on top of shelves and other surfaces. When you clean, take note of any footprints or tail prints.

Helpful Tactics to Prevent a Rat Infestation

The best way to get rid of rats has always been to hire a professional exterminator, but there are a few helpful tactics that can reduce the possibility of infestation between visits. Try these simple strategies for rodent control:

• Clean Up Regularly — Rats will enter your home to look for food, so definitely don’t leave any trash lying around. It’s also a good idea to keep your outside garbage receptacle away from the house.
• Remove Vegetation — There’s often plenty of food to be found outside your home, too, in the form of vegetation. Remove it from being too close to your home, if possible.
• Seal Openings — Rats will often make their own openings, but it’s a lot easier when one’s already started. Seal up any openings you find with weatherstripping, spray foam, or caulk.
• Remove Standing Water — Like all creatures you might run across, rats need water to survive. Remove any standing water around your home to make it less attractive.

The Importance of Professional Rodent Control to Get Rid of Rats 

Since rats can be so destructive to your home and possibly make your household members sick, it’s important you eliminate them in the most effective, timely way possible. The best way to get rid of rats is, hands down, by hiring a professional exterminator. Not only do they have the experience that’s required, they also have the right equipment to ensure that the job gets done right.

McDonald Pest Control Provides the Best Way to Get Rid of Rats in Clearwater

Pest control in Clearwater is something that every homeowner and business owner must take seriously. McDonald Pest Control not only knows the best way to get rid of rats, but we also have expertise in eliminating and preventing cockroaches, arachnids, ants, bees, wasps, mice, bed bugs, mosquitoes, gnats, and other bothersome creatures. To learn more about our pest control services and for a free consultation, call our team at (727) 734-0963 now!